Do you ever see a trailer for a game or a movie and think to yourself, “this was made just for me”? That was Stellar Blade just a few minutes ago.
It’s not a game that’s going to be for everyone. I know this because MobileSyrup‘s very own Patrick O’Rourke posted in our Slack — and I quote — “It might not be possible for me to be less interested in a game.” I was baffled. How could we be looking at the same game?
It has everything: fast-paced combat, incredible character designs, a story about existential crises… it checks all the boxes. At least for someone like me: a Nier fan.
We Nier fans are often looked down upon for our love of convoluted stories and questionable design choices. But if you can look past a few quirks, there’s some great stuff in this niche genre. Whether it’s the bullet hell-style dodging, the cosmetic upgrades, or the flashy sci-fi particle effects, there’s something about this particular aesthetic that just sends positive signals to my brain. For others, they’re just noise drowning out the gameplay.
I look at it this way. Many people fall into camps of science fiction or fantasy. That also applies to games. You’re either going to be into survival horror, or you won’t. It doesn’t matter how acclaimed Resident Evil 4 is, if you don’t like being chased around by a chainsaw, you’re not going to enjoy the experience.
But for those who are into this hyper-stylized Korean take on the hack-and-slash genre, this could be a game of the year contender. I mean, did you hear the music in the trailer? It’s a mix of bass-filled electronic music and emo ballads. That’s not to mention the story, which so far covers similar themes to Nier: Automata about humanity and the sacrifices of technology. It’s a done deal for me. It could be a 7/10 to the rest of the world, but this could be a 9/10 for me.
That’s if the game can find a way to avoid the trappings of the genre. You just need to take one look at the developer’s past projects to get a sense of their assthetic. But with PlayStation Studios onboard as the publisher, I’m hoping they’ve steered the ship in the right direction.
If nothing else, Stellar Blade will take me back to my days of pretending to be a Power Ranger in my backyard. The trailer has me twerking with excitement all over my living room.
Stellar Blade is releasing on PlayStation 5 on April 26, 2024.
Image credit: PlayStation (Screenshot)
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