What outfit would you pick for an audience with the leader of the remnants of a dying human race? Cybernetic Bondage (yes, the outfit is exactly as kinky as the name implies), Holiday Rabbit (think Playboy bunny), or one of several skintight bodysuits that leave nothing to the imagination (I’m assuming they’re painted on)? If that’s too immodest (do bear in mind that the in-game elderly gentleman’s royal guard comprises veiled women in red, lacy thongs), perhaps you’d prefer a chic hat with stilettos and a woollen dress, or one of several schoolgirl outfits (Eve is a grown woman), or maybe even Fluffy Bear (literally a bear costume)?
This overt sexualisation of main character Eve is unnecessary and incongruous with the character, the narrative, and the world design. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against slutty game design per se, but what I would appreciate is some sort of context. Take Bayonetta, where the the flamboyantly and unapologetically sexual eponymous character literally uses her clothes as weapons and flirts with angels, is unashamedly promiscuous, and was clearly the inspiration for Eve’s design and her outfits. Unlike Eve, Bayonetta’s overt sexualisation is core to her character, her way of life, and her fighting style.
Eve, by contrast, is meant to be a battle-hardened warrior and representative of Earth’s most elite fighting force on a quest to save humanity from extinction. At the same time, she’s very demure, a polite and overly-empathetic Korean with a sophisticated British accent, and is treated with the utmost respect by surviving humans (despite Cybernetic Bondage et al). I just wish the devs copied Bayonetta’s sass while they were copying her styling.
Again, there’s nothing wrong with an “adults only” game, but Stellar Blade’s sexualisation is arbitrary, and essential neither to the character nor to the plot. Most quest rewards are increasingly skimpy outfits, with the skimpiest ones being reserved for the most challenging tasks. Why? I’ve no idea.
I mean, even Hideo Kojima (of Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding fame) attempted to explain away Quiet’s nudity by claiming that she needed to “drink and breathe through her skin”. Nier: Automata’s french maid kink apparently has philosophical roots in identity and objectification.
Stellar Blade is particularly frustrating in this regard because it’s otherwise brilliant and boasts of some of the most engaging combat since Elden Ring. I want more people to play this game, but I simply can’t recommend it to many of my friends and younger relatives. The worst part is that there are also many instances where this unnecessary sexualisation gets uncomfortable, such as the design of Eve’s teenage companion, and a conversation with a child running a shop called “Sister’s Junk” who is explaining that a young man is looking for the lower half of an Android (waist down) “for… medical reasons”.
If you can move past the horny…
Stellar Blade is the best action game I’ve played on PC this year, and for its combat alone is a very strong game-of-the-year contender. Combat is a best-of-both-worlds mix of Devil May Cry and Dark Souls. It has the former’s style and pacing but with the added depth of a Souls/Sekiro-style parry system that rewards as well as punishes. Boss battles are challenging, cinematic, and epic in equal measure. That sense of awe and elation you experience when you finally take down a boss in a Souls game, you can find that in Stellar Blade. My only complaint on this front is that the camera has a tendency to focus on Eve’s arse rather than on the boss, which can get frustrating when bosses manage to get behind you.
While enemies respawn on resting, combat never gets dull because your moveset keeps expanding as you progress. I think my favourite feature of Stellar Blade’s combat — something Souls games can take inspiration from — is enemy variety and encounter design. There are multiple sub-types between each enemy class lending variety to combat by varying parry windows, and encounter design forces you into situations where you must use your head to survive. Some of these curated encounters were brilliantly designed and far superior to Elden Ring’s overwhelm-with-mobs approach.
Then there’s the world design. It’s not quite Nier, but it’s close enough to not matter and tells a (very pretty) story while at it. Textures and colours are crisp and clear, lighting plays beautifully across vast landscapes, and the Nier-inspired soundtrack is quite fitting for the setting. As expected, it’s hard to take dialogue seriously when you’re dressed as a dominatrix of sorts, but I think the environment does a far better job of storytelling anyway.
PC gamers will also be happy to hear that the game is very well optimised for PC and has fairly low requirements. On my admittedly beefy gaming PC, I was playing comfortably at 4K at 200+ FPS thanks to an RTX 5080. Barring a few minor stutters when entering new areas, the game ran flawlessly.
While the end is in sight, I have yet to finish the game so I’ll stop here. For a more nuanced take on combat, world design, and story from someone who’s actually finished the game, check out Karan’s more detailed review of the PS5 version here.
Game reviewed on PC. Review code provided by the publisher.
