Shift Up’s upcoming action adventure game, Stellar Blade, was smaller in scope prior to the partnership and support from PlayStation.
Speaking during an interview, Stellar Blade director Kim Jong Tae stated that, after the game’s first prototype was developed in around 2021, Shuhei Yoshida visited Shift Up to try it out, which laid the foundation for the partnership between the studio and PlayStation. There were a lot of concrete exchanges between both companies on how to improve the gameplay. Sony specifically took charge of localization, QA and sharing of tools, and highlighting the game at various events, allowing the studio to focus on designing the game.
While the story hasn’t changed much since Sony’s involvement, the overall structure of Stellar Blade has been altered significantly. Originally conceptualized with a smaller scope, the game expanded as developer Shift Up, mainly known for mobile games, aimed to create a console game to reach a broader audience.
As for the gameplay, Stellar Blade is primarily an action game with open-world zones for exploration, but with a 60/40 split in favor of the action. The challenge lies in learning enemy patterns, mastering combos, and dodging incoming attacks, similar to how things are in games like Bayonetta, Nier: Automata, and Sekiro.
Regarding customization, there will be around 30 outfits for the protagonist, along with accessories and different hairstyles. However, all they will not affect gameplay and are purely cosmetic. Stellar Blade will also take advantage of the DualSense controller, with support for features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. It was also revealed that the playable demo, which briefly appeared on the PlayStation Store as a result of an error or mishap, will be made available officially prior game’s release on April 26, 2024.
Previously, it was reported that the leaked playable demo for Stellar Blade contains a full body NSFW suit along with various other costumes.
