Stellar Blade PC review: A polished port that sharpens every blade strike

Time of India

7 hours ago

Stellar Blade
's PC version maintains the game mechanics as its first outing on the PS5. It doesn't try to copy the expansive open-world games that are currently trending. Instead, it sticks to a simple and focused design with clear levels and a combat style that relies on timing. It may not offer anything completely new, but it brings back a style that many games don't use anymore.
This major release from Shift Up doesn't try to do everything all at once. It avoids trend-chasing and keeps things straightforward, focusing on exciting fights, movie-like scenes, and a world that feels planned out rather than huge and empty. Stellar Blade seems to be sure of what it wants to be, and that steady focus makes it easy to enjoy—even when some parts feel familiar.
Story
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Mendaftar
Undo
Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Stellar Blade tells the story of Eve, a brave soldier sent to take back Earth from deadly creatures called the
Naytiba
. Most of humanity now lives in a space colony, watching from above and hoping for a second chance. That chance comes when
Eve
lands on the planet with one goal—reclaim what was lost.
The story moves at a steady pace, pulling you into its detailed world. One moment you're walking through the glowing streets of Xion, the next you're exploring an old, rusted factory filled with smoke and broken machines. Background voices and short conversations with
NPCs
help explain the world without slowing things down.
While the plot feels familiar, it's Eve who makes it stand out. Her calm determination and curiosity come through clearly in the original Korean voice acting, helping us connect with her as she fights to bring hope back to a broken planet.
Combat and gameplay
Stellar Blade keeps things simple at first, but its combat quickly becomes the star of the show. We started with basic three-hit combos, but soon learned how to mix in dodges, parries, and flashy air combos that make every fight feel exciting.
Dodging at just the right time (aka
Perfect Dodge
) slows things down, giving you a chance to counterattack easily. Parrying well, on the other hand, can break enemy defenses wide open.
As you get used to enemy patterns, the fights start to flow like a dance. Bosses raise the challenge by mixing wide attacks with fast projectiles, forcing you to move and react smartly. To stay ahead, we had to focus on upgrades that made Beta attacks recharge faster and made parrying easier.
By the later stages, Eve felt powerful—but not unstoppable. New enemy types kept changing their attack styles, keeping the combat fresh and forcing us to adapt.
When everything clicks, the action feels smooth and rewarding. Eve weaves through danger, counters with style, and keeps the pressure on. These are the moments that show what Stellar Blade does best: fast, responsive combat that makes every fight feel like a carefully timed performance.
We tested the game on a machine that features an
Intel
Ultra 9 processor, paired with 32GB
RAM
and an
Nvidia RTX
5090 graphics unit. The game maintained a constant frame rate of 60fps. We didn't notice any stutter or frame drops while playing the title, even during extended sessions.
Character design and game aesthetics
Stellar Blade brings a bold and stylish look to its main character, Eve—but it's more than just eye-catching design. While some games pull back on proactive design to stay safe, developer Shift Up stuck to its creative vision and showed that style doesn't have to come at the cost of substance. Eve's design may turn heads, but what matters more is how well the rest of the game supports it.
Many games with flashy characters fall flat because they don't back up their looks with solid gameplay. Stellar Blade avoids that trap. The combat is tight, the story has heart, and the characters—Eve, Adam, Lily, and others—feel like real parts of the world, not just decoration. Their screen time feels earned, not forced.
In a time when many character designs feel overly cautious, Stellar Blade dares to mix action with style. The game shows us how a title can combine both strong visual identity and polished gameplay.
Stellar
Blade
's PC version brings together all the updates Shift Up has released since launch, making it feel like a more complete experience. You get New Game Plus, seasonal hunts, and better combat balance—like lower Beta skill costs that help early fights feel smoother. The menus are easier to use, traveling between checkpoints is faster, and camera angles in tight spaces have been fixed, which helped us see the action more clearly.
After the first part of the game, a new event appears: a crossover with Goddess of Victory: NIKKE. It starts with a one-on-one fight against Scarlet, and winning it unlocks a themed outfit, new hairstyle, and a jukebox song.
The crossover continues with a shooting mini-game, special gear in a small shop, and a fishing spot with extra collectibles. These additions don't feel like cheap ads—they fit in naturally and add fun side content without getting in the way of the main story.
For players returning to the game, this PC version feels like a nice upgrade. And for new players, it's a great time to jump in and enjoy a stylish action game that's only gotten better with time.
Verdict
To sum it up, Stellar Blade on PC is a solid mix of polish and familiar fun. As a follow-up to the PS5 launch, this version feels more complete with bundled updates, smoother performance, and more visual options.
The combat mechanism of the game still shines, environments look great, and all the extra content is available upfront. While camera issues and some heavy-handed storytelling remain, they don't take much away from the overall experience.
For new players, this is a great place to start. And for returning fans, the improved frame rate, ultrawide support, and bonus content make it worth playing again. Even though it's technically a port, it feels fresh and may also be the best way to experience the game.
Our rating: 3.5
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