Stellar Blade is out this week and our review, which you can read right here, positive. We liked the game and were impressed by its depth of action and world-building. Ahead of release, but after spending some time playing the game, we had the opportunity to reconnect with Shift Up CEO and Stellar Blade director Hyung-Tae Kim after speaking with him earlier this year. This time we talked to him (through an interpreter) about the inspiration for the game beyond Nier Automata (like the game Bible And Matrix), the approach to the costumes and how they fit into the lore, as well as the reason there is no minimap in the game was a purposeful decision.
Game Informer: Are there multiple endings?
Hyung-Tae Kim: There are multiple endings and actually, if you complete certain missions there will also be a post-credits scene.
Is there an ending you like better?
This all depends on the choices and decisions the player makes throughout the game. There's no particular ending that I like. But then there's this hidden level so I hope players explore this and play that. I guess if you want a slightly happier ending you'll have to explore that post-credits scene.
There are no in-game rewards for unlocking costumes, but they are an important motivator for players. Why is clothing so important?
I definitely believe it would be glamorous for an iconic character to wear this iconic outfit. But my strength is character concept design. There are many things I want to show to the world and be able to convey that to the players. I decided that it would be a good idea to include different outfits, it was a good way to express what I wanted to express. And I also want players to be able to join the journey with the character in the style they like. That's why.
What is the process of choosing and creating an outfit?
It was not a method decided upon when creating the costume. For example, the body suit – I designed it myself and then was the 3D modeler; Once they're done modeling the outfit, I'll go back and then add more details, textures, and typography to perfect it for the game. Or for other costumes, we buy real clothes in real life, then scan them, get the scan data, modify it to make it look more futuristic and then finish it that way. So it's very different. This way, you can meet very diverse outfits in the game.
And most of all, sometimes when playing games, you will see some costumes that look like swimsuits. And for those costumes, it's very important to portray the texture of the skin like how it changes due to pressure and how it's pushed up, or how it folds, curves like the body, the flesh. That's important as we try to cover the details. So to do this, we actually created a real-life model and then had the model wear the outfit and scan the model to use the data.
Is there a legendary reason why Eve wears so many outfits? Is she interested in fashion?
There is some kind of legend behind Eve that shows a lot of interest in the costumes left behind on the surface of the Earth. We had that idea and it was part of her personality, but then we decided that this didn't really need to be represented in the game. We didn't really have to make it known in the game so that was removed, but the lore still exists.
Have you ever considered tying costumes to upgrade your character?
When making games in the past, I was very serious about not connecting the character's stats and costumes. It's important for me not to do that because if that happens, then only certain skins will be chosen by users because they have better stats than others. I don't want that to happen. I just want everyone to enjoy all the different outfits offered in the game, regardless of stats.
But of course, if you're not wearing anything at all, it's very dangerous to be on the desolate surface of Earth. So we've put it at a slight disadvantage if you're naked.
Does the team see Eve as a Bayonetta-type character who embraces her sexuality and uses it as a weapon?
I don't think Eve is aware of the charms she possesses, so she's not that kind of character. So she wouldn't be able to incorporate the central appeal that the Bayonetta character has and wouldn't be able to incorporate that into their fights. But then, it's still not completely decided how Eve will develop in the future and what she will realize in the future, so I guess it will depend on the users and what they like as well. like the level of interest they show towards the game. Maybe Eve will go through some kind of… more socialization and adjustment, and maybe she'll have new insights and become a different person.
Cans are an important collection. Why cans?
That may be a personal preference. Personally, I like the different can designs. Also, I think it would be more practical to use cans in places where the Earth is ruined. As one of the preserved goods, cans will be more meaningful than other items.
Are they based on real Korean brands?
We tried but no brands were available to us for collaborations, so we initially had to create them all internally. We also consulted an expert on can packaging design. We hired that person to come up with designs that made them look real. In the future, hopefully we can collaborate with a real-life brand. Especially Pepsi, a product that we are very interested in.
Was a minimap ever considered? I really want one in Xion.
If you slide up on the touchpad, you have access to the map in Xion.
Oh, but I'd like to have a minimap always available at the bottom of the screen.
I want to show as little UI design on the screen as possible. That's why I didn't put the minimap on the screen. But yeah, it's pretty necessary in an open world area. As the area is linear, of course there will be other hidden paths, but if you use the map it will probably become too easy in this linear part of the game. That's why I wanted to avoid leaving the map there for players to constantly use. But yes, of course, in Xion you'll want to refer to the map more because as things keep changing, you'll constantly be given new missions, so the map will come in handy. I highly recommend using the map there.
In the film Matrix, there is the city of refuge Zion. In Stellar Blade there is the sanctuary city of Xion. In Stellar Blade there is a location called Matrix 11. Matrix co-directed by Lilly Wachowski. In Stellar Blade there is a character named Lily. Is this all a coincidence or something Matrix Big inspiration for Stellar Blade?
Matrix is of course one of my favorite movies, but instead of any inspiration or direct reference we get from the movie, you should watch Bible more like an inspiration. But that doesn't mean it's all this story is based on Bible, heavy. It's like they share similar legends.
TThe hat has meaning because Matrix look at Christians Bible, also. And of course, Adam and Eve are both characters in Stellar Blade. To be Bible main inspiration?
In terms of the material that we got for the plot, yes, Bibleand yes, it is also related to the theme of the plot, but at the end of the day, this is an action-adventure game so when players play the game, they can take this lightly and just enjoy the game play.
When people think, “Oh, this is based on Bible,” then they tend to take it more seriously and can expect a heavier, more serious story there. And of course, we're grateful for that explanation, but what we want to focus on is the gameplay.
Why is there a mode to change the length of Eve's ponytail?
Personally, I really like the long ponytail that Eve has because it adds movement and action and I find that to be an important element, but then I also realize that this hairstyle is not for everyone. everyone. Some people might find it annoying or maybe it gets in the way of a certain outfit or screen when moving around, and I think that might be disruptive or bother some people, so I also want to include a shorter ponytail. But then, there was a need for medium length ponytails or options that can control the length of the ponytail, etc.
Stellar Blade will launch this year. There's another big game from the Korean developer, The First Descendent coming out later this year. Does Shift Up feel like this is an important year for Korean representation in video games?
We hope that, starting with this year's Stellar Blade, it will be a boom year for Korean developers. In fact, in the past and until recently, Korean games were quite isolated from the world because the game market in Korea mainly focused on mobile devices. As for console games, it's hard for them to get any attention, and there's not much of a reason for other global users to be able to access these games. There aren't many overlapping elements there.
But then, starting with Stellar Blade, hopefully more global users will discover more Korean games and actually realize, “Wow, these are really good games!” And I'm starting with that; Hopefully other Korean developers will become more known. This year will be that year. And in that way, we even have a certain sense of responsibility there.
Are you hoping to make a Stellar Blade sequel next or does Shift Up want to do something different next?
Currently, we are focusing more on Stellar Blade – the game itself. We are focusing more on what users will like, what they want to see more of, and what kind of additional content we have coming out. Hope you will enjoy this upcoming game.
To know more about Stellar Blade, you can read our previous feature on the game Thisand read Game Informer's Stellar Blade review is here.
