You'd think that this game is all about ogling at the main character. Honestly, they didn't need to go this route but I think, given how hard it is to get attention with ALL the video games that you can buy, this was probably the only way for them to brand themselves or get attention. It does likely make a lot of people uncomfortable to buy the game since some may think it's X-rated or something, but I suppose it's a bit of an issue that doesn't really directly impact the game itself. That said, in a world where the USA is promoting not-very-pretty girls now due to some political stance or social justice warring, it is refreshing to see that Shift Up wanted to make sure that their heroine is actually alluring / has some sex appeal.
The game starts out a bit confusing, you're just thrust into this apocalyptic world with no idea what's going on, so when you play it, you're basically just trying to enjoy the gameplay. The main character, Eve, starts out really plain with her combat moves so this might turn off a lot of people and make them think this is an average game. However, if you stick with it, the game does reveal some really good action roots and the gameplay starts to shine. Midway through, the game itself is pretty much similar to Devil May Cry games, where it's all about the action and feeling powerful as you slash through monsters. It does become very fun. I just advise players to stick with it because it starts out very slow.
The cutscenes, action and characters all start to become more fleshed out as you go through it and it does become worthwhile to play. Once you figure out the mechanics of dodging and parrying, it becomes second nature. I will say that, for probably 99% of the game, it is more action-oriented and not akin to something like Dark Souls or Elden Ring. That final 1% though --- it does change into a boss rush and all of the sudden, it plays like Elden Ring. I think that, this is the weakest link on the game. When the difficulty suddenly spikes, I don't think a lot of people will stick around. You have to master parrying by the final 3 boss fights, and it is no cakewalk at all. I do wish that they just created an optional set of Dark Souls style bosses that you can't access normally, and that these storyline-oriented bosses were better scaled. At least, make the final, final boss Soulsborne difficulty, but not the other 2, because it just promotes exhaustion to the player. I, for one, was getting burned out already by the 2nd major final boss. It just needs to shift the difficulty slightly better and make the ultra hard challenge something to come back to after completing the game. I hope they consider that for Part 2--- it's a lot more appealing to let everyone play this, and not just the Soulsborne sweaty tryhards.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Stellar Blade. I do think everyone should try it out, and just to mention as well that all the sexy stuff, it's just really fashion, it isn't really X-rated at all. Think of it like attending a Paris fashion show or something. Gameplay is really solid and that's what matters, and that's why it's defintely worth your time. 9/10