Stellar Blade New PS5 Demo Pulled and Controversies
Stellar Blade is an action-adventure game with fast paced, third person combat that draws influences from Bayonetta and Souls-like games.
Developed by the South Korean studio SHIFT UP (known for Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Destiny Child), Stellar Blade is a single player, combat focused, action-adventure video game set to be released exclusively on PlayStation 5, April 26, 2024.
Stellar Blade Controversies
The game has made headlines in the past while under the name Project Eve, dropping its original Xbox release and becoming an exclusive for PlayStation 5 (the change announced September 2021), to its official announcement as Stellar Blade, showcasing the main character, Eve, who was quickly ridiculed for her appearance.
Eve has been in the public eye for some time due to the attention to detail on her body, despite being based on the South Korean model, Shin Jae-eun. Originally a rumor, it was confirmed by Game Director Hyung-Tae Kim, who, in an interview with GamesRadar, also added: “When it comes to the design, we put special attention on the back of the character because the player is always facing the back of the character when they’re playing.”
Stellar Blade Demo
Despite the game being delayed from 2023 to 2024, it had seemed most discussions of Eve died down over social media a few months after the September 2022 PlayStation State of Play. That is, of course, until March 8, 2024, when a brand new demo of Stellar Blade was released on the PlayStation Store in the United States.
The demo was taken down within the hour and virtually removed from PlayStation consoles if you had installed it, sparking controversy online of a digital future in gaming as digital stores (like the PlayStation Store) can remove downloaded content from your console without warning or consent.
Stellar Blade’s demo was clearly meant to happen; only it had been released prematurely, as official statements were posted on social media before being deleted—much like the demo itself. An official Stellar Blade Twitter/X account was even launched, with their bio claiming a demo was releasing soon, before changing it to what it says now.
This had the public wondering if the release of the demo was truly an accident, as it had clearly been planned by Sony and Shift Up, and could be a marketing stunt as the game is set to be released in a month.
Adding to the possibility of a marketing stunt was what players discovered who had accessed the demo before its removal. Screenshots and game clips were revealed and shared all over social media, showcasing Eve’s never-before-seen outfits. Specifically, there is an outfit named “Skin Suit” that changes her appearance to leave little to the imagination.
Despite the controversy around Eve and her appearance, it is of note to point out the actual gameplay itself, instead of just the character models. Stellar Blade is an action-adventure game with fast paced, third person combat that draws influences from Bayonetta and Souls-like games, mixed with RPG elements, and set in a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic world.
The enemies are interesting and disgusting (in a good way) with large boss fights, the environment is awe-inspiring, you can use your sword like a skateboard in some areas, and the combat looks and feels both fun and challenging. It’s not as hard as a souls-like, but it’s not as easy as a basic hack and slash.
What do you think of Eve and Stellar Blade? Was this all a marketing stunt? Are your digital games safe? Join the discussion below, or over on our Twitter/X here.
Full walkthroughs of the demo can be found on YouTube if you’re interested in seeing what Stellar Blade has to offer before the demo is officially out sometime between now and the games full release on April 26, 2024.
