Stellar Blade: Blood Rain’s AI music video turns a character reveal into a warning sign
The promotional clip for Shift Up's upcoming action game pairs Evie with AI-generated visuals and music that have drawn criticism for their lifeless presentation.
Shift Up has published a music video promoting Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, but the clip has become a rough introduction to the sequel’s use of AI rather than a convincing look at what the game offers. The video stars Evie in a performance built around the song “Wanna be in LOVE,” with both the music and parts of the presentation generated or altered with AI.
The results are difficult to ignore. Evie’s skin-tight outfit appears to change from shot to shot, while her body includes strange details such as visible fingernails and a belly button. Her expressions also give the performance an unsettling quality, especially as she smiles directly at the camera.
The song itself does not fare much better. Computerized high notes stand in for Evie’s singing before the chorus turns into a noisy mix of robotic vocals. Instead of giving players a clearer sense of Blood Rain or its world, the video presents a polished-looking character inside a track that feels disconnected from the game’s identity.
The project’s AI use is not hidden. The video includes a disclosure saying that it was created with resources from Stellar Blade: Blood Rain and regenerated with AI support. Its credits also include Shift Up’s Second Eve Studio and AI Labs. That disclosure makes the creative choice clear, but it does not solve the larger issue with the finished product.
Shift Up has already shown that it can put care into game music. Nikke: Goddess of Victory includes a wide range of songs, with a rhythm game composer working on part of its soundtrack. Against that background, choosing AI-generated music for a major Blood Rain promotion feels especially confusing.
Stellar Blade: Blood Rain is due later in 2026. The first Stellar Blade had room to improve its storytelling, and the sequel could still offer a stronger look at the setting and characters. This video does the opposite. It focuses attention on visual mistakes, synthetic vocals, and the fear that large studios may use AI to replace the human work that gives game music its personality.
That concern is already part of the conversation around the clip, which has divided fans over its AI-assisted production and presentation. For a project with the resources of Shift Up, the promotional video leaves a poor impression before the sequel has had a chance to show what it can do.
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Stellar Blade: Blood Rain
Developed by SHIFT UP
