Stellar Blade Review: "A Good Action-RPG that I Enjoyed a lot Despite Several Issues" - GR+

GamesRadar+: "Stellar Blade is more ambitious and varied than expected, but also about as clunky as expected, resulting in a stilted action RPG with a level of jank that you just have to accept. Meet it on its terms, and either tune out or embrace the odd sexual veneer, and it's a solid 20 to 30 hours of fun."

[Smellsforfree]

I honestly found the demo to be a little too parry focused without much alternatives. Having to do multiple parries is kinda just exhausting and not fun for me.

[Lexreborn2]

So it played like metal gear rising revengance? Sounds awesome

[Crows90]

So you don't like sekiro...got it

[Andrew336]

Not everyone has to like the same things you like bud.

[Crows90]

@andrew

What a mind-blowing relevation. You must have gone to college.

[Crows90]

Odd sexual veneer???
Maybe the writer is the odd one.

[Duke19]

"One moment the camera treats her as an unserious sex object for players to gawk at, and in the next the story presents her as a serious character whose entire arc revolves around her own sense of agency."

I know I have now aged out of this games target audience, but this is one of my biggest gripes with games of this nature. If you are trying to strike a serious tone, then don't make a virtual sex doll. Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball leaned into the goofy/overtly sexualized aspects of the game. Forcing that into a serious medium is just clunky at best

[CrimsonWing69]

Can I ask something and I mean this with all due respect?

Is it ok to admire a game character that has a cool design at which a lot of people can gawk at the design? Like thinking Master Chief or some MK character looks cool and just admire the design? I’ve played the demo and aside from normal character closeness to the character and some sexy poses… what’s the big deal with flaunting that stylization?

Who in the hell came into the Bayonetta comments saying the way she oversexualized poses and camera shots presented a grotesque problem?

Why do people get so prudish about sexuality and the stylization of it? It seriously weirds me out that you probably have no issues with Grand Theft Auto or a FPS where you chainsaw rip through sh*t in gory detail where the camera can celebrate the macabre, but an attractive design with NO Nudity or Sexual Content is somehow appalling or takes away from the seriousness of the story?

Why is the mutilation of bodies, the acts of committing crimes, the destruction of things ok and perfectly fine to be entertained by without distracting from the tone of the narrative, but sexuality and in this case, simply titillation, is such a Problem?

I see things in DMC where they have fun with things and still be considered “serious.” I have only played the demo of Stellar Blade but not once did I see anything that takes away from the seriousness of the story. In fact, I was shocked at the brutality that was depicted like the ripping off of an arm and visceral impalement of characters that made me feel the seriousness of the tone.

I remember playing Gears of War and still found it serious even though characters were ridiculously stylized with muscular features and proportions… yet it never once was said that it took away from the seriousness.

So why is it different because of stylized portrayals of a character?

[Andrew336]

Can I get a TL;DR?

[CrimsonWing69]

@Andrew336

I was hoping to get some discussion going and I’m not sure how to TL;DR it. That one’s on me, my bad.

[thesoftware730]

I really can't understand people actually feeling a sexual attraction to a video game character.

But yes, look at Bayonetta, they leaned super heavy into trying to sexualize her, her poses, clothes, and even some of the things she said, why not this much outrage?

Maybe cause the better graphics? I just don't get it, as someone that watches anime, read comics, and pretty much T.V, this is a dumb think to pick on.

Music videos, even beer, cars and makeup commercials have women acting in a sexual manner, where is the outrage?