Stellar Blade interview: creating stylish sci-fi action in a post-apocalyptic world

08.04.2024 - 23:31 / blog.playstation.com / Kim Hyung Tae

Stellar Blade launches in just a few short weeks on PS5. You may have already sampled the action adventure firsthand by way of the recently released demo in which Eve, a member of the 7th Airborne Squad, is sent to a desolated Earth on a mission to reclaim the planet from the mysterious, malevolent Naytiba and save humankind. If so, you’ll have had a taste of the game’s mechanics and combat, its story, and creature design. To dig in further, we sat down with Stellar Blade director Kim Hyung Tae (who is also founder of Stellar Blade development studio Shift Up)  and technical director Lee Dong Gi to learn more about the studio’s background, the game’s inspirations and more. 

Stellar Blade director, Kim Hyung Tae (left), and technical director, Lee Dong Gi (right) of Shift Up

PlayStation Blog: As Stellar Blade is a brand-new title, how and when did the idea of developing this game emerge?

Kim Hyung Tae (Kim): About five years ago, when we were talking about what mobile game title should be released after Destiny Child. We were initially thinking about creating Goddess of Victory: Nikke into a duology game for the Android and iOS platforms. It was during that process that the urge to develop a console title emerged as our second project. I have been a long-time fan of video game consoles and have always wanted to develop action games for them. The idea attracted a group of members with a shared passion, and that’s how the idea of developing Stellar Blade emanated.

With Stellar Blade being Shift Up’s first title developed for video game consoles, did you encounter new challenges or hurdles?

I am being realistic in thinking our fans would not be lenient and forgiving just because this is our debut title for game consoles. Instead, we held the same high standard that console gamers hold for their games and ensured that Stellar Blade would be on par with those games in terms of quality.

Can you tell us about the concept and theme of Stellar Blade?

The theme I dedicated to Stellar Blade is humanity. The story is about what makes us human and defines us as human–it’s quite universal. The story came to my mind one day as I witnessed taxi drivers on strike.

The strike erupted when technologies for self-driving cars began advancing, almost hinting at the implementation of autonomous cars in the near future. This instilled fear among taxi drivers that these technologies would eventually take over and replace their jobs. As I watched them on strike, I asked myself what I would do if this were to happen to me, if one day humans were entirely replaced by something non-human. This is where the theme for Stellar Blade originates. Having said that, the game’s focus should not be on that; we tried to create an