⭐ Rating: 9/10

I wasn’t sure what to expect going in - mostly picked this up for the combat and visuals - but Stellar Blade ended up being a lot more than eye candy. Combat is tight and incredibly satisfying, especially once you get the timing down for dodges and perfect parries. It scratches that Sekiro-lite itch, but with a unique sci-fi flair and fluid animations.

The world design surprised me. There’s a decent amount of exploration with semi-open hub areas that reward you for digging into side content. It’s not quite Soulslike in structure, but it borrows just enough to keep things engaging. The enemy designs and boss fights are also pretty creative - some can be genuinely challenging without feeling unfair.

Story-wise, it’s better than I expected. It leans into some anime-style tropes, sure, but the main character (Eve) is actually pretty well written, and the game touches on some deeper themes about identity and purpose. The voice acting (especially in Japanese) is solid, and the cutscenes are beautifully directed.

Oh, and yes, the game is very stylish. There’s fanservice, but it doesn’t come at the cost of gameplay or tone. It knows what it is and doesn’t try to pretend otherwise.

Pros:
• Fluid, challenging combat
• Gorgeous visuals and art direction
• Surprisingly engaging story
• Lots of cool customization options
• Great soundtrack

Cons:
• Some side quests are basic fetchy stuff
• Camera can get awkward in tight spaces
• Not a lot of enemy variety later on

If you’re into action games like Nier: Automata, Bayonetta, or Sekiro, this is absolutely worth your time. Just don’t go in expecting a deep RPG - this is a stylish action game first, and it nails that.