Shift Up announces PS5 exclusive Stellar Blade’s release date

If you like NieR Automata, you might be in luck

Almost five years after revealing their debut PS5 game, Shift Up Co. announced a Stellar Blade release date at the January State of Play. Stellar Blade launches on April 24, 2024, exclusively for PS5, and Shift Up accompanied the announcement with a lengthy trailer highlighting how the game works.

You play as Eve, a member of the Airborne Brigade, as she fights to fulfill her purpose – defeating the Naytiba. Naytiba are monstrous creatures that invaded the planet and drove humans into space, where they established an off-planet colony and fought ever since to reclaim their home. That’s almost identical to NieR Automata, with a splash of Bandai Namco’s Scarlet Nexus thrown in for good measure.

While the Naytiba roam the wastelands unfit for human habitation, some survivors established a city underneath. The residents there call Eve “The Angel” when she visits and treat her equally with admiration and fear, at least until she proves she has their best interests at heart. 

Some of these people may ask Eve for help, which she can give or withhold, though Shift Up didn’t say whether ignoring those in need might influence how the story unfolds. The trailer also didn't have much to say about the story either. Eve exists to fight the Naytiba, and while there was a hint of deeper self-reflection teased in the trailer, the focus was primarily on action.

There’s the usual RPG stuff you expect from this kind of game – customizable weapons, little shelters where you can recover before heading out again, tense battles against massive enemies. Shift Up hasn’t shown much of what gives Stellar Blade a unique identity, but it looks like a fun time anyway.