Over a year since its release on the PlayStation 5, Stellar Blade has finally come to PC — and Shift Up’s bold AAA attempt looks even more stunning than it already was when it first came out. Stellar Blade comes with all the bells and whistles of a proper PC port and then some with this version but, of course, it is worth asking: how good is this PC port? Here’s our Stellar Blade PC Review.
Before we start, it is worth mentioning that, because this a PC port, a lot of what we said in our review of the PS5 version still rings true: the game has jaw-dropping visuals, flashy combat, and a heroine that got a lot of eyes watching and a lot of mouths talking to say the least. And while it was a good game, it did fall short of being truly great as there was room for improvement with how the story was paced and how it needed a stronger narrative to glue the whole experience together. For this review, we’ll be taking a look at what the PC version brings to the table.
You can sum up what’s new into 3 categories – PC port glow-ups, Optimizations, and New content.
For the PC port glow-ups, Stellar Blade PC now gives you higher resolution for environmental textures, AI upscaling and frame generation, unlocked framerates, and ultrawide display compatibility. Without a doubt, all these options really just adds so much oomph to the already stunning looking game. That said, it is quite demanding. My rig which was running a 3080 held up well but even then, I did encounter some noticeable stutters here and there — especially when running other things like Chrome (ESPECIALLY, the resource-hungry Chrome) in the background. I would have to be sure that everything else was closed so I could play without any worries. So yes, it’s not the cleanest experience but when it works? Mmmm… chef’s kiss.
In terms of optimizations, the most notable would have to be how the game now allows you to do full control remapping. You can now rebind pretty much every button — an absolute blessing especially for players who, like me, who kept opening the map every five seconds but had to keep on going through the menu and flip through two tabs to see it. I personally mapped a one-press shortcut for it which allowed me to skip the tedium which is huge for me because of how frequently I checked the map.
Now, let’s discuss the new content. First off, the game now features Japanese and Chinese voiceovers. I personally used the Japanese dub just because I personally felt that it matched the vibe of the game and scenario. Personal preference, of course, but it’s definitely a great addition especially with how well-made the voice work is. EVE also gets more love in the PC version as she’s given a ton of new outfits and additional photo mode poses for fans to go wild with their screenshots. You also get another optional boss to fight.
You also have the option to purchase the Stellar Blade Complete Edition which gives you even MORE new content. First off, you get even MORE outfits for EVE. Aside from that, you also get the previously launched NieR: Automata DLC which features NieR-themed special outfits for EVE, Adam, and Lily. The big one though is the Goddess of Victory: NIKKE DLC which includes a LOT of things.
For those of you who don’t know, Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is SHIFT UP’s Free-to-Play Gacha game for mobile and PC which has been quite successful. I, personally, am an active player of the game as well and so this DLC was such a pleasant surprise for me and I was thrilled with how much the DLC gave. In the main game, you would be able to find NIKKE characters Volt and Scarlet in the Wasteland which opens up a questline that can win you outfits for EVE that are in the likeness of other NIKKE characters like Anis, Neon, Rapi, Modernia, Alice, and Dorothy. These quests would involve you playing levels that would be akin to playing stages in NIKKE but modified to fit the Stellar Blade 3D Style. As a NIKKE player, it’s an amazing feature to experience but I will also admit that it’s not the smoothest. Stellar Blade is highly recommended to be played using a controller but, when it came to these NIKKE levels, I had to switch to keyboard and mouse for better aiming especially for the more challenging stages. By the way, there’s also a cute little side quest where you chase down a Doro (it’s a cute little meme involving a cartoonish 4-legged version of Dorothy). They also placed several collectibles in the maps for you to loot which give you songs from the gacha game that you can play in camp.
Another notable bit of content from the NIKKE DLC is an optional boss fight against Scarlet who, by NIKKE lore, is one of the strongest characters in the game who expertly wields a sword to cut down her foes. This particular fight is accessed via the Boss Challenge and features one of the best looking fights in the game in terms of the stage setting and Scarlet’s moveset. Whether you are familiar with NIKKE or not, I highly recommend you do this as it is just ABSOLUTE CINEMA.
The last big NIKKE content in the Stellar Blade Complete Edition is the inclusion of a CD-Key which, if availed by NIKKE players in the gacha game, will give them a really nice skin for Drunk Scarlet, which was smart because of the huge amount of interest that it was able to drum up amongst the gacha game’s fanbase.
Stellar Blade PC Review Final Verdict – 8/10
Our Stellar Blade PC Review score stays at an 8 but, make no mistake, the PC Release definitely gave a lot especially for the Complete Edition. It still is the same game, of course, but I would consider this to be a successful PC port as it was able to make the already gorgeous Stellar Blade even more beautiful. The quality of life optimization is a huge win for sure and SHIFT UP was really able to provide a lot of content that played up to the strategy of “giving the people what they want” in terms of both their new potential market and their captured audience from NIKKE.
Can’t wait to see what Shift Up cooks up next.
This review was made using a game code provided by the publisher.