Stellar Blade borrows from SEKIRO, but feels unique – why

Stellar Blade, the upcoming action RPG for PS5 developed by Shift Up, may draw comparisons with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice due to its parry-focused combat, but it presents a divergent gameplay experience. While Sekiro prompts a more aggressive playstyle, despite its initial defensive teachings, Stellar Blade has less emphasis on its attack animations and greater focus on defensive play. However, Stellar Blade's combat doesn't seem as refined, with issues like poor enemy attack readability and lackluster feedback from successful parries. The game's combat system appears torn between the Soulslike and spectacle fighter genres, with animation priorities that are confusing and not always coherent.

Stellar Blade's character animations and item wheel also contribute to an overall clunkiness in gameplay. Advanced moves, like Blink and Repulse, add to the game's visual appeal but don't resonate well with the practicality of combat due to their strict input requirements. These issues leave players without a clear combat rhythm to settle into. As the game nears its final version, hopeful players are looking for improvements that will commit to a clear direction, combining the stylishness of character action games with the challenging nature of Soulslike games.

While there are surface-level similarities, especially in the parry-heavy combat, Stellar Blade differs significantly from Sekiro in terms of gameplay mechanics and rhythm. The latter encourages an aggressive playstyle, whereas Stellar Blade seems to struggle with its identity, wavering between a character action game and a Soulslike without committing to either.

Background on Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: Released by FromSoftware in March 2019, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an action-adventure game that emphasizes precise combat mechanics including blocking, dodging, and parrying. The game is known for its steep difficulty curve and distinctive "posture" system, whereby players break through enemy defenses by mastering the timing of their moves. It won several awards, including Game of the Year, and has been influential in the action RPG genre due to its innovative gameplay.