Stellar Blade director discusses the game’s influences, says Nier was a ‘very important’ one
Nierly there
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Hyung-Tae Kim, director of thePlayStation 5-exclusiveStellar Blade,has shared what the developers' influences are when it comes to crafting the anticipated character action game.
In an interview withGamesRadar+, Kim noted that it was a “great honor” for those excited about theupcoming gameto be comparing it to Square Enix’sNierseries. “Nier was very important for inspiration when it came to developing our games,” says Kim. “It’s a wonderful title that we’ve been inspired by, and the director, Yoko Taro, I’m also a big fan of his script. I’m a big fan of Yoko Taro.”
However, Kim was keen to add thatStellar Blade,while taking inspiration from the beloved series, will not feel all that similar to it. “We pay homage to the games that we’ve played, but when you actually get to play you will see a few differences there. But to be called KoreanNierand to be influenced by such a title, it’s a great honor.”
Nierwasn’t the only property that would go on to influenceStellar Blade.In an interview withIGN Japan, Kim also revealed the title was heavily inspired by FromSoftware’sSekiro: Shadows Die Twice,PlatinumGames’Bayonettaseries, iconic dystopian mangaBattle Angel Alita,and Ridley Scott’sBlade Runner.Kim also mentioned that ultimately, the game was “designed with a mix of Hong Kong, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cultures.”
Quite a laundry list of inspirations, then. But ifStellar Bladeuses those influences to craft something unique while still wearing those inspirations on its sleeve, then we could be looking at one of the most impressive PS5 exclusives since the likes ofReturnal.
Stellar Blade’srelease date has also been confirmed. It was revealed at the last State of Play presentation to be launching on April 26, 2024. Pre-orders have also gone live today (February 7) if you’d like to secure your copy or preload the game early.
Excited for Stellar Blade? Be sure to browse our guide to thebest PS5 gamesto have something to play in the meantime.
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Rhys is TRG’s Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.
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