Summary
There is plenty to see, do, and collect in Shift Up’sStellar Blade. From the moment the world opens itself up for exploration, players can venture off the beaten path to find countless materials for crafting newNano Suits for EVE, helpful consumables and ammo for the Drone, and side quests that can be highly rewarding. The world ofStellar Bladeis large enough to merit considerable exploration, especially as the game’s Metroidvania mechanics encourage players to return to areas they’ve already been to. Similar to Square Enix’sFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, as players progress through the game, they enter several open-world zones, where they can potentially spend hours completing and collecting everything available before moving on to the next area.
WhileStellar Blade’s split-up open-world structure is indeed similar toFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s, the two models differ in some rather noticeable ways. That being said, both games execute their open worlds very well, as they provide a satisfying amount of high-quality content for players to enjoy, especially if they’re willing to scour the edges of every map and take advantage of every possible opportunity offered to them.
Stellar Blade and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Take on Different Approaches to Their Open-World Areas
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Open-World Model Is Familiar But Fresh
Fans of the originalFinal Fantasy 7probably once thought they’d never get a chance to experience a beautifully rendered semi-open-world version of the game that they love, so diving intoFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthfor the first time and seeing its refreshing take on a familiar open-world model can easily give them rose-colored glasses. However, nostalgia aside,Rebirth’s open-worldzones are well-crafted enough to appeal to newcomers as well as anyone who has grown tired of the traditional open-world model.
For the most part,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s open-world areas follow a set of rules akin toUbisoft’s open-world model, and while that might run some people off,Rebirthexecutes it well. Each open-world map inRebirthis full of icons, though not overwhelmingly so. Like many of Ubisoft’s open-world games,Rebirth’s open-world maps are covered in fog until players reveal them by exploring or activating a series of towers. However, each open-world area breaks up monotony by essentially forcing players to make further progress in the narrative before they can continue exploring certain parts of each world.
Stellar Blade’s Open-World Areas Encourage Exploration More Than Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s
WhileFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthdoes its best to ensure the activities in its open-world areas don’t feel like chores, their nearly cluttered presence on each map nonetheless discourages exploration by almost always telling players where to go.Stellar Blade’s open-world zones are similar in that their maps provide players with the location ofCamps, Supply Camps, and side quests, but they still leave plenty of mystery where there arguably should be.
What putsStellar Blade’s open-world areas just a step aboveFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s is the number of collectibles, materials, and lore entries players can find off the beaten path that are nowhere to be seen on the map. Instead, players will need to be in charge of their own discovery by searching every corner of each area for valuable items using their keen senses andEVE’s scanner.
It also helps thatStellar Blade’s open-world zones are smaller thanRebirth’s, although there are mounts inRebirthand none inStellar Blade.
Stellar BladeandFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthhave their own approaches to the open-world model, and they both have their merits. However,Stellar Blade’s might just have a leg up onRebirthwhen it comes to open-world execution. In many ways,Stellar Blade’s open-world approach encourages exploration and increases the value of discovery more thanRebirth’s does.
Stellar Blade
WHERE TO PLAY
RECLAIM EARTH FOR HUMANKIND The future of humanity hangs in the balance in Stellar Blade, an all-new story-driven action adventure. Ravaged by strange, powerful creatures, Earth has been abandoned, and what is left of the decimated human race has fled to a Colony in outer space. After travelling from the Colony, 7th Airborne Squad member EVE arrives on the desolate remains of our planet with a clear-cut mission: to save humankind by reclaiming Earth from the Naytiba – the malevolent force that has devastated it. But as EVE tackles the Naytiba one-by-one, piecing together the mysteries of the past in the ruins of human civilization, she realizes that her mission is far from straightforward. In fact, almost nothing is as it seems…
