Our buddy Snooze has already talked about Stellar Blade after its last gameplay reveal during Sony's latest State of Play stream. Originally announced as Project Eve years ago, it caught people's attention for its stylish hack n' slash action RPG gameplay plus its cute, thicc protagonist. Of course, that brought to mind another stylish hack n' slash action RPG gameplay with a cute, thicc protagonist.

I've seen people call it "Korean Nier Automata," but if you ask me, that sounds disingenuous. Thinking of Nier Automata as simply a hack n' slash RPG with a cute, thicc protagonist is really underselling that absolute emotional rollercoaster of a game. Stellar Blade's approach to its narrative is yet to be seen, but I doubt it'll reach the unhinged highs of Yoko Taro's writing. Still, that hasn't stopped Blade & Soul artist and studio Shift Up founder Kim Hyung-Tae from welcoming the comparison.

"Nier was very important for inspiration when it came to developing our games," says the game's director, "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." 

But Kim is quick to point out that this doesn't mean it's some cheap Nier knockoff. "If you actually get to play Stellar Blade, you'll see that the gameplay is not too similar. They're pretty different. 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 Korean Nier and to be influenced by such a title, it's a great honor." 

He also mentioned recently that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Bayonetta were also inspirations for Stellar Blade, as were Blade Runner and Battle Angel Alita. He also pointed out how its aesthetic is similar to that of Black Desert Online because they both follow similar design tropes that are popular in South Korea. 

Hopefully Stellar Blade is good enough to stand on its own 2 feet without having to rely on its cute waifu protagonist or comparisons to other games. Guess we'll find out when it's released on April 26. 

Are you hyped for Stellar Blade? Do you think it's similar to Nier Automata at all? Sound off below!