The reason I got Stellar Blade was the way people were referring to it as a Souls-Like, and then watching gameplay and realising it has like… two Souls-Adjacent qualities, both of which I love, and making peace with the fact that some people will refer to Tetris as a Souls-Like nowadays.
Eidos was sublime. Perfect amount of linearity and off the path exploration set with atmospheric rain and melancholic colourings splattered with the red out lines of abominations. Perfect first world. Ticking…. Sooooooo many boxes.
And then it just…. Ended. It really felt like that to me.
Only to then be given a desert level (I hate desert levels) and be left a bit miffed that Eidos was over.
To my surprise, I found myself running around that desert for HOURS! Collecting everything. Only to be told, ‘Oi, Eve, head on back to Eidos, we are draining the water and shit.’
I expected one floor below the surface. And I felt like I got the ‘other half’ of the first world I craved/deserved, even though I was grossly overpowered for it. I was mashing the scan button like it owed me money, my Canner (Can Scanner) on full alert, seriously why are the cans so addictive? They are just skinned collectables like in any other game, why must I have them all?? And knowing there was a chance of death as I climbed to the bottom.
And I realised – this is the Souls part I signed up for. No, it’s not as expansive as going into a legacy dungeon on Elden Ring. No, it’s not knowing you’re grossly under equipped for the catacombs full of reanimated skeletons.
It’s fast, frenetic and flashy combat, with just a small chaser of the awe you get when you see a whole new area span out before you, with a dozen ways to advance, and a chance to get completely axed if you don’t take it seriously.
Thank you for listening to my spiel. I just figured out why I love SB so much. It takes all the mechanics of great action fighters, hones them to knife’s edge, and then adds a splash of other great influences.
God I can’t wait for my lunch break to play again 😅
Posted by Wires_89