There’s no denying that Stellar Blade is one seriously good-looking game. On Switch 2, it runs surprisingly well on Nintendo’s hybrid system, and it’d be a perfect port if it wasn’t for one glaring issue that holds it back.
On the surface, Stellar Blade looks like a smooth port with few compromises, as it still offers plenty of graphical detail at a lower resolution. Stellar Blade on Switch 2 also targets 60fps, but in order to achieve that, it uses a very aggressive form of frame generation to create a smooth sense of action. The problem with this is that it makes the game harder to play, because your actions are delayed.
Parries and dodges require perfect timing, and because the game is delayed, pressing a button right as an enemy hits you is often too late, causing you to take damage. This also means that controlling the protagonist Eve feels somewhat sluggish, navigating the environments feels sluggish, and during chaotic fights, the game can lag so badly that it feels like your controller is completely ignoring your inputs. This is at odds with how the game teaches you to master its gameplay, as the natural rhythm you’re supposed to pick up alongside visual cues simply does not match up with the delicate timing needed to pull off counters and parries.
Because Stellar Blade is an action game that’s tightly centered on strict frame windows for counters and dodges–think of it as being soulslike-adjacent with its combat–the disconnect between the 60fps visuals and the heavier 30fps input feel makes precise timing noticeably harder to hit.
Developer Shift Up was aware of this, as after it received player feedback from the Stellar Blade Switch 2 demo, it added a Frame Generation Toggle to the game’s settings. Turning it off will make the game run at a visually native frame rate, and it removes the extra buffer, which goes a long way toward making controller responsiveness feel tighter. Your mileage may vary, and if you can overcome the unnatural timing behind defensive moves in Stellar Blade on Switch 2, there’s plenty to love about it.
But if you have a decent PC or a PS5? Stellar Blade plays much better on those platforms, even if you can’t take them on the go with you. The Switch 2 edition does include some nice extras like Bayonetta outfits and all of the post-launch content, so if you’re eyeing a purchase of Stellar Blade on it, grab the demo and see if you can get to grips with how the game plays on that platform.
Shift Up is also working on a sequel, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, which features a new pint-sized powerhouse of a protagonist.