Star blade launched in just a few short weeks on PS5. You may have tasted action adventure firsthand by recently released demo in which Eve, a member of the 7th Airborne, is sent to a desolate Earth on a mission to reclaim the planet from the mysterious, evil Naytiba and save humanity. If so, you should already understand the game’s mechanics and combat, its story, and its creature design. To dig deeper, we spoke with Stellar Blade director Kim Hyung Tae (also founder of Stellar Blade development studio Shift Up) and technical director Lee Dong Gi to learn more about the platform of the studio, the game’s inspiration and more.
Stellar Blade director, Kim Hyung Tae (left) and technical director, Lee Dong Gi (right) of Shift Up
It all started with a shared passion for creating action games for video game consoles
PlayStation Blog: Since Stellar Blade is a completely new title, how and when did the idea to develop this game come about?
Kim Hyung Tae (Kim): About 5 years ago, we were talking about which mobile game would be released after Destiny Child. Initially, we thought of making Goddess of Victory: Nikke a duet game for Android and iOS platforms. It was during that process that the desire to develop a console game emerged as our second project. I’ve been a fan of video game consoles for a long time and have always wanted to develop action games for them. This idea attracted a group of members who shared the same passion and that is how the idea of developing Stellar Blade arose.
Since Stellar Blade is Shift Up’s first title developed for consoles, have you encountered new challenges or obstacles?
I’m realistic in thinking that our fans will be intolerant and forgiving just because this is our first title for consoles. Instead, we set the same high standards that console gamers set for their games and ensured that Stellar Blade would be on par with those games in terms of quality.
Can you tell us about the concept and theme of Stellar Blade?
The theme I dedicated to Stellar Blade is humanity. The story is about what makes us human and defines us as human beings – it’s quite universal. This story popped into my head one day when I saw taxi drivers on strike.
The strike broke out as self-driving car technology began to advance, almost hinting at the deployment of autonomous cars in the near future. This makes taxi drivers fear that these technologies will eventually take over and replace their jobs. As I watched them strike, I wondered what I would do if this happened to me, if one day humans were completely replaced by something non-human. This is where the theme of Stellar Blade comes from. Having said that, the game shouldn’t focus on that; We tried to create an action-adventure game that players can enjoy while following Eve’s story.
Stellar Blade recreates the sci-fi style of the 80s and 90s
The story takes place on Earth, which is ravaged by unknown creatures. Can you tell us more about the abandoned planet?
We designed the game so that the plot of the Ruined Earth will unfold as the game progresses. The story begins some time after Earth has been ravaged by mysterious creatures called Naytiba, causing the slaughtered humanity to flee to a colony in outer space. Feeling defeated and tired of life in space, humans decided to fight Naytiba to reclaim their homeland. Players will learn the storyline and interspersed incidents as they progress through the game. After discovering the truth, Eve will be faced with a decision and what she chooses is in the player’s hands.
No one knows who the Naytibas are, where they come from, or even what they want. This is where Eve comes in: uncovering the mystery surrounding these unknown creatures.
From the last remaining city on Earth, Xion, to the vast wastelands and vast deserts beyond, what special attention and consideration went into designing this post-apocalyptic world?
Post-apocalyptic is one of the longest-running genres in the gaming industry, along with many others. So for us to avoid monotony and turn Stellar Blade into a unique post-apocalyptic story was a big challenge. However, on the contrary, we wanted to avoid making it wacky or introducing bizarre elements to make it different. We decided that it would be best to re-imagine and render elements from 80s and 90s sci-fi for Stellar Blade.
Everyone has their own vision of the post-apocalyptic world based on what they have envisioned in their head or seen in movies etc. I am sure many players will appreciate and admire the details and attention. helped make the post-apocalyptic world in Stellar Blade come alive and realistic. On the other hand, younger generations of gamers may find our representation of a post-apocalyptic world quite refreshing.
Is there any particular movie that you took inspiration from?
There are quite a few. However, one of the most inspiring works in terms of theme and design is the science fiction manga Gunnm by Yukito Kishiro sensei. It was released as an action film in 2019 under the title Alita: Battle Angel. I can say that I took a lot of inspiration from that movie.
The contrast between the extinct Earth and Eva from space
Now let’s move on to the main character, Eva. Can you tell us about the concept and design that went into creating her?
Needle: Eve is a member of the Airborne Team sent to Earth from an outer space colony. Although she is a successful soldier, there are cultural differences between where she comes from and Earth. So we wanted Eve’s design to allude to the uniqueness of her surroundings. Take a look at Earth’s atmosphere. It is barren, dry. Its cities are falling apart. A sharp contrast to Eve’s athleticism and fluidity.
What about the other human characters? What attention was poured into creating them?
Most of the characters look like robots. To design these characters, we adjusted their designs to reflect existing technology. While Eve and her Airborne Ranger companions look sophisticated, albeit simple, we’ve given Earth’s survivors, living in a harsh environment, a dark look Simple and connected together. Although the surviving residents of Xion call Eve “Angel”, there are actually some who are annoyed by her lavish machines and technology.
The evil Naytiba comes in many different forms, such as biological or mechanical. Can you tell us about the design and what went into designing them?
We focused on giving Naytiba a hideous and horrifying look. Many people have no eyes or have multiple body parts, like a face on a strange part of the body, causing feelings of insecurity. Some Naytiba can merge with humans and machines, so they take on different appearances.
A challenging yet fun action game for everyone
Stylish action is one of the main elements of Steller Blade. Tell us what you did to achieve the stylish action and what the highlights of the game were.
We designed the game so everyone can enjoy the action in Steller Blade. But we didn’t want it to be a game where players just attack enemies aggressively and perform combos against them. It is important for players to closely observe enemy movements and grasp the progress of the battle to react appropriately. Skills increase through the skill tree, but equipment like Exospine and Gear will also increase them. Since each item works differently, players should choose a fighting style that focuses on speed, being aggressive to overwhelm enemies, or being cautious throughout the enemy’s attack.
The difficulty set is challenging at a reasonable level. As a result, players may find themselves needing to go back to defeat the boss. Difficulty can be adjusted during gameplay, so I encourage players to challenge themselves at a difficulty level they feel comfortable playing. For those new to action games, there is an Action Assist in Story Mode that I highly recommend they take advantage of.
How exactly does this Action Assist help players?
For example, in critical moments, such as finding out the boss’s attack pattern to counterattack, slow down the movement to make it easier to attack. When using a certain UI, the appropriate time to parry and dodge will be displayed, making it easier for players to counterattack. This feature makes the game more accessible and fun, even for those who usually stay away from action games. After completing the game, players can also play Hard Mode.
Stellar Blade is said to take advantage of some of the unique features of the PS5 console hardware, such as adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. What kind of experience can players expect?
Lee Dong Gi (Lee): We exploit these features to enhance immersive experiences. In certain scenes, haptic feedback allows the player to sense the mood and feel the atmosphere around the character. At the beginning of the game there is a scene with a drone in which the player can take full advantage of these features of the PS5. Additionally, we incorporate various levels of adaptive trigger resistance specified for the type of gun being used.
Is there anything else we haven’t covered today that you’d like us to know about?
Needle: I think frame rate is one of the most important factors for action games. Stellar Blade offers three modes: Performance Mode, Balanced Mode, and Resolution Mode. Performance Mode supports gaming at 1440p and 60 fps, while Balanced Mode can hit 50 to 60 fps for 4K resolution.
Physical: Resolution mode operates at 30 fps for 4K resolution. I highly recommend this mode to those who want to enjoy beautiful graphics. We hope everyone will choose the mode that works best for them to maximize their experience.
