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Even to casual fans of Yoko Taro's esoteric NieR franchise, the similarities to the upcoming and eagerly anticipated Stellar Blade are apparent—both feature flashy, action-based gameplay and buxom, blade-wielding protagonists, for starters. Rather than shy away from these comparisons, director Hyung-Tae Kim of Seoul-based developer Shift Up is refreshingly forthright, proclaiming it a "great honour" to be compared to such a storied developer as Taro himself.
Word comes to us by way of GamesRadar+ (via translator), who conducted an interview with Kim on the subject of Stellar Blade's influences and inspiration. NieR is first and foremost among those, which the director readily acknowledges: "NieR was very important for inspiration when it came to developing our games. It's a wonderful title that we've been inspired by... I'm a big fan of Yoko Taro."
Kim stresses that while the comparison is appreciated, he wouldn't want prospective players to get the wrong idea. When players get their hands on the game (releasing 26th April exclusively on PS5), he warned: "You'll see that the gameplay is not too similar. They're pretty different. You will see a few differences there. But to be called 'Korean NieR' and influenced by such a title is a great honour."
Do you see the NieR influence in Stellar Blade? Is there anything that strikes you as particularly Yoko Taro-esque? Point out the obvious in the comments section below.
[source gamesradar.com]
Comments 19
I appreciate how up front Kim seems to be. The Nier influence certainly is pretty clear but I believe him when he says there are differences. The monsters for example look totally different. Combat looks more parry focused as opposed to Nier's more evasion focused action. And it just looks like Stellar Blade has a bigger budget than Nier ever got.
I'm really rooting for Stellar Blade. It looks very promising so far.
Yeah I'm glad he says it's different and wants it to stand on its own two feet, plus he's being respectful about it and acknowledging that NeiR gave him some inspiration.
Nier games are some of the best games ever so ofc it's a good thing to be compared to
I always thought this game looked like a mix between NieR and Bayonetta.
I was getting some knock-off Nier vibes from the trailer, but that might be being too harsh on this game. The actual gameplay looks fun, so I'm hoping that Stellar Blade's story will stand up on its own.
@BIG3 i agree. Both huge plusses in my book. This game looks amazing from the little ive seen. Im trying not to watch too much.
For obvious reasons this all got me pretty excited for this game way back.
It sounds corny, but NieR:Automata was such a game changer for me, and I’ve genuinely been chasing that feeling I had when I first finished my complete play-through ever since.
Combat wise, this definitely checks out from what we’ve seen… but what made Automata so special were all those little moments (if you know you know), and without a madman genius like Yoko Taro at the helm I’m not sure anyone else will be able to match that. But you never know I guess!
Still genuinely excited for this one.
To me it looks a lot more like Bayonetta
@NieR_Dark Yeah, your username and profile pic are definitely a hint. 😄
And I agree with you — there’s a special sauce to NieR Automata that transcends the setting, character design, combat, or even the story, per se. It’s special because of the way the story is told, the magnificent way the music is interlaced, and the deep philosophical undertones that keep you pondering it for days after completing it. The true ending is something that rocked my world and like you say, many little moments even before that.
So I think Stellar Blade is unlikely to quench the thirst for that kind of experience again, but it looks like it might be a fun game in its own right. And if there ends up being NieR type avant-garde experimental design and ideology, then it will definitely be a bonus.
@Th3solution The fact so many people never play past the first ending drives me insane… the game is just getting started! 😂
I could honestly ramble all day about Automata, be it themes it addresses, the mix in gameplay styles, the music etc… but I don’t want to derail things too much! Haha
If the combat in Stellar Blade has a NieR tinge then that’s all good in my book. But, big if, it takes further inspiration from NieR in the way it presents itself and plays out, then agreed, that’ll be a huge bonus.
@NieR_Dark Very true about stopping at the first or second ending. The middle of the game is where it does drag a little bit, admittedly, and people jump off before they get to the most epic parts! 😄
@NieR_Dark im one of those. I completed it once and loved it but for some reason i didnt get around to playing through again. This game looks amazing but it will need to be alot more than just looking amazing to match Nier.
@Th3solution I’ve got to admit I don’t mind the second section, but poor 9S is my favourite character, so it kinda works for me 😂
@Kidfunkadelic83 Stop whatever you’re doing immediately and boot up Automata! Haha. You have no idea what you’re missing out on.
@NieR_Dark i would love to buddy but im so invested in other stuff that i just dont have the time. I did still appreciate my time with the game tho and 2B's outfit 😳.
@Kidfunkadelic83 Ha! Well that’s one thing Stellar Blade has definitely taken inspiration from!
@NieR_Dark lol yeah, so i see. Not that im complaining.
That SoP was wild.
I'd be honored too nier is a fantastic series
Yay more Korean long legged cyber girls!
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