We personally loved Stellar Blade when it was released earlier this year, and based on our reviews, we still stand by the fact that it’s one of the best action games we’ve played this year. I am. I’m personally a big fan of NieR: Automata, and this was one of the first reviews I wrote on this site in 2017.
We don’t usually review DLC, but this was a fitting time to try something different and unpack Stellar Blade’s latest addition to see if it’s worth coming back for. I thought it might be an opportunity.
suit up
Although this crossover mainly offers cosmetic DLC, it’s not without its NieR-inspired charm. My initial understanding was that I could have each character wear these costumes from the beginning, but it turned out to be shockingly wrong.
Before we get into it, let’s break down what we get overall about the game’s three main characters.
Eve: 2B Costume A2 Costume YoRHa Uniform 1 YoRHa Unofficial Ceremonial Clothes Adam: Emil Head Pod 045 Pack Lily: YoRHa Type 9 S Uniform
The purpose of the DLC is to follow Emil, a regular companion character in the NieR series, as he spawns in random areas on the map. He can escape from your grasp many times, so it may feel difficult to track him down, but I’ve noticed that he shows up near junkyard areas quite often .
Once you have your eye on him, you will need to attack and stop him. Then he can open your store and buy as many of these clothes as he wants.
However, you’ll need to stash the game’s Stella Tears to purchase these outfits, so make sure you’re prepared. That being said, Star Tears can only be found in the Wasteland and Great Desert, so it’s no big deal if you need to track back and save more.
look at the part
When it comes to costumes, it’s hard to argue with the results and the unique influence of NieR: Automata. Eve’s outfits are always a bit skimpy in terms of overall fit, but when equipped with these outfits you’ll feel like you’re playing as 2B or even A2.
The only real downside is that the DLC doesn’t offer much else. Considering how much has been added to Stellar Blade over the six months since its release, from boss challenges to photo modes, it feels like there was a real opportunity to add a little more substance to the world around you and its inhabitants on a smaller scale. It feels like a story centered around a character from either franchise, perhaps leaning more into the lore of NieR: Automata.
final thoughts
However, at only AU$14.95, it won’t burn a huge hole in fans’ pockets even if I only recommend it to fans of either series. It’s worth trying out some of the new modes with these incredibly detailed and accurate costumes, but once you’ve found Emile, there’s not much else to chew on.
Sure, finding Emil seemed like a cool idea in that it added a unique challenge to the game while encouraging exploration, but it’s a shame that that part ends a little too early.
3 stars (out of 5 stars)
Highlights: A suit with great attention to detail that makes you feel like you’re playing a Nier game. It’s fun to find Emil at first
Weaknesses: Finding Emil too quickly. Nothing more about this DLC
Developer: Shift Up
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
Platform: PlayStation 5
Available: Available via PlayStation Store
Review was conducted on PlayStation 5 using a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
