‘Stellar Blade’ director considers the comparisons with ‘ Nier: Automata’ a “great honor”

One of the biggest exclusive titles that is coming in 2024 for PlayStation 5 is Stellar Blade, an action title where influences from various hack & slash like Bayonetta, Nier: Automata, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, are very clear. Its director, Hyung-Tae Kim, does not reject comparisons, far from it, he considers them a compliment, especially when it comes to Yoko Taro’s game, of which he confesses to being “a big fan.”

In fact, Kim considers it “a great honor” that Stellar Blade is spoken of as the Korean Nier. “Nier was very important for inspiration when it came to developing our games,” says the director in an interview. “It’s a wonderful title that we’ve been inspired by, and the director, Yoko Taro, I’m also a big fan of his script. I’m a big fan of Yoko Taro.”

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Comparisons are not always hateful

However, taking into account the latest controversies that have occurred in the industry due to alleged plagiarism, Kim affirms that they are very different games. “If you actually get to play Stellar Blade, you’ll see that the gameplay is not too similar. They’re pretty different,” he says. “We pay homage to the games that we’ve played, but when you actually get to play you will see a few differences there. But to be called Korean Nier and to be influenced by such a title, it’s a great honor.”

Kim also talks about its visual section, similar to that seen in the MMO Black Desert, also of Korean origin. For him, it is a style inherent to the country. “Because we are a Korean developer, we can’t deny the fact that we were influenced by that Korean style,” he explains. “But at the same time, we try to always find our own style somewhere between realism and a more deformed style of characters. And in the process, we always try hard to find our own unique charm.”

Stellar Blade will arrive on April 26 on PlayStation 5, as was confirmed in the last State of Play.