All of you, those Starblade The demo is finally live on PS5. It’s a short vertical excerpt from developer Shift Up’s character action game. So we have a lot more to see before we come to any conclusions, but I can at least say that the demo makes me excited for the full release. Why? Well, yes the previews from earlier this week have said, Starblade is a bit Bayonettaa little Devil May Crya little Nierand a bit An axe. In short, based on this short two-hour experience, I think Shift Up is in for a blast.
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The demo begins with protagonist Eve’s regiment, Airborne Squad 7, landing in a subsection of Earth called District 3. The plan is to intercept an invasion by the alien monstrosities known as Naytibas, but as is usual, everything goes wrong. Airborne Squad 7’s transport ships are blown up from orbit. Eve and the rest of the team break through the atmosphere in drop pods, but most of them are destroyed during the descent. Hell, Eve barely makes it out alive as the pod’s hatch won’t open due to catastrophic damage to the outer door, although a surviving squadmate named Tachy saves her. It seems all is lost as buildings surrounding the duo burst into flames as the Naytiba continue their relentless attack. It’s a cinematic opening reminiscent of set pieces from games like Crystal Dynamics. Grave robbers Franchise and Naughty Dog’s Unexplored Series.
But while the opening moments are quite cinematic, Starblade has no problem rushing you into battle right away. During these first 10 minutes or so, you’ll experience the basics of gameplay: attacks, dodges, parries, special attacks, and the like. You fight some fodder enemies, such as bipedal, slug-like Naytibas, but also some tougher opponents, such as humanoid Naytibas, before encountering the tutorial boss: a bloated brute with two wrecking balls for hands. Despite its size, it’s still an easy fight, culminating in some stylish finishing attacks not unlike those of 2013 DmC: Devil May Cry. And surprisingly Starblade Somehow it feels that way DmCto.
Star souls can cry twice
I know that’s a strange comparison, Starblade To DmC: Devil May Cry, but listen to me. Capcom has reinvented this Devil May Cry Series in partnership with Senua’s Saga developer Ninja Theory over a decade ago. The game had all the characteristics of a traditional game Devil May Cry Entry, but DmC required a little less button mashing and a little more deliberate play when it came to attacks and positioning. Starblade does something similar. It’s not quite as fast as Bayonetta 3 or Devil May Cry 5. However, it’s not as slow as something like this Dark souls or Lies from P, either. The game strikes a nice balance between these extremes of action gaming, allowing you to find a rhythm in combat to mash the buttons a bit, while also expecting you to be aware enough to know where you are position yourself best for your next attack.
Nowhere is this balance more evident than in attack defense. Interrupting your punches to make another move, be it a block or a dodge, is a common occurrence in faster-paced action games. Soulslikes often don’t allow you to cancel your maneuvers, so you’re tied to your animations, for better or worse. StarbladeHowever, this is the case, meaning you can get away with making an attack at the same time as your opponent and immediately pressing the block or dodge button to stop your attack in order to dodge, deflect, or deflect your enemy’s strike . In this way the game has more in common with a Devil May Cry as a Elden Ring. It also feels more mechanical Devil May Cry as Elden Ring, as Eve has a variety of combos, special abilities that are charged by blocking or parrying, and skills that you unlock through EXP you earn in battle. And it feels good too, with crisp effects and impressive animations whenever attacks hit their target.
A short but sweet appetizer
Although the demo is short, it does include quite a bit of exploration and platforming. After the opening sequence, you wander through Eidos 7, a lost city destroyed by Naytiba and overgrown by foliage. Your goal is to search for the Hall of Records to uncover information about the Alpha and Elder Naytibas, who are behind the alien invasion. There are dilapidated buildings, destroyed bars and hospitals, destroyed cars and enough bodies to fill a morgue. It’s all eerily beautiful and dark, with enough collectibles and upgrade materials to keep you turning over every stone.
Unfortunately, despite her petite stature, Eve feels like she’s putting on pounds of muscle. While your jump is relatively high, it’s not reliable, especially since you can’t adjust your trajectory much once you’re in the air. Also, while dodging is great for avoiding a particular doom, it only lasts a short distance, meaning you’re bound to get hit if you don’t dodge appropriately (especially since there’s no option). Invincibility frame). I’m also not a big fan of the swimming or rocking sections, which feel stiff and floating respectively. Still, movement feels good when you’re not playing on platforms, and I imagine it only gets better as you unlock additional abilities like a double jump.
It all ends with what I assume is the game’s first real boss: a Naytiba named Abaddon who looks like a pincer and wields a double sword. This enemy will test everything you’ve learned and require you to dodge and parry more than you normally would. It has a sizable health bar, hits hard, performs a handful of unpredictable combos, and even electrifies its blades in the second phase.
Surprisingly, despite its intimidating design, Abaddon isn’t that difficult. On my first attempt, I beat the boss in maybe 5 or 10 minutes, and that was on “Normal Mode,” the game’s default difficulty setting for “players who enjoy combat.” I like fighting, but Abaddon felt like a total idiot. Even after a few good attacks here and there, Abaddon couldn’t do anything as I pinned him in a corner. It’s ridiculously easy, just like the rest of the roughly two-hour tutorial. Don’t think this is a walk in the park, though, because defeating Abaddon opens up a “Boss Challenge” where you can take on the tougher, dog-like monstrosity called the Stalker. I also defeated this boss on the first try, but it definitely made me sweat and used up every single resource I had in my arsenal. If this is the amusement of the game’s enemy encounters, then I can’t wait for it Starblade starts.
Read more: Starblade Has some absolutely wild outfits
So, yeah, I feel pretty good Starblade at the moment. The combat is excellent, full of flashy combos and stylish executions that deliver DmC a run for his money. The story seems pretty compelling, with some interesting characters and a lot of world-building through environmental details like abandoned camps and discarded notes. And the rest of the package, from the graphics to the soundtrack, creates an immersive world that I can’t wait to explore. Starblade is coming to PS5 on April 26th and if you play through the demo your save data will be transferred to the full game.
