Is Stellar Blade a Soulslike game?

Stellar Blade shares a lot of similarities to other games in the action-adventure genre, but is it part of the Soulslike genre?

At first glance, Stellar Blade looks a lot like Bayonetta and NieR: Automata. Essentially, a game that follows the Devil May Cry approach to combat, prioritizing style and fast-paced combo chains over the slower more methodical approach battles in the Soulslike genre, such as Elden Ring, Dark Souls, or games like Lies of P.

However, after getting hands-on with the demo, players discovered that the game shares a lot of similarities with Soulslike games, especially in terms of combat mechanics and how exploration works. The question is though, is Stellar Blade a Soulslike game, or is it something new entirely?

Is Stellar Blade a Soulslike?

Unlike Lies of P, Lords of the Fallen, Wo Long, and many other games that skilfully borrow from FromSoftware’s classic formula, Stellar Blade only borrows from aspects of the Soulslike genre and is not a true Soulslike experience.

The game also doesn’t borrow from the Devil May Cry/Bayonetta approach that heavily either and instead, cherrypicks mechanics from lots of different action games to create something unique. Combat is a fun blend of both, with the game featuring a parry/riposte system that is similar to Soulslike games, but one which is much easier to master.

While the combat never veers into hack-and-slash, Stellar Blade is much more forgiving than the average Soulslike and even has an easy mode. Those who enjoy the rock-hard nature of games like Elden Ring though may prefer to play on the harder difficulty, as this way boss fights really do become a test for the reflexes and are much more punishing to those who don’t engage with the nuances of combat.

Stellar Blade features a camp system that is very similar to Dark Souls‘ bonfires or the Sites of Grace from Elden Ring. After resting here, all nearby enemies will respawn, your health items will be replenished, and you can use the camp as a checkpoint/fast-travel point.

However, the game doesn’t feature a “souls currency” like most games of this genre. Instead, players will accumulate points in combat which eventually turn into SP that can be spent on upgrading skills to aid in combat. Unlike most games in this genre, the player never truly levels up, they just upgrade their skills while their basic stats stay the same.

So, while Stellar Blade isn’t a traditional Soulslike game, it will certainly appeal to those looking for a new challenge, as well as some epic boss encounters.

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