Stellar Blade PC — killer fashion on your screen

Do you hear a faint cheer in the distance? That is the sound of modders (a person who makes modifications especially to computer hardware or software) across the world rejoicing as Stellar Blade, and its glamorous protagonist Eve, finally arrive on PC.

While you, the player, get to save the world at a buttery 144Hz, the modding community is already working on cooking up some alternative wardrobe choices. If you have somehow missed the hype train, Stellar Blade is a high-octane action game that fuses the graceful combat of Bayonetta with the existential melancholy of Nier: Automata, all soaked in a hyper-stylised K-pop visual filter. It is a strange combination, but on the PC, does it really shine or just shimmer?

Earth is no longer ours. Taken over by the mysterious Naytibas, a grotesque, otherworldly race that appeared from nowhere, its surface lies in ruins, forcing what is left of humanity to retreat underground or flee to orbit. Enter Eve, an elite soldier from Airborne Squad 7, launched from space as her entire fleet is wiped out mid-drop. As the sole survivor, she is alone, outgunned, and possibly overdressed.

Armed with nothing but a sword, her mission is clear: reclaim the planet. What follows is a journey through crumbling cities and monster-infested wastelands, as Eve reconnects with the last scraps of humanity, uncovers the truth behind the Naytibas, and stylishly dismantles an army of terrifying bosses, all the while unlocking increasingly questionable battle outfits.

From the jump, it is clear Stellar Blade is cosplaying Nier: Automata, swapping android existentialism for Naytiba nightmares, but keeping the same moodboard — haunting ruins and stoic heroines. The result feels like a greatest hits album of action game tropes, stitched together with confidence and a whole lot of style. It works, mostly. The difference is, Nier had real emotional weight beneath its glossy exterior. It asked big questions, told a layered story and delivered unforgettable characters. 

Stellar Blade, on the other hand, is more of a surface-level tribute. The characters are drop-dead gorgeous, the cutscenes are cinematic and technically flawless, but with a missing emotional core, save for that excellent opening hook.

Eve is a good heroine, but with the costume angle, it seems to degrade the cast to mannequins dressed in aesthetic armour, strutting around in a post-apocalyptic catwalk. That said, not every game needs to make you cry into your controller. Like Bayonetta, Stellar Blade thrives on spectacle over substance and it absolutely delivers on that front. Just do not go in expecting a soul-searching quest. What you get instead is some of the slickest, sharpest combat of the year.

At this point, Sekiro’s parry mechanic is a copy paste staple across almost every new title. Clair Obscur turn-based systems thrived on it, almost comically so. The new Nioh’s just joined the party, but Stellar Blade has been rocking the mechanic for a while, and Eve parries with style. The combat is a combination of timed parries, think Devil May Cry swordplay with the grace of Bayonetta with the addition of Mass Effect like skills, which you can trigger to unleash some damaging attacks.

All of this works really well together, and over the months Shift UP has streamlined the battle systems and with the PC version, its action is way higher. Killing hellish aliens with style is even better with smooth decapitations and hair that never frizzes no matter how many monsters die in geysers of blood.

The PC version of Stellar Blade is top notch, thanks to Sony’s track record of excellent ports. If you have the right hardware, games such as the Horizon series are an absolute feast for the eyes. Stellar Blade PC is bristling with so much new technology support, even the latest frame generation if you have the newer Nvidia cards.

Stellar Blade PC

Publisher: Sony
Developer: Shift Up
Price: ₹4999 (approx on Steam)

That said, it is even optimised for older cards and the game looks amazing on the Steam Deck and other PC based portables. This is good news for those looking at getting the new Xbox ROG handheld, that lets you play Steam games as well.

The port-to-PC does not just bring high frame rates, it also comes with a fresh batch of costumes, including crossover outfits from Nikke and Nier: Automata. Yes, you can now slice through monstrosities as 2B herself, in a cosmic fashion crossover nobody saw coming, but everyone clicked on.

And while the whole “collect every questionable outfit” angle continues to dominate social media, what gets lost in the noise is that Stellar Blade is actually a solid action game. Its mechanics, combat flow, enemy design and moment-to-moment rhythm, deserve just as much virality as its wardrobe.

The game has more than enough polish, precision, and creativity to stand on its own, but still seems to fall back on objectification to grab attention. What it could be selling — tight design, slick systems, and actual fun — is already more than enough to turn heads. 

If you are looking for an excellent action game with a really good character as its core, Stellar Blade hits all the right buttons. While it may feel like a patchwork blanket of all the games it is inspired by, you get to experience all those games through its glitzy K-coloured lens. It is especially good if you want to take this action game across your kitted-out rig to your portable Steam Deck for some action on the go.