Stellar Blade has been praised for its gameplay but criticized for its story, and now its developer has addressed this flaw directly. Shift Up’s Kim Hyung-tae shared insights into why the narrative didn’t quite hit the mark, which might explain some players’ mixed feelings.
The game’s core mechanics were finished early, but the cutscenes, key to storytelling in an action title, became a bottleneck. According to Kim, originally, there were plans for many more cinematics to flesh out the world and characters, but the production costs were too high. This forced the team to scale back, leading to a weaker plot than intended.
“Cutscenes play a very important role in storytelling. It is difficult to convey the entire story with action alone,” Kim said in an interview with Korean site This Is Game. The decision to reduce supplementary cutscenes was made for efficiency, but it impacted the narrative depth.
The developer is cautious about adding new cinematics to the existing game, worried it might disrupt the experience players have already had. Instead, Shift Up is focusing on the sequel where they plan to deliver a much richer story. Kim mentioned they are eager for a 2027 release but admitted it might be delayed. Still, he promised, “I can guarantee that we’ll present a great work.”
Seeing a developer so openly acknowledging a game’s shortcomings is interesting. It reminds us that storytelling still matters to many players despite stellar gameplay. What do you think? Have you found Stellar Blade’s story lacking, or did the action keep you hooked regardless?
