Stellar Blade on PC Review – Korean action excellence finally arrives on PC

I’ve read and heard all the good things about Stellar Blade released on the PlayStation 5 last year – but just haven’t had a chance to actually play one. Looks like the patience pays off because we now have a Stellar Blade port on the PC and it is a really good port.

Porting good games from the consoles is pretty risky and we’ve seen many lazy ports with limited fps, same graphics quality with the consoles, lack of optimisation, or no newly added features. Stellar Blade is none of that thankfully.

After spending considerable time with EVE’s mission to reclaim Earth from the mysterious Naytiba, I can confidently say this is one of the most visually stunning and mechanically solid action games to hit PC this year

The Game

Stellar Blade presents a post-apocalyptic Earth that’s both beautiful and haunting. The game’s visual design strikes an impressive balance between devastation and unexpected beauty, creating environments that feel lived-in despite being abandoned. There are moments in the game where things just look beautiful despite the apocalyptic and gloomy settings.

The attention to detail is exceptional. From the way light filters through broken structures to the subtle environmental storytelling found in every corner, SHIFT UP has created a world that invites exploration. The PC version’s enhanced graphics capabilities really allow these visuals to shine, particularly with the 4K texture pack that enriches environmental details significantly.

The combat system in Stellar Blade is where the game truly excels. EVE’s moveset feels fluid and responsive, with each encounter requiring genuine skill rather than mindless button mashing. The timing-based combat system rewards patience and observation, particularly during boss encounters that serve as genuine skill checks. Dark Souls-alike games are never really my forte but Stellar Blade offers a taste without making the game too frustrating.

Even during boss battles and in the Normal mode, I found enough challenge with a few deaths and retries but at the same time, feels satisfying and rewarding once you kill the boss.

Early encounters teach you the fundamentals, but later battles demand mastery of advanced techniques like perfect dodging and parrying, combo chaining, counter-attacking, and environmental awareness.

You can unlock new skills as you gain SPs and there are more advanced moves you’ll unlock as you progress through the story. Some enemy moves require different counter mechanisms and you’ll be rewarded if you get them right. You can equip things and unlock skills that make it easier to do these so don’t worry if you are not used to playing these kind of games. You can also switch to Story mode to make things easier, but I wouldn’t suggest it. The combat and progression system are what make Stellar Blade fun.

The PC version’s unlocked framerates make a noticeable difference here. Combat feels more responsive at higher frame rates, and the visual fluidity enhances the already excellent animation work. If you have the hardware to push beyond 60fps, you’ll definitely notice the improvement in combat responsiveness over the console counterpart.

Without spoiling anything, Stellar Blade’s narrative is more complex than initial appearances suggest. What begins as a straightforward “reclaim Earth” mission evolves into something far more intricate, with plot twists here and there. Story and character development may not be Stellar Blade’s strongest suits, however. Eve feels bland and uninteresting and most NPCs don’t really give long lasting impressions either.

The side missions are varied but they rarely give good narrative experience except for a few rare ones. Plus, the rewards you get are not exactly rewarding apart from gold, EXP, and some resources. Since there are no unique weapons that you can swap whenever you find new loots, I find that I tend to skip these side missions where you need to go back to the old areas you’ve explored. The travel can get tedious, especially when you need to go through all the respawned enemies all over again.

There are costumes and accessories to unlock for appearances (and you can also change your hair styles), and you probably want to because EVE is gorgeous and the graphics are just so good.

The PC Port

The PC version of Stellar Blade isn’t just a simple port – it’s a thoughtfully enhanced experience. The ultrawide monitor support transforms the visual experience, particularly for those with 21:9 or 32:9 displays. Exploring the game’s stunning environments on an ultrawide setup feels genuinely immersive – too bad I’m stuck on this 27″ Gaming Monitor from HyperX.

NVIDIA DLSS 4 support is a game-changer for performance. I was able to maintain excellent visual quality while achieving higher framerates, which is crucial for the precision-based combat. The DLAA image quality enhancement option is perfect for users with powerful hardware who want the best possible visual experience without needing the performance boost.

AMD FSR 3 support ensures that users across different hardware configurations can enjoy smooth performance.

While Stellar Blade works perfectly with mouse and keyboard, the DualSense controller support on PC is really good too. The haptic feedback will add genuine immersion to combat encounters, with different weapons and abilities providing distinct tactile responses. The adaptive triggers enhance the feeling of drawing EVE’s blade and interacting with the game world.

For those preferring traditional controls, the mouse and keyboard implementation is solid. The key bindings feel intuitive, and camera control with a mouse is precise. While there are lots of skills and moves to perform, they feel seamless to perform and easy to remember.

Loading times are impressively short, and I didn’t encounter any significant technical issues during my playthrough. The game scales well from mid-range to high-end hardware, with plenty of graphical options to fine-tune performance such as reducing EVE’s hair shorter.

The 4K texture pack is substantial but worthwhile for users with adequate VRAM. The visual improvement is noticeable, particularly in environmental details and character models. However, it’s worth noting that this feature requires significant graphics memory, so ensure your system meets the requirements. Thankfully, my RTX 3080 can handle the game just fine.

Stellar Blade PC Review Conclusion

Stellar Blade represents Korean game development at its finest, delivering a post-apocalyptic action experience that stands apart from Western interpretations of the genre. The PC version enhances an already excellent game with meaningful improvements that utilise the platform’s strengths effectively.

The combination of stunning visuals, challenging combat, and engaging storytelling creates an experience that’s both immediately accessible and deeply rewarding. SHIFT UP has proven that Korean developers can compete with the best in the action genre, delivering a game that feels both familiar and refreshingly different.

For PC gamers who missed the PlayStation 5 exclusive, Stellar Blade is absolutely worth your time. The enhanced graphics, improved performance, and thoughtful PC-specific features make this the superior version of an already excellent game. Whether you’re drawn to challenging-yet-fun combat or beautiful visuals, Stellar Blade delivers except for meaningful character development and side missions. For these, Cyberpunk 2077 is still on the top of my list.

Disclosure: Stellar Blade PC review licence was supplied for reviewing. All screenshots were taken during my gameplay, some with the in-game Photo Mode.