With Stellar Blade finally landing on Sony’s latest consoles, many wonder if they’re in for a world of pain due to some souls-like mechanics this game may have. As you may or may not know, the souls-like genre is one of the most challenging on the market. Since Stellar Blade shares similar features, gamers ponder if this experience falls into that category. So, before you purchase the game or get the usual souls-like PTSD, we can tell you a bit about what you can expect from it.
Does Stellar Blade Fall Into the Souls-Like Genre?
Before we answer this, we should analyze what a souls-like is and if Stellar Blade meets all requirements to fit the genre. If we look at previous games of this type, there are a few systems that they all share. Resting at certain points that respawn enemies? Check. Dodging and parrying mechanics that require perfect timing? You bet. Challenging bosses that need more than one attempt to beat? Definitely. If those are some of the prominent staples of the genre, then yes, Stellar Blade is a souls-like game. However, it isn’t one of the hardest out there. Stellar Blade allows players to choose a difficulty, which means it isn’t as punishing as, let’s say, any FromSoftware title.
While many newcomers to the genre might feel deterred to try Shift Up’s latest game, they shouldn’t. Stellar Blade features many mechanics that set it apart from other souls-like genre experiences. It can be challenging at first, but once you progress through the story, you’ll unlock many abilities that can turn your playthrough into a button-mashing Bayonetta-like journey. On the other hand, if you feel the difficulty is too much to handle, switch it to story mode, which provides a generous combat assist. Either way, Stellar Blade shines with its combat, and it’s quite welcoming, even for newer players who’re not familiar with the unforgiving world of souls-likes.
