Support NeoGAF

[Con_Z_ǝdʇ]

It's a fun little demo but i will wait for a discount on that one.

Focus and Reflex Boost make this a bit to easy for my liking. Resolution mode is very sluggish and texture quality is not good.

Particle effects and explosions are pretty neat and i really dig the art direction. The Stalker boss fight is pretty much the best thing about the demo and gives a good glimpse of what the combat has to offer.

Looks like a cool game, just not for 80€.

 

[Garibaldi]

Why? The long one is so much better!

Easier to see her assets with short

 

[Mr Hyde]

Been playing for an hour and I'm definitely down for this. Might even cop it day 1 even though April is reserved for Eiyuden Chronicles. Tight combat with parries and evasions, beautiful graphics and a solid OST. Cool enemy design too. The intro was very bombastic and felt kinda like the awesome set pieces we used to get in the PS3 days. My criticism so far is that Eve feels a bit stiff controlling, the image quality is a bit blurred and the parry window is kinda unforgiving (might just be me who sucks at it so far). Sony and Shift Up might have a hit here. Cautiously optimistic.

 

[yurinka]

My console is broken, waiting for repair. How is the Dualsense implementation of haptic feedback and adaptative triggers? Does it feel good?

 

[Giallo Corsa]

My console is broken, waiting for repair. How is the Dualsense implementation of haptic feedback and adaptative triggers? Does it feel good?

Amazing

 

[Tommi84]

Size of the demo?

16GB

 

[Muffdraul]

Amazing.

A game having the lock on button on the right stick, parries and a dodge button apparently , equals to a souls-like...

Fucking hell, I don't know if it's due to A) the FROM circle-jerk, B) complete ignorance of action games before the souls era and C) most users being gen Z and getting accustomed to action games with the introduction of Demon's/Dark souls.

DMC had dodge, parries and a lock on button since 2001 for fuck's sake.

Friggin' gen Z man, everything is "souls"

The real difference is that in DMC/Bayo etc. precision is rewarded and encouraged, but you can easily get by and beat the entire game by just button mashing. "Soulslike" has become short hand for, among other things, melee focused combat that demands a high amount of precision, or all you'll ever be in the game is just a fucked flounder.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

My pre-order is ready

 

[WitchHunter]

My console is broken, waiting for repair. How is the Dualsense implementation of haptic feedback and adaptative triggers? Does it feel good?

There is no such thing in the demo.

 

[Danjin44]

The real difference is that in DMC/Bayo etc. precision is rewarded and encouraged, but you can easily get by and beat the entire game by just button mashing. "Soulslike" has become short hand for, among other things, melee focused combat that demands a high amount of precision, or all you'll ever be in the game is just a fucked flounder.

That was same with Ninja Gaiden series, so NG games are Souls games now?

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

My only negatives are some nitpicks.
Holding down R2 to pick up item drops is annoying and adds nothing, I hope there's an option, skill or accessory later on to pick shit up automatically.

You can change this in the menu.

 

[Aenima]

the image quality is a bit blurred and the parry window is kinda unforgiving (might just be me who sucks at it so far). Sony and Shift Up might have a hit here. Cautiously optimistic.

You can improve the parry window in the survival skill tree. I didnt tested but try disable motion blur to see how it affects the image quality.

 

[Aenima]

My only negatives are some nitpicks.
Holding down R2 to pick up item drops is annoying and adds nothing, I hope there's an option, skill or accessory later on to pick shit up automatically.
Also having to manually enter the codes to open certain chests and doors is annoying, if I already found the code just enter it automatically.

As already mentioned, you can go the the game settings and change to "auto loot" or something like that, so you just have to walk close to the loot to auto pick it up.

 

[lh032]

actually is there any point of NOT using auto loot?

 

[Muffdraul]

That was same with Ninja Gaiden series, so NG games are Souls games now?

After playing the demo, take this quiz-

Stellar Blade's combat design is probably most influenced by:

A) DMC/Bayo type games

B) Ninja Gaiden

C) the last 8 years of so of soulslike after soulslike after fucking soulslike

 

[R6Rider]

Just finished the demo. Goddamn is this game fun!

When you get the flow of combat down.

 

[LectureMaster]

I been abstinent since the demo leak, resisted all naughty teases from my beautiful wife, and now it is finally the time!

Will Eve deliver to me?

 

[Aenima]

My console is broken, waiting for repair. How is the Dualsense implementation of haptic feedback and adaptative triggers? Does it feel good?

Haptic feedback feels great, it actually helps during combat as the controller pulses before an enemy does a deadly attack that allows you to time better the "Blink skill" needed to avoid deadly attacks.
Didnt notice the adaptive triggers cuz in the demo i did not used the triggers.

 

[Danjin44]

After playing the demo, take this quiz-

Stellar Blade's combat design is probably most influenced by:

A) DMC/Bayo type games

B) Ninja Gaiden

C) the last 8 years of so of soulslike after soulslike after fucking soulslike

Actually game like Dark Souls and Elden Ring you dont need precision, you need good build knowledge, stuff like parry in those games are completely optional.

Game like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance in other hand the core mechanic is all about parrying your enemy, so I would say Stellar Blade got its influence in those type game over "Souls" games.

The problem is some of you guys completely forget there were other games loooooong before Demons Souls that had challenging combat.

 

[Spank_Magnet]

I was afraid it was going to be too souls-y for me. Ah well.

It’s more forgiving than Souls if you miss parries etc. The health drain is way lower.

 

[Muffdraul]

Actually game like Dark Souls and Elden Ring you dont need precision, you need good build knowledge, stuff like parry in those games are completely optional.

Game like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance in other hand the core mechanic is all about parrying your enemy, so I would say Stellar Blade got its influence in those type game over "Souls" games.

The problem is some of you guys completely forget there were other games loooooong before Demons Souls that had challenging combat.

I'm 55 and I've been gaming since 1972. Don't condescend to me. Just tell me you honestly don't think SB's combat was heavily influenced by the contemporary soulslike subgenre, and keep a straight face while doing so. Tell me the enemies respawning when you rest at a save point is just a coincidence.

 

[Danjin44]

I'm 55 and I've been gaming since 1972. Don't condescend to me. Just tell me you honestly don't think SB's combat was heavily influenced by the contemporary soulslike subgenre, and keep a straight face while doing so. Tell me the enemies respawning when you rest at a save point is just a coincidence.

Unless you think any game with challenging combat is Souls game....long before Demons Souls there were games like Monster Hunter that also used stamina system.

 

[Eiknarf]

Played a hour of the demo, it seems a mix of NieR Automata, GOW and soulslike influences.. and I like it a lot. Great productions values, OST is great, gameplay and presentation are good, and I personally find both the character anod monster designs very good. EVE is great, but I hope we see more of Tachy . I have to play more, I wanted to buy in 2024 only the Elden Ring DLC full price, and then deal with my huge backlog, but I think Steller Blade will come day one.

Ummm yeah I'm

Spoiler

bummed

about that. If you played the demo/beginning, you know that

Spoiler

Tacky sacrificed herself

for Eve. She

Spoiler

lost and arm and was killed by that large enemy. She's dead

. Shame too because

Spoiler

she was cool

. I read that gamers wanted to see more of her.

 

[Markio128]

Just finished the demo, including the boss mode. That hour or so whizzed by - such a fun game!

I didn’t properly get to grips with the combat until I fought the stalker boss, then it slowly came together. I have to admit I got hammered a fair few times in the process. It was super satisfying to finally beat it with one of those slow-mo finishing moves.

I’d say the game has a kind of old-school/new-school vibe all at once, and it’s a breath of fresh air tbh.

Day 1.

 

[Aenima]

Ummm yeah I'm

Spoiler

bummed

about that. If you played the demo/beginning, you know that

Spoiler

Tacky sacrificed herself

for Eve. She

Spoiler

lost and arm and was killed by that large enemy. She's dead

. Shame too because

Spoiler

she was cool

. I read that gamers wanted to see more of her.

In a trailer we see her using a skull helmet, kinda like the KojimaPro mascot. So she will appear later in the game.

 

[EMR]

Absolutely day fucking 1.

It was an super, super cool demo from start to finish, much better than I expected. Soundtrack, combat, visuals, characters, I liked everything I saw. They did great job with parry-oriented and timing-requiring combos. It's like they put Sekiro and Devil May Cry 5 through the mixer.

Some shots from me,

 

[thatJohann]

Where’s the demo! Can’t find it on PS app?

Edit: found it. It’s not listed under Demos. You gotta go to the game then select version then it shows there.

 

[Con_Z_ǝdʇ]

 

[Eiknarf]

In a trailer we see her using a skull helmet, kinda like the KojimaPro mascot. So she will appear later in the game.

Ohhh for real?
Interesting. I guess it's not a spoiler then because it's in the trailer. Is she not human? She's got a better face than Eve, and kinda the same body.

 

[RNG]

When Tachy first opens the door and drags you out of the escape pod:

I am very impressed with this game. I'll most likely be picking this one up when it comes to PC eventually.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Gonna resist the demo but sounds like a safe day-1 to me!

Perfect timing too, another 3 weeks of playing the shit out of FF7 Rebirth, then the last FF16 DLC a week before Stellar Blade and then this.

 

[sigmaZ]

Just played for an hour or so.
Played the game in Japanese with no subs. I really like Eve's voice actress.
Really liked the opening section and how they handled it. Tutorial was very minimal but clear.
The controls are really tight and combat feels good.
I like how gruesome everything is. Doesn't hold back with the gore like older anime.
Death is fair and you feel like you are constantly making progress even if you die.
And that music is fantastic.

I don't really have any worthwhile criticisms yet. The only thing I worry about is the lasting moment of the game and if will stay exciting enough to keep going.
So far I enjoy the combat and music more than FF16

 

[Tommi84]

 

[Eiknarf]

Just played for an hour or so.
Played the game in Japanese with no subs. I really like Eve's voice actress.
Really liked the opening section and how they handled it. Tutorial was very minimal but clear.
The controls are really tight and combat feels good.
I like how gruesome everything is. Doesn't hold back with the gore like older anime.
Death is fair and you feel like you are constantly making progress even if you die.
And that music is fantastic.

I don't really have any worthwhile criticisms yet. The only thing I worry about is the lasting moment of the game and if will stay exciting enough to keep going.
So far I enjoy the combat and music more than FF16

You played in Korean. The game is Korean.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Ohhh for real?
Interesting. I guess it's not a spoiler then because it's in the trailer. Is she not human? She's got a better face than Eve, and kinda the same body.

Very much like A2 in Nier Automata or Marian in Nikke. I leave my theory in spoilers, just in case:

Spoiler

She will fight Eve after she learnt the truth about the world and humankind. She will try to bring Eve to her side

 

[Aenima]

Ohhh for real?
Interesting. I guess it's not a spoiler then because it's in the trailer. Is she not human? She's got a better face than Eve, and kinda the same body.

In the gif looks like she still missing her arm.

 

[Giallo Corsa]

After playing the demo, take this quiz-

Stellar Blade's combat design is probably most influenced by:

A) DMC/Bayo type games

B) Ninja Gaiden

C) the last 8 years of so of soulslike after soulslike after fucking soulslike

Rotting Christ's new album must be trap-rap then since for the past 10+ years people have listening to that shit and they must have been influenced by it, would that be a correct assessment since that is what you're basically saying ?

It's just...a generational thing in the end, younger people( Gen Z) thinking that a popular franchise of their era (DeS/Dark) is what invented "hard" games and specific mechanics.

Again, a lock-on button assigned to the right stick, the dodge button assigned to circle (O) and parries do not a souls-like make.

Ninja Gaiden black and 2 on master ninja difficulty and DMC on heaven or hell mode where you die in 1 hit must be souls-likes then since you can't button mash your way out and they require absolute precision.

Lies of P is a souls-like, Both the Surge games are souls-likes, both Lords of the Fallen are souls-likes, that shitty animU Code vein is a souls-like, Mortal shell is a souls-like, both Niohs are souls-likes, both Salt and sanctuary games are souls-likes , heck, even the 2 Star wars Jedi games have more in common when it.comes to the "methodical" combat with a souls-like, Stellar blade on the other hand is more of a Nier Automata/DMC/Bayo type of action game.

Next thing we'll hear is that FROM invented parry mechanics and the dodge function ffs

 

[nikos]

Didn’t finish the demo because I don’t have much time and kind of didn’t care to.

The game suffers from the same issues most console games do for me.

Graphics mode is unplayable.
Balanced is decent.
Performance looks horrible.

Character is too close to the camera and FOV is too narrow. Neither can be adjusted. Maybe I’m just used to ultrawide but a camera distance or FOV setting would really help.

Gameplay seems decent.

Soundtrack is really good so far.

I’ll buy it if it comes to PC.

 

[sigmaZ]

You played in Korean. The game is Korean.

I know the game is Korean. I don't speak Korean and I didn't care for the English VO I saw on Youtube prior, so I played in Japanese.

 

[Arsic]

Loved the demo start to finish. Day one.

It’s a nice balance between a souls like and a DMC game.

Surprised folks aren’t liking the visuals? On balanced mode it seems to be 60fps and looked stellar to me.

 

[Aenima]

Loved the demo start to finish. Day one.

It’s a nice balance between a souls like and a DMC game.

Surprised folks aren’t liking the visuals? On balanced mode it seems to be 60fps and looked stellar to me.

Looked great on my TV in performance mode, but i dont have a 4k TV, so resolution is never a problem to me.

 

[adamsapple]

I'm guessing Balanced mode for visuals is the go-to, especially for VRR displays ?

 

[Nankatsu]

Pretty dope.

That Sekiro parry mechanic instantly sold me on it.

The boss challenge kicked my ass, there's some learning curve into it.

 

[dreamstation]

looked stellar to me.

 

[Giallo Corsa]

This doesn't support VRR, on balanced mode , there's still dips/stutter even with no enemies on-screen.
I'd say that it runs between high 40's (combat) and mid 50's.

PS5 set to "VRR automatic", option for unsupported games is turned to OFF, LG C2 reports VRR is off.

 

[Dusktildawn48]

I'm guessing Balanced mode for visuals is the go-to, especially for VRR displays ?

Honestly to me it feels like the best implementation balanced mode I've ever felt.

 

[adamsapple]

This doesn't support VRR, on balanced mode , there's still dips/stutter even with no enemies on-screen.
I'd say that it runs between high 40's (combat) and mid 50's.

PS5 set to "VRR automatic", option for unsupported games is turned to OFF, LG C2 reports VRR is off.

If you have Automatic VRR off, you should turn it on. This might not have native VRR support like the Spider Man games, but it works, for sure.

I'm playing it with Balanced visuals on my VRR display and it's definitely working here.

For reference, Rise of Ronin 100% does *not* have working VRR, even with the unsupported-VRR toggle set to On.

 

[Luipadre]

I'm guessing Balanced mode for visuals is the go-to, especially for VRR displays ?

i only noticed framedrops 1 times, it looks and runs great

 

[Venuspower]

I really enjoyed the demo. So the pre-order remains in place. All in all, it feels pretty good to play. I'm not really a fan of the Souls-Like mechanics. But Stellar Blade does not just look good, it plays good.

During the opening sequence, however, I was a little surprised that there was no sound coming from the surround speakers. I was almost afraid that the game would only come in stereo. But as soon as the gameplay started, the surround sound was there.

I did change three settings for the controls:
- I deactivated the fixed camera
- I deactivated the automatic enemy focussing
- I activated auto-loot

I can only recommend it. It makes the gameplay feel much more dynamic overall. But there was one thing I didn't understand. How do you unlock all the outfits in the demo? I didn't unlock a single outfit apart from the standard outfit during the entire "story demo". There were a few more in the boss fight that is unlocked at the end of the "story demo". But not all the ones that should have been in the demo.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Fucking hell, I don't know if it's due to A) the FROM circle-jerk, B) complete ignorance of action games before the souls era and C) most users being gen Z and getting accustomed to action games with the introduction of Demon's/Dark souls.

All of the above