Summary
- Mastering specific combos like Incursion 4 (Beta Chain) and Onslaught 4 (Beta Chain) is crucial in Stellar Blade.
- Utilizing Aerial Incursion and Rush Chain 2 can offer strategic advantages in battles against Naytiba.
- Perfecting parries and dodges, as seen in Counter Chain 2 and Chain Reflection 2, can lead to powerful attacks in the game.
Stellar Blade is a typical action game in the vein of NieR: Automata, Bayonetta, or Ninja Gaiden. Eve is a soldier who comes from space, sent to Earth to clear out monsters called Naytiba. As players defeat these monsters, they will gain EXP that will then become points to spend on several skill trees.
Some skills can unlock new combos for Eve in Stellar Blade that players can reference in the menu at any time. They can even practice moves in a simulated dojo, which more action games should attempt to do. Let's go through what moves are best learned from these skill trees and how players can apply them in battle.
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7 Incursion 4 (Beta Chain)
Square X3, Triangle, Hold Triangle
The Incursion combos are some of the most basic but effective ones in the game, usually focusing on mashing one button over and over like typical action games. The best version of this basic combo is called Incursion 4 (Beta Chain), which will flip between Square and Triangle and end with holding down on Triangle.
Eve lights up her sword almost like she is infusing it with molten lava, and then she strikes through her enemy. It’s an effective attack, be it on a normal foe or one of the grander Naytiba, which make up most of the enemy types in the game.
6 Onslaught 4 (Beta Chain)
Triangle, Square, Triangle, Square, Hold Triangle
Onslaught combos are a step above Incursions, but mostly have a similar line of sword-based strikes. Players will have to flip between Triangle and Square for this combo to make Onslaught 4 (Beta Chain) pop. After several sword strikes, Eve will spin forward at a side angle into the enemy.
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It looks like she is trying to burrow her way into them, like a more demonic version of Sonic the Hedgehog or, more fitting, Metal Sonic. Some folks at Sega probably wish they could get a bit bloodier with Metal Sonic’s attacks, but likenesses aside, Onslaught 4 (Beta Chain) is a great combo in Stellar Blade.
5 Aerial Incursion
Square X3, Hold Square (Air)
Jumping and then attacking an enemy from above is always a solid tactic in an action game like Stellar Blade. This move is based on Incursion, but flipped in the air, as Eve will attack her opponent from above using Aerial Incursion. The move ends with a spin attack and then a slam downward. The damage will be focused on one character, but depending on how players land, it could create a small ripple effect among scattered enemies. Sadly, Aerial Incursion is the only real air-based combo in the game, but players can always experiment with their own tricks.
4 Rush Chain 2
Hold Triangle, Triangle, Circle
Rush Chain 2 is a good combo to use if players are far away from an enemy and want to close the gap quickly. It’s sort of like a reverse move from Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion. Instead of saying, “Get over here!” He would say, “Hold on, I’m coming to you!” By holding down Triangle, Eve will rush at the enemy and then create a sword-spinning sweep attack. It doesn’t look as painful as a stab through the abdomen would be, but it’s a good combo and is effective against a gathering of Naytiba. It can also be used as a dodge move to get away from surrounding hordes.
3 Onslaught 3 (Beta Chain)
Triangle, Square, Hold Square, Hold Triangle
The Onslaught combos return in its ultimate form: Onslaught 3 (Beta Chain). Most of the Onslaught moves are the same, starting with a few sword swipes and then ending with a big spinning finisher. That’s not the case with Onslaught 3 (Beta Chain), as players will instead end their combo by racing through their enemy. It’s like a samurai move players may see in an anime, except the attack doesn’t end with a Naytiba being split in half. It can still do some heavy damage, regardless of the lack of gore.
2 Counter Chain 2
Counter 2, Then Hit Triangle And Circle
Every good action game needs a parry, and Stellar Blade is stocked with several. With a well-timed parry using the L1 button, players can enter into a Perfect Parry situation. If they do that, they will also enter Counter 2. Once that is ready, players can string together Counter Chain 2 to unleash an even stronger parry-based attack.
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It will make Eve look like she is harnessing the power of lightning itself to strike down her opponents. It’s a lengthy process and parrying is not as easy as dodging, but learning how to do a Perfect Parry, Counter 2, and Counter Chain 2 will be beneficial in the long run.
1 Chain Reflection 2
Reflection 2, Then Hit Triangle And Circle
For players who aren’t good at parrying in video games, there is always dodging. Luckily, in Stellar Blade, there are combos tied to it. A well-timed dodge will create the Perfect Dodge effect, which will start to slow down time similar to Witch Time in the Bayonetta series. This combo involves a Perfect dodge, activating Reflection 2, and then stringing that attack to finish with Chain Reflection 2. Eve will shift between dodges and powerful strikes in a fluid motion all in the blink of an eye. The move is tricky to pull off, but fun to see every time.
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
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
