Stellar Blade, which attracted attention with its impressive visuals and fluid fighting mechanics, quickly reached a wide player base, but its shortcomings in storytelling were criticized. The game's director, Kim Hyung-tae, confirmed that he took this feedback into consideration and that they will present a much stronger narrative in the sequel, Stellar Blade 2.
The Reason for the Lack of Story in the First Game: Budget Constraints
Kim Hyung-tae openly explained why Stellar Blade’s storytelling was lacking in an interview with This Is Game. The director stated that the game’s core gameplay mechanics were completed in the early stages of development. However, it will deepen the story and enrich the characters. cutscenes were much more costly than expected This forced the studio to cancel most of these scenes due to budget constraints.
Hyung-tae emphasized that in action games, the story cannot be told only through gameplay, and emphasized that cutscenes play a critical role in this regard. Unfortunately, since the cost of these scenes became uncontrollable during the development process, only the sections that conveyed the main story were preserved, and all other details were shelved. This situation confirms the general opinion of gamers that the story remains superficial.
Stellar Blade's Success and Future Hopes
Despite all these story shortcomings, Shift Up studio is pleased with the wide reach and generally positive feedback Stellar Blade received, especially with the PC version. This success has encouraged the team to make bigger plans for the sequel. Wanting to meet the expectations of the players and provide them with a more satisfying experience, the team has made Stellar Blade 2 promises to deliver a fuller story.
Giving hope to fans, Kim Hyung-tae said, “I believe we will deliver a richer narrative in the next project,” signaling that Stellar Blade 2 will come with significant improvements on the story side. This commitment has already created great excitement among fans of the series. Players can now expect a deep story experience in addition to impressive gameplay and visuals.
