Regarding Platform Choice
Kim Hyung Tae, SHIFT UP CEO and Stellar Blade Director: “I felt that I wanted to release a high-quality game on a single platform. And so when it came to deciding on which platform, I determined PlayStation 5 would deliver the most optimal gameplay experience.”
Dongi Lee, Technical Director: “By utilizing the fast loading of the SSD and the adaptive triggers of the DualSense, we’re aiming to increase the player’s sense of immersion.”
Kim: “I loved video games even before the emergence of
PlayStation, but I didn’t have much money at that time… It was only when PlayStation launched that I really started playing games. So PlayStation played a large part in shaping my personal values about games.”
Regarding NieR: Automata Influences
Kim: “Yes.
NieR: Automata was a huge driving force behind me working on this project. It made me realize once again that I wanted to make a game like
Stellar Blade.
“Also, as a fan,
God of War is really just my favorite game. It taught me that you can experience a vast world without being completely
open-world.
“I’ve also gotten inspiration from a lot of other titles like
Bayonetta,
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.”
Regarding the Action
Kim: “When it came to the action, we started with the idea that ‘we want to express everything a female character can do while wielding a sword.’ We also want to make it fun with speedy and flashy movements. But we didn’t want one-sided battles in which the player simply spams skills, so we created a balance where the enemy’s movements must be carefully assessed.
“In the beginning, you will mainly be using combos to defeat enemies. But as you progress, other gameplay mechanics will appear, like responding to enemy attacks with actions such as a perfect parry or perfect evasion.
“In the latter half, we introduce organic interactions where the player fights using skills and energy acquired thus far. So I think it’s a type of
action game with a robust sense of strategic enjoyment.
“On top of that, there are some pleasant and exhilarating actions, as well as original actions that differ per monster for the player to experience.”
Regarding the Game Flow
Kim: “Various factors will contribute to the protagonist’s development. Some sections of the game are progressed in a linear fashion, but once you come across villages inhabited by people, it feels like a semi-open world, allowing you to move around freely to an extent.
“Beyond that, the game progresses again with linear gameplay, to another semi-open world part, and so on. It’s all seamless, so there aren’t any unnatural interruptions to your gameplay experience.”
Kim also confirmed it is not a stage-based game, and Lee confirmed that it is a single-player game.
Regarding the Character Design
Kim: “I aimed for an evolution that reflected the design style that I’ve built up so far, while also not deviating too much from the worldview of
Stellar Blade. I also wanted to intentionally create a sense of discomfort by having Eve, a character who arrives in a post-apocalyptic world, feel a little out of place.”
Regarding the Worldview
Kim: “It’s the distant future where the concept of ‘years’ that we live in now has long been lost. That’s not to say all traces of the past are completely gone, but rather the world is culturally connected.”
Regarding Eve’s Costumes
Kim: “As you progress through the game, you may obtain materials or design documents for costumes. There are also costumes that can be purchased in the village, allowing Eve to acquire and change between a variety of different outfits.
“Costumes have no close connection to the story, but were included as an element that aims to bring out out the character’s charm. Eve has about 20 to 30 costumes. Like Eve, costumes for (her companions) Adam and Lily are also being prepared. There are some rare costumes as well, so I hope players look forward to them.”
