Summary
- Shift Up may upgrade Stellar Blade's sequel to Unreal Engine 5 for better graphics.
- Shift Up is currently focused on a PC port of Stellar Blade and a new AAA game.
According to recent listings from Shift Up, Stellar Blade's sequel could be making a big upgrade by going from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5. Stellar Blade launched this past April as a PlayStation 5 exclusive and became one of the most popular releases on the console, selling over 1 million units in its first two months. The developers at Shift Up are currently working on a PC version of the game, which is reportedly "much bigger" than the original PS5 version. The developers are also working on a sequel to the acclaimed action game.
Shift Up announced its intentions for a Stellar Blade sequel as a part of the game's roadmap, which includes a photo mode, new skins, a "large scale" collaboration, and paid DLC being in consideration. A sequel to Stellar Blade seemed pretty likely, as the game was a commercial success for Shift Up. Plans regarding the sequel seem to already be in motion, as there have been some job listings already posted by Shift Up, giving some small insight into its planned features.
Stellar Blade Gets Big Player Count Boost
The controversial action-adventure game Stellar Blade gains a big player count boost three months after its original release.
As spotted by tech4gamers, job listings on Shift Up's website said the company is hiring for the Stellar Blade IP, with one for a 3D Background Modeler asking for Unreal Engine 5 experience. The requirement also asks for experience developing AAA console games, which suggests this is for a new project instead of additional content for Stellar Blade. Moreover, this listing is in the "preferred" section, likely suggesting that Stellar Blade's sequel will use Epic's latest game engine, which has become a widely used tool for various AAA games in recent years.
Unreal Engine 5 Can Help Build On One of Stellar Blade's Strengths
Stellar Blade was built using Unreal Engine 4, so upgrading to Unreal Engine 5 seems like a natural step up. This engine upgrade could be incredibly beneficial, as Unreal Engine 5 has been used to provide photorealistic graphics for games like RoboCop: Rogue City, Black Myth: Wukong, and Hellblade 2. The original Stellar Blade was praised for its polished visuals, so the sequel potentially using Unreal Engine 5 could allow the developers to continue capitalizing on that aspect.
For the time being, while a potential sequel sounds like an exciting prospect, Shift Up is currently focused on the PC port of Stellar Blade. According to the developers, they have high expectations for it, thinking that the game will have "better results on PC than on consoles." Recent statements from the studio also suggest that this port could happen by the end of 2024, though no release date has been provided yet. Another project currently being worked on at Shift Up is a AAA game known as Project Witches, which also uses Unreal Engine, and is aiming for a cross-platform debut.
Stellar Blade
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 81%
- Released
- April 26, 2024
- ESRB
- M for Mature
- Developer(s)
- Shift Up
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
RECLAIM EARTH FOR HUMANKIND The future of humanity hangs in the balance in Stellar Blade, an all-new story-driven action adventure. Ravaged by strange, powerful creatures, Earth has been abandoned, and what is left of the decimated human race has fled to a Colony in outer space. After travelling from the Colony, 7th Airborne Squad member EVE arrives on the desolate remains of our planet with a clear-cut mission: to save humankind by reclaiming Earth from the Naytiba – the malevolent force that has devastated it. But as EVE tackles the Naytiba one-by-one, piecing together the mysteries of the past in the ruins of human civilization, she realizes that her mission is far from straightforward. In fact, almost nothing is as it seems…
