STELLAR BLADE caught the attention of many when it first debuted, but not necessarily for its gameplay. Flashy in more ways than one, it's certainly generated plenty of heated discussion online.

Stephanie Panecasio (GamesHub) and David Smith (Kotaku Australia) join Drop Rate to unpack the many layers of this flashy action RPG. Stellar Blade's methodical and stylish combat consistently proves to be a highlight, while its derivative paint-by-numbers structure slows it down.

And that's even before talking about the platforming, well the less said, the better, but there is one thing we can all agree on, however: the gruesome boss designs rule.

Amidst the noise surrounding Stellar Blade, it doesn't necessarily do anything new. For the most part, it plays to its hard-hitting strengths, as familiar as they may be to anyone familiar with FromSoftware's catalogue but as far as homages and takes on well-worn formulas go, Stellar Blade is among the better examples.

Even if it doesn't take everyone's fancy.

A copy of STELLAR BLADE on PlayStation 5 was provide to SIFTER for the purpose of this review.

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