Shift Up's action-adventure title Stellar Blade sees players stepping into the heels of EVE, a warrior sent to Earth to fight the Naytiba who have laid siege to the planet. Stellar Blade's story can be complex at times, but it's mostly easy to follow, especially considering its familiar savior trope. While Stellar Blade's characters are at the heart of its story, not many of them receive the character development they probably deserve. Not even EVE, Stellar Blade's protagonist, experiences significant character development throughout the story. Nevertheless, the game's story does its job, as do its characters.

There are several key moments during Stellar Blade's story that flesh out EVE's character, as she discovers her role in everything is much bigger than she once thought. Her character and personality are further developed in her relationships with her companions and those she helps during her time on Earth, but Stellar Blade also uses one rather unlikely and unexpected method that is largely unprecedented. This method of character development is so unexpected, in fact, that it can easily catch players by surprise if they aren't paying close attention to the game's dialogue.

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Stellar Blade's Bulletin Board Has an Unexpected Character Development Feature

Stellar Blade's Bulletin Board Grants Players Various Side Quests

Quest boards are far from uncommon in role-playing and action-adventure games. Generally, they serve as a hub where players can accept multiple side quests simultaneously. However, the downside to using quest boards to obtain side quests is that those quests are often uninteresting and bland, simply because the boards sometimes act as a replacement for any interactions players could have with other characters.

Stellar Blade also includes a quest board in the form of its Bulletin Board, located in the city of Xion, which players visit fairly early on in the main story. Here, they can accept plenty of optional quests that reward anything from Gold to crafting materials, so they are all worth doing for one reason or another. Unfortunately, no matter how hard players try, some Bulletin Board quests just can't be accepted. Herein lies a unique character development feature that is likely the first of its kind.

Stellar Blade's Bulletin Board Serves as a Character Development Catalyst for EVE

While it should be expected that any quest players pick up from Stellar Blade's Bulletin Board can be accepted and completed at their leisure, that's simply not always the case. Sometimes, when attempting to accept a side quest from the Bulletin Board, EVE will share her opinion about the quest, then automatically refuse it. At that point, it's impossible for players to pick it up, even if they revert to an old save and attempt it again. There is nothing that can be done to prevent this from happening, as it is scripted into the game and has nothing to do with any choices players make up to that point. It's definitely one of the most interesting design choices, but it accomplishes its purpose.

When EVE refuses a side quest, she shows a bit more of her personality in her remarks. In this player-agency-robbing moment, EVE's opinion on certain matters is made clear and players get to know a little more about her as a result. For example, after attempting to accept one particular side quest called "Secret Request" about someone wanting a special drug that overclocks the brain, EVE refuses the quest after making a judgmental comment on the idea of overclocking the brain. It can be assumed that EVE follows a certain code of ethics, even if she never says it outright.

It's unprecedented for a game to give players the option of accepting a side quest from a quest board only for it to be automatically refused. In Stellar Blade, it makes for an interesting way to reveal more about EVE, especially as it can potentially drive completionists mad.

Stellar Blade

Stellar Blade is an action-RPG developed by Shift Up and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game follows protagonist Eve as she attempts to save a devastated Earth from invaders called Naytiba.

Platform(s)

PS5

Released

April 26, 2024

Developer(s)

Shift Up

Publisher(s)

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Genre(s)

Action RPG