Weird and wild PS5 action RPG Stellar Blade finally gets a release date, and I admit I'm pretty excited for it

After what feels like 20 trailers, we finally have a release date for Stellar Blade, that vaguely Nier Automata-like, PS5-exclusive action RPG. It’s out April 26, 2024, as we learned at today’s PlayStation State of Play January live show.

Yet another newly released trailer offers an overview of the game formerly known as Project Eve. Stellar Blade follows protagonist Eve in her fight against the Nativa monsters that drove humanity off Earth. Honestly, that feels like all you need to know. Here there be monsters: go kill ’em.

Joined by companions Adam and Lily, Eve hacks and slashes and shoots her way through a ruined world. You’ll upgrade your gear, fill out your skill tree to define your fighting style, and parry a whole bunch of bosses in half – classic. After a sizable wait and hefty delay, it’ll be nice to finally get a feel for how this one performs.

I am, I readily admit, a simple man when it comes to action games. I’ve been half-interested in this game from the moment it was revealed to have parry and double-jump buttons. Stellar Blade looks like the good kind of dumb fun Unreal Engine 5 showcase – the prettiest bunch of over-the-top nonsense the developers could make. But as we finally pencil in a release date for it, even I’m surprised by how genuinely excited I am to try it.

The character designs all have the distinct, detailed look of Korean games like Black Desert Online, which I like. The city of Xion, home to humanity’s struggling remnants, is exactly the sort of ramshackle settlement that I love to pick through. There’s a boss that’s basically the giant hands from Elden Ring in leopard form, which I think speaks for itself. The whole thing just feels like Code Vein by way of Deus Ex, which is almost scarily well-tuned to my tastes. Here’s hoping Stellar Blade ends up having substance to match its style.

Here’s everything announced at the PlayStation State of Play show.

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