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Shift Up’s first AAA game,Stellar Blade, is right around the corner. Published by Sony and exclusively available on PS5, the game is officially slated to release on April 26. The Korean studio has also released ademo for the game, which has been swiftly racking up popularity.
However, the key driver behind that popularity lies in some…interesting elements ofStellar Blade, particularly the character model of its protagonist, Eve. The model is very pretty, and has the proportions of the average Instagram model, but it’s evident that even more work has gone into the physics associated with those proportions. Game director Hyung-Tae Kim explains the decision.
The Design Of Eve’s Back Is Crucial For Third-Person Play
Character design is a crucial element for immersion in video games. For that reason, there’s been a lot of progress with modelling lifelike, photorealistic characters for games, but forStellar Blade, Shift Up’s devs took a unique approach – focusing heavily on the design of the protagonist Eve’s back.
This may seem very strange, butStellar Bladedirector Hyung-Tae Kim explained the logic behind this decision in a recent interview withGamesRadar+:
When it comes to the design, we put special attention on the back of the character because the player is always facing the back of the character when they’re playing. That’s what they see the most of, so we thought this was pretty important.
“Eve’s hotness is honestly a negligible factor…”: Stellar Blade is Already Branded a GOTY Contender Amid Heated Debate Around Eve’s Body
It’s all a matter of perspective, then, and it makes sense. SinceStellar Bladeis a third-person action-RPG, players would naturally spend the majority of their playtime looking at Eve’s back. This focus ensuresplayershave something…exciting to look at across their playthrough. Shift Up may have been too successful on that front, though, because it seems that’s all players are looking at.
Stellar BladeDirector Likes “Ideal” Character Designs
It doesn’t end there, as Kim also shared his own philosophy on character design, which extends beyond mere aesthetics. He believes that in the context of video games, characters should bevisually strikingand embody a sense of the “ideal”:
Honestly, when I play a game, I would like to see someone who is better-looking than myself. That’s what I want. I don’t want to see something normal; I want to see something more ideal. I think that is very important in a form of entertainment. This is, after all, entertainment targeted for adults.
“If we didn’t have the hairstyle..”: Kim Hyung Tae Admits Eve’s Ponytail in Stellar Blade Turned into a Big Headache For the Developers
This approach aligns with the nature of video games themselves, as they’re posited to be a form of escapism; an occasional break from reality. Characters can be larger-than-life heroes, have cartoonish appearances, and possess extraordinary abilities, and that’s totally believable.
Like with all things, though, striking a balance is necessary, and Kim knows it. While he believes in creating visually appealing characters, he emphasizes that looks shouldn’t overshadow the narrative or the world itself. Character design should complement the story and setting, not subdue them.
Stellar Blade is Already Being Compared to One of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s Best Soulslikes Thanks to its Boss Fights
While the focus on Eve’s back may seem bizarre, it reflects a fresh approach to character design. Shift Up has cleverly used visual appeal to keep players hooked throughout the game, and it seems to be working rather well, to the point where it’s one of the biggest talking points ofStellar Blade.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Content Writer
Articles Published :247
A lifelong gamer, lover of cars, and Master’s student of Automotive Journalism, Viraaj Bhatnagar is a gaming writer at FandomWire who aims to be one of the greats. When he’s not hunched over on his laptop typing out copy, he can be found lapping circuits in Gran Turismo or slaying draugr in God of War.
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