I have about 150 hours played in SB and I can’t get enough. As a straight woman, I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to play a female protagonist with a bangin’ bod. The combat is incredible and Eve is just flawless. I actually liked that they made her softer and more feminine in personality.
Also they are now on the stock exchange, and have excepted black rock dei money! Let's hope their next games or the Steller blade sequel isn't woke doodoo
It will never cease to astound me that all of the “controversy” around this game - ALL of it - was because the designers made Eve a conventionally attractive woman. Not the violence, not the gore, not the themes. Game “journalists” lost their minds because Shift Up made Eve hot. Just a reminder to let that sink in.
Yeah that's always astounded me, we are the most prudish country on the planet, but we can't talk about the crime, the violence, etc. And the lawmakers have been trying for decades to claim that violent games lead to violence in public, when there has never been any proof of that. It's an obfuscation of the real problem because they got an agenda.
Let's be honest here, Eve is not "a conventionally attractive woman". She was made to look like sex doll robot, for gamers to ogle her with lust. And there is nothing wrong with that, as there are many gamers who like it and don't mind it. But don't say she is just a "conventionally attractive woman";) attractive women in games also get feminist hate just for being attractive but this was not that case, let's be real. Cal Kestis in Jedi: Survivor is conventionally attractive man but because is not running in tight boxers in Jedi: Survivor, his looks weren't controversial. Except for people who don't like gingers ofc.
It's even more ridiculous when you learn that the character model is modeled after a real life Korean woman. Western developers are in a whole new state of denial.
@@monilip That's exactly the case. Eves body is a scan of an actual woman. Are you trying to say that woman is a "sex doll robot" because of the way she looks? Why aren't attractive women also allowed to be HUMANS? My own MOTHER has big breasts and i'm getting absolutely sick of you ****ing ***** acting like she's some kind of subhuman sex doll just because of that. Get your disgusting misogyny out of here.
For me Stellar Blade was like playing a game from 15 years ago with 4k graphics and modern mechanics, in the best way possible It's not a perfect game but I had more fun than most releases in years
I'd have to agree No where near close to the best game I've played But I still had quite a bit of fun with it At the end of the day, that's what matters most
Combat and soundtrack in stellar blade are both incredible. It also now has an excellent full fat ng+, boss challenge mode and photo mode coming soon. Story is a little weak but everything else makes up for it IMOP.
@Voltroc haven't gotten around to playing it yet but I can tell u for sure I enjoyed my 4 playthroughs of stellar blade wayyy more than spiderman 2 You will not catch me playing that again anytime soon
One aspect of this game I don’t hear people give enough praise for is memory economy, this game somehow manages to only take up about 35GB…….Call of duty has bigger day 1 patches then the entire memory of this game
Same goes for lies of p That game is amazing and looks so beautiful in just 30gb size is crazy Asian gaming devs and company is far better than Western bs devs rn
I never once regretted the experience regarding Stellar Blade. Despite being the bumps regarding the censorship of two of the costumes (Holiday Rabbit + Cybernetic Bondage and it's 2 alternative color varients) and how Sony tried to ruin the game... The game still immensely well and I'm happy that the boss battle update (it had uncensored style costumes based on the previous ones I mentioned) and the summer update has put more life into the game. This game deserves the success it gets and I'm happy it sold well especially in Japan.
Fun fact! Apparently, it was not censorship but rather a last minute change to avoid lawsuit due the fact those costumes were copies of real-life copyrighted clothing, so they changed it to avoid any trouble.
@@mrX666-s9p They "literally' didn't, NPC. If you actually played the game you would know that they censored more costumes than the ones they gave variations of.
@@devildante9 You are low iq literally the latest suits are so much better than those ones and more revealing but you keep crying in a corner over pixels.
I'm glad they made a good game with sexy women. Sick of the gremlins and globs of fat making us suffer by harassing game devs and making their characters repulsive.
I had the same feeling about her soft/gentle personality but I think it was actually a perfect choice. It clearly helped make it more memorable and stand out with such a contrast.
I think another thing about Stellar Blade is that it doesn't feel bloated with side quests, and so it doesn't feel as if I'm either wasting my time or being given a bunch of work.
@@TheBackseaterYT I started mostly in the 90s -80s. Some of my most memorable games are 90s. First time i played sim city, diablo 1, resident evil, ff7, heroes of might and magic, flight sim in the 90s was unreal compared to 2d console mario. If you are newer and try playing playing older games than it isn't the same. newer game ar refinement of older one. When things are new and fresh it is much more exciting. Most game today are 3rd person with nice background. Early Sim city was like a 2d sprite. Dragon age orgin, was fresh, bloodborne was amazing. When you played this long we/I need something fresh and I haven't felt it as much. I don't really play shooters, or 1st person, get dizzy. New something more original, got to say the wii fit was an new experience. Plenty of trash games in the 90s too.
@@xophaser Exactly. The only reason those games are good to you is because your nostalgia is warping reality to make you feel better. You shouldn't let that happen. Nostalgia is a universally bad thing.
Pleasurable Puns aside, Stellar Blade is a great game with some stellar moments of combat and beautiful character designs. The music is infectious and as others have said, it reminds me of gaming's past where great gameplay and fun shone over larger narrative stories and message-focused walking simulators. This is the type of new IP that if released 20 years ago would have been praised by all and generated excitement towards an eventual sequel. Coupled with the free additions of more costumes and boss rush, it is an excellent experience that I recommend.
I found the story to get really deep toward the end too (what it means to be human etc). I almost immediately started my second playthough and collected all journal entries etc, which gives a lot of additional perspective.
So how many others regressed to a 12 year old state at the giggle physics? In the first couple hours and kept climbing stairs and shimmying across ledges, the developers knew what they were doing designing a starting area 😂
@@hcook1023 You don’t have to be a 12 year old to like jiggle physics you can joke around a bit as an adult have fun just don’t go overboard or be repetitively stupid and annoying with it, also 12 year olds shouldn’t be playing games like these where they have jiggle physics or sex appeal at least I hope their not they should be playing Nintendo games lol.
@@desertmammoth3159 I better hear nothing but Mario and Kirby music 🤣 But seriously it’s a pretty great game and it’s not as M rated as I thought it was going to be.
I really loved Stellar Blade. I don't think it's mentioned enough, but the soundtracks in the game are amongst the best I've ever heard. Ranging from heartful, to mournful, to outright beautiful.
The music was done by MONACA. They also did some of the music in Nier: Automata, and iirc the Shift Up devs intentionally brought them in for SB because of this.
I can forgive some of the problems (like the lack of environmental storytelling) due to that. I haven't played any of their mobile games to know if they're usually good at story.
This is pretty much what every female game character used to look like just a few years ago. It was a golden age. Thankfully we can still play many of those games if not all of them
I recently got some free time to finally start playing Stellar Blade, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I'm no hardcore gamer, so the multitude of combat combos are taking some time for me to memorize. The lovely scenery and ability to freely explore the environments at my own pace gives me a real sense of escapism. IMO, it's just an excellent gaming experience with the just right blend of challenge, fun and artistic flare. 5 Stars!
It's a good solid game. Indeed what games USED to be. Entertaining enough to be fun, long enough to feel like you get your money's worth without feeling like a life investment. It looks good, plays good, doesn't beat you over the head with politics or activism and gives you plenty of unlockables without requiring a extra dime from you. It goes back to the days where you had to put some effort and UNLOCK things rather than buy them and it provides difficulty settings to make it accessable and a good entry point for people who aren't great at the "soulsborne" type, while also providing a difficulty for those who are.
It was honestly far better than I expected it to be. The combat system was fluid and fun, with plenty of options as you unlocked more skills and the parries were relatively easy to pull off. Plus the enemy variety was pretty great. The fact that Eve was super hot, was simply an added bonus!
People talk about Eve’s look (she’s beautiful), but the combat system is amazing, simple, intuitive, good looking combos and great parry system. I can’t believe this it’s the first console game from Shift Up. These guys set the bar high for AA games
The game should be GOY but it has 1 thing holding it back which is the story. The story is good but not incredible but yet the ending was fulfilling leaving you wanting more and excited for what’s coming next. The game needs a sequel in order to fully flesh out the world and the main characters backgrounds more. If it does that and build on top of the great combat, mobility and gameplay that it already has……and outfits too lol, I think it will definitely win GOY next time around. 8/10 Overall 10/10 Fun Factor 6.5/10 Story 9/10 Gameplay 10/10 Boss Fights 10/10 Graphics and Physics….😂 8.5/10 Eve’s Character 7/10 Supporting Characters
It should be nominated at least, simply because the good games this year are very very few. You got FF7 Rebirth (will win), Stellar Blade, not even DD2 anymore the hype for that died real quick, and maybe Elden Ring dlc but I don't think that counts.
Woke media will never allow it as GOY, so far the best 2024 game, way better than dragon's dogma, hell blade and all online shooting games released this year.
Stella Blade was a very fun and challenging hack n slash, a solid game overall it’s nothing groundbreaking but not every game needs to be Also the Raven fight can kiss my ass
@@FearlessJackson3 I have defeated Raven on my first playthrough. I chose to side with Adam thus I didn’t get his boss fight, I fought Lily instead i’m going to fight Adam on my new game plus Playthrough
I just started the game and so far I agree. As someone who played through Dark Souls 1 (and couldn't finish the others... because the difficulty got more and more "GET GOOD"), it was refreshing to have a game that is very similar but way more forgiving and easier to get into. And playing as someone who is as likeable and gorgeous as EVE just makes the game more fun for me. I bought this game instead of Dragon Age Veilguard, which kinda hurts, but thanks to EA's Woke Gaming Staff, my once favourite Franchise was destroyed, so I said: "You know what, I rather give my money to a smaller developer who doesn't give a F++k about Agenda and just makes a cool game!"
The drinker reminds me of a more innocent time when jokes, banter and general observational humour was not frowned upon when we could make fun of each other and it was ok. When people were not scared of words lol
If it wasn't for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Stellar Blade would be my Game of the Year for sure. What a fun and addictive game. Great gameplay and musics, and nice environments and characters overall. It's a nice title and doesn't overstay its welcome. Loved it.
Lived in South Korea 15 years, and I can confirm that most girls in that country between the age of 18-28 look EXACTLY like the protagonist in this game.
@fun-epersonnproductions4002 I believe you're referring to the unfortunate plight of female Japanese office workers? Korean women don't take that kind of bull sh*t from anyone these days. In fact MALE office workers would be more likely to kowtow and submit to ridiculous requests in Korea
Raven 1st fight: WTF is this song...Holy shit I just got wrecked Raven 5th fight: This song is actually pretty dam good and I'm getting a feel for her Raven 15th fight: I f**** despise this song that been my soundtrack of hell for an hour Raven 20th fight: WTF she only hit me once that entire time.....I kind of miss that Raven soundtrack
@@derekwatson8965 True. Videogames are a blindspot for Drinker. He doesn't bring the same sort of critical eye and level of knowledge to video games that he does to movies. He also turns a blind eye to wokeness in games.
@@OsellaSquadraCorse That's not what his career was, nor what his first videos were about. Feel free to look for yourself. Even if it were though, it wouldn't change the accuracy of what I said.
Gameplay is king, even for a movie buff like Kojima, he really dedicated a lot of effort in making his games fun to play, I am glad stellar blade follows this way of thinking
for me the game is actually perfect, best slasher combat ive ever seen, have 500 hours in the game and trying to speedrunning and time attacks bosses at minimumsettings without getting hit! The combat flow, hitboxes and impact hits, bro its all11/10 like its so freaking good, the only complains i have about this game was some side quests and some story writing. But if we talk about those platform segments its totally fine. Game optimization is so good and EVE is just a cheery on top in this game. This is my GOTY for sure this year, perfect game!
I really love this game, the graphics are clean, the performance is almost perfect, the music is op, and the combat is super satisfying. The Eve design is a refreshing thing to see given the latest western games.
This game is amazing and I enjoyed every moment of it. First playthrough took me nearly 40 hours because I wanted to explore as much as I could and get as many achievements possible. Now I've platinum it after playing the game 5 times. This is a title we needed after all this blunt and uglyfied characters we've been getting. So this was a breath of fresh air and I hope the devs keep any titles they release at such a capacity. Already the two new swimsuits are welcoming with the latest update and I hope a PC release will be coming.
It's easily Game of the Year for me. Not because it blew everyone away with a rich and intricate story and absolutely groundbreaking graphics...but because it delivered a well structured, ENTERTAINING game that is complete on launch, without any pay-to-win or online bullcrap, with barely any bugs at all let alone game breaking bugs (something multi-million dollar companies apparently can't do), with good looking characters and that doesn't lecture the gamers in any way whatsoever. It's entertainment as it should be. And as it used to be. From a developer whose only experience until now was mobile games. For their FIRST console game, ShiftUp delivered an amazing game. And gamers rewarded them with their money. A lot of it. AND, on top of that, even when they messed up by caving to Sony's censorship demands, they then listened to their customers feedback and acted accordingly, delivering a bunch of new and pretty revealing outfits, alongside a "Thank you" note scribbled on a summer beach ball in game. ShiftUp, so far, has done everything right. And has been rewarded for it. Western game developers would do well to take a page from their book and re-learn a thing or two. Unless, of course, they want to continue losing money, customers and shutting down.
I'm working on my second playthrough and want to get that platinum trophy. This game is genuinely one of the most fun and engaging games I've played in years. Here's hoping to a sequel
I loved this game waaaaay more than I expected to The soundtrack is amazing as well, which also helps with getting immersed in the game. Man the Belial fight with the hard core rock them blaring on in the background as the boss relentlessly attacks and jumps around all while you’re doing the same, fuckin epic
And there was me thinking I had become hopeless at platforming after stumbling to death four times in a row. But for some strange reason those imperfections endeared the game to me even more.
I loved it. That chest opening animation was unnecessary but so greatly appreciated 😂 My only 2 gripes with the game: 1. Wish Eve was a bit quieter during combat, hearing her yell all the time got a bit annoying. 2. Having to press a button to finish off a boss was dumb in my opinion.
Thank you for being one of the reviewers that actually acknowledged the extra stuff from the docs etc. I’ve seen so many just blatantly ignore and don’t even do everything. Then just say story trash. Can’t really say you read a whole book and say trash if you just read beginning chapter middle chapter then ending chapter. Then say yeah the books story was shit not very well written. As an example. Like be respectable and responsible since your profession is recommending or not. I look at reviews actually more critically. I agree with most of your review. Also if this came out after Veilguard this story would be miles better by comparison lol.
Honestly I love this game. And I love the religious Revelation kind of like storytelling in it there's like a really secret like Christian undertone and it's not just the fact that Adam's name is Adam and Eve's name is Eve it's a little deeper than that in fact I would say that the whole entire story is an allegory for Revelations
So a video game in the truest, most literal sense with a strong emphasis on "game" Honestly we need more video games like this. We love our big Oscar bait narratives, reinvented wheels and tutorials the size of a Californian list of grievances but once in a while something that puts its entire focus on the gameplay loop and doesn't demand much anywhere else is just the thing to unwind after a long day.
TBH, this game would have not been successful as it is now if it weren't for those critics. They made the free advertisement for this game inadvertently instead of how most game flops, by ignoring it completely. For once, woke critics did something good by accident.
Did a similar review and gameplay analysis on my channel and most of your observations were spot on. One little thing I realised after reading on people's comment and replaying the game was that Eve was agreeable and super polite for a purpose. In the world of Stellar Blade, Eve has the emotional development of a child who's forced into a new and constantly changing environment, therefore it's not unusual for her to try and navigate these new challenges the only way she knows how. Namely, we polite to people not trying to kill her and eviscerate anyone who's against her. Great video though, and it's a solid game anyone who hasn't played it, should definitely give it a go.
I remember something from the 90's about people losing their sh*t over Night Trap for Sega CD because it was basically an 80's college girl slumber party in nighties
It was more about the fact it was real video and you could "realistically" drain their blood with giant hooks, even though you weren't playing as the vampires and were supposed to stop them. Good old Jack Thompson.
This game quickly became one of my favorite games of all time. With games like Stellar Blade and The First Descendant doing incredibly well games like Flintlock and Concord doing abysmally bad I think the message is clear.
The craziest thing about the story is that it's all there throughout the game... in lore. And when I say in lore, it's on items that most of the players would never think to check (ever read the Beta and Body Core lore you pick up off Airborne Squad members found in your bag? Probably not). It's a crazy gamble by a developer to make players piece the story together by diligently reading the items they acquire because it's pretty obvious most people aren't going to spend an hour going out of their way to read in an audio/visual medium.
straight woman here and I took a perverse amount of satisfaction from fighting monsters in the skimpiest outfits possible. Great game and quite difficult too! there were some mechanics and missions I didn't care for, but overall 8//10 for me!
Fair points and criticisms, Drinker. I absolutely loved this game. I think I plunked around 50 hours into it, as a whole. The music was probably one of my favorite parts aside from the gameplay. It reminded me of the ethereal JRPG music from the early to mid 2000’s. I hope they release the full soundtrack, soon. I also hope it comes to PC because I got rid of my PS5 right after I finished this and bought a Steam Deck.
I've been playing it recently. I haven't finished it yet, but so far, I'm absolutely in love with it. It's kind of a mish-mash of a bunch of other games that I love, but it's implemented in a way where it's not blatantly ripping anything else off, and I feel like it's visual style is distinct enough that it feels pretty fresh.
This game is meant to be played in Korean audio. It’s become my top 10 favorite games of all time. The Korean audio is so much better than the English.
It most definitely does match with ALL so called 'triple A' games. The flaws are minimal. Its definitely worth getting, compared to most of the games released this year that aren't remakes etc.
Studying the game, it's as if what was written on the first storyboard was 'Peerless Beauty saves the world'. Then figure out how she does it. No agenda or politics to divert from the vision. Mirrored with Raven where hatred and jealousy twisted her. Such a sinister antagonist. From a design perspective, Eve has a very real presence in game. She reaches out to touch objects, kick boxes with impulsive force, gracefully adjust direction when swimming and at times trip slightly over unstable ground. Even her fighting animation is a sight to behold: she uses weight, leverage and momentum in ways that are entirely believable. In part to the dynamic sound design as well as how the skill cues line up with the hit boxes clashing. The effort to put all that together is astounding. Even if it doesn't win GOTY, Stellar Blade is very simply fun, pretty and engaging. Everything a game should strive for.
And to top it all off, my favourite thing, despite being quite miniscule, is how she smashes buttons to open doors and whatnot. Average character: press the red button Eve: SMASH THE SHIT OUTTA THE RED BUTTON.
That scene where she is being pulled out of her pod is... it's like iconic. Well, I don't know if it will be, but it almost feels like an act of rebellion. Good review. It is a good game, as well. My main issue is that is taking so much from Nier Automata, that it's hard not to notice. The combat style differs quite a bit, though, so that's a big difference.
I still ain't had a chance to play yet, but after I wade through my sea of games, I'll get around to it. Also, I gotta say, I think you branching to talking about games as well on your second channel, was a good move! The amount of reviewers these days that, well, they suck ass and appear terrified to say the wrong thing. I'm chuffed that we have plenty of unforgiving games out right now, because it feels like a ton have been dumbed down for accessibility. Keep up the good work!
0:58 I don't understand why Suicide Squad's wonder women was there. The game was bad but she looks fine. Far from ugly. She looks better then the one from the Injustice games.
Giving the customer what they want-fun, escapism, and value-seems simple, yet it’s a principle that many Western studios have lost sight of. Asian developers understand this intuitively, crafting games that connect with players on an emotional and experiential level. If Western studios want to remain competitive, they need to refocus on the gamer, rather than external pressures or trends.
I’m gonna be honest, this game was fun, but nothing groundbreaking. Standard issue Sony hack and slash. All of its hype came from the controversy around the appearance of the character. 7/10 for me.
I love how the people who took issue with the character design in this game claim to be “feminists,” yet they really seem to hate the female body/anatomy.
I have about 150 hours played in SB and I can’t get enough. As a straight woman, I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to play a female protagonist with a bangin’ bod. The combat is incredible and Eve is just flawless. I actually liked that they made her softer and more feminine in personality.
Wait, that's illegal!
Say it louder for the people in the back.
@Kmark2688, what is your avatar from?
Ikr!
What's your twitch?
Let's keep in mind this is Shift Up's first non mobile game, that's definitely some points for me
With how well the game has sold so far, I can see them addressing all the main complaints in a sequel. The sequel may be masterful. We shall see.
@@TheRax21the single biggest complaint is that they let sony push them around and force them to censor the outfits and gore
Also they are now on the stock exchange, and have excepted black rock dei money! Let's hope their next games or the Steller blade sequel isn't woke doodoo
@@lordofthepatrick good thing they gave us a toggle for those censored outfits
For a first shot, it's really strong. It's hard to get a fun playing action game on first go (which they managed). I'd expect a lot from a follow up.
It will never cease to astound me that all of the “controversy” around this game - ALL of it - was because the designers made Eve a conventionally attractive woman.
Not the violence, not the gore, not the themes. Game “journalists” lost their minds because Shift Up made Eve hot. Just a reminder to let that sink in.
@@lulzjeffy1337 it's not that they made her hot, it's that they oversexualized her.
Yeah that's always astounded me, we are the most prudish country on the planet, but we can't talk about the crime, the violence, etc. And the lawmakers have been trying for decades to claim that violent games lead to violence in public, when there has never been any proof of that. It's an obfuscation of the real problem because they got an agenda.
Let's be honest here, Eve is not "a conventionally attractive woman". She was made to look like sex doll robot, for gamers to ogle her with lust. And there is nothing wrong with that, as there are many gamers who like it and don't mind it. But don't say she is just a "conventionally attractive woman";) attractive women in games also get feminist hate just for being attractive but this was not that case, let's be real.
Cal Kestis in Jedi: Survivor is conventionally attractive man but because is not running in tight boxers in Jedi: Survivor, his looks weren't controversial. Except for people who don't like gingers ofc.
It's even more ridiculous when you learn that the character model is modeled after a real life Korean woman. Western developers are in a whole new state of denial.
@@monilip That's exactly the case. Eves body is a scan of an actual woman. Are you trying to say that woman is a "sex doll robot" because of the way she looks? Why aren't attractive women also allowed to be HUMANS? My own MOTHER has big breasts and i'm getting absolutely sick of you ****ing ***** acting like she's some kind of subhuman sex doll just because of that.
Get your disgusting misogyny out of here.
For me Stellar Blade was like playing a game from 15 years ago with 4k graphics and modern mechanics, in the best way possible
It's not a perfect game but I had more fun than most releases in years
I'd have to agree
No where near close to the best game I've played
But I still had quite a bit of fun with it
At the end of the day, that's what matters most
Combat and soundtrack in stellar blade are both incredible. It also now has an excellent full fat ng+, boss challenge mode and photo mode coming soon. Story is a little weak but everything else makes up for it IMOP.
It does the job it set out to do, what more can be asked
I had more overall fun with it than FF7 Rebirth, and that was my most anticipated for the year.
@Voltroc haven't gotten around to playing it yet but I can tell u for sure I enjoyed my 4 playthroughs of stellar blade wayyy more than spiderman 2
You will not catch me playing that again anytime soon
One aspect of this game I don’t hear people give enough praise for is memory economy, this game somehow manages to only take up about 35GB…….Call of duty has bigger day 1 patches then the entire memory of this game
Fortnite having 65GB “updates” vs Rust being 22GB in total.
Same goes for lies of p
That game is amazing and looks so beautiful in just 30gb size is crazy
Asian gaming devs and company is far better than Western bs devs rn
Competent devs know how to manage their game files to ensure they don't eat up the console hard drive.
Yeah. Along with Sekiro at 17GB, this is one of the slimmest games I've seen in recent years for what you actually get.
Also shoutout to this game's NG+. Added new enemy placements and even some new special moves for Eve. It was a joy to play this game again
Oh wow that's cool to know!
Where were the new placements? I never saw any of that
@@FewNewReasonssI haven't advanced that much on ng+ but noticed extra enemies in a few places.
The game honestly looks good, I hope they port it to PC. The mods will be legendary.
Sony: Stellar Blade will come to PC!
PC players: 😀
Sony: You'll need a PSN account to play it.
PC players: 😦
@@CyanRooper not if you pirate it ;)
@@CyanRooper PC Players: Wears eye patch*
@@CyanRooperi dont think that will happen, since SU is not owned by Sony, just entered a publishing deal, unlike Arrowhead, which is owned by Sony
The mods will be godly 😩
I never once regretted the experience regarding Stellar Blade. Despite being the bumps regarding the censorship of two of the costumes (Holiday Rabbit + Cybernetic Bondage and it's 2 alternative color varients) and how Sony tried to ruin the game...
The game still immensely well and I'm happy that the boss battle update (it had uncensored style costumes based on the previous ones I mentioned) and the summer update has put more life into the game.
This game deserves the success it gets and I'm happy it sold well especially in Japan.
Fun fact! Apparently, it was not censorship but rather a last minute change to avoid lawsuit due the fact those costumes were copies of real-life copyrighted clothing, so they changed it to avoid any trouble.
They literally gave way better and more uncensored costumes bot
Praying for PC release
@@mrX666-s9p They "literally' didn't, NPC. If you actually played the game you would know that they censored more costumes than the ones they gave variations of.
@@devildante9 You are low iq literally the latest suits are so much better than those ones and more revealing but you keep crying in a corner over pixels.
I'm glad they made a good game with sexy women. Sick of the gremlins and globs of fat making us suffer by harassing game devs and making their characters repulsive.
If they also put Adam into a skin-tight suit the game would have been much better.
@@fun-epersonnproductions4002 Yes please lol I loved the end when we got to see my dude shirtless
I had the same feeling about her soft/gentle personality but I think it was actually a perfect choice. It clearly helped make it more memorable and stand out with such a contrast.
I think another thing about Stellar Blade is that it doesn't feel bloated with side quests, and so it doesn't feel as if I'm either wasting my time or being given a bunch of work.
The last of us 2 had a stupid story but won anyways
Even the can collect thing was rewarding enough.
Younger western gamers probably don't even remember beautiful women **were** in videogames once
I remember
Pepperidge farm remembers
Resident Evil is still going strong
They can just play old games and see what amazing characters were in there
Older western gamers have never felt the touch of a woman.
Stellar blade brought me back to the good old 90s and early 2000
The 90s and the 2000s were not good decades. Don't let your nostalgia color history
@@TheBackseaterYT I started mostly in the 90s -80s. Some of my most memorable games are 90s. First time i played sim city, diablo 1, resident evil, ff7, heroes of might and magic, flight sim in the 90s was unreal compared to 2d console mario. If you are newer and try playing playing older games than it isn't the same. newer game ar refinement of older one. When things are new and fresh it is much more exciting. Most game today are 3rd person with nice background. Early Sim city was like a 2d sprite. Dragon age orgin, was fresh, bloodborne was amazing. When you played this long we/I need something fresh and I haven't felt it as much. I don't really play shooters, or 1st person, get dizzy. New something more original, got to say the wii fit was an new experience. Plenty of trash games in the 90s too.
@@xophaser Exactly. The only reason those games are good to you is because your nostalgia is warping reality to make you feel better. You shouldn't let that happen. Nostalgia is a universally bad thing.
@@TheBackseaterYT back in my day bait was believable
@@Negius This is not bait. This is what I honestly believe
Pleasurable Puns aside, Stellar Blade is a great game with some stellar moments of combat and beautiful character designs. The music is infectious and as others have said, it reminds me of gaming's past where great gameplay and fun shone over larger narrative stories and message-focused walking simulators. This is the type of new IP that if released 20 years ago would have been praised by all and generated excitement towards an eventual sequel. Coupled with the free additions of more costumes and boss rush, it is an excellent experience that I recommend.
The music is a standout for me and reminiscent of nier automata's soundtrack
I found the story to get really deep toward the end too (what it means to be human etc). I almost immediately started my second playthough and collected all journal entries etc, which gives a lot of additional perspective.
So how many others regressed to a 12 year old state at the giggle physics?
In the first couple hours and kept climbing stairs and shimmying across ledges, the developers knew what they were doing designing a starting area 😂
@@hcook1023 You don’t have to be a 12 year old to like jiggle physics you can joke around a bit as an adult have fun just don’t go overboard or be repetitively stupid and annoying with it, also 12 year olds shouldn’t be playing games like these where they have jiggle physics or sex appeal at least I hope their not they should be playing Nintendo games lol.
@@Skye2993 thanks dad
@@desertmammoth3159 I better hear nothing but Mario and Kirby music 🤣
But seriously it’s a pretty great game and it’s not as M rated as I thought it was going to be.
@@Skye2993Blood and Gore is enough to justify an M rating on its own. Everything else was just a bonus.
@@Skye2993
A 12 year old being interested in bouncing gazongas? Perish the thought! That's totally unheard of!
I really loved Stellar Blade. I don't think it's mentioned enough, but the soundtracks in the game are amongst the best I've ever heard. Ranging from heartful, to mournful, to outright beautiful.
The music was done by MONACA. They also did some of the music in Nier: Automata, and iirc the Shift Up devs intentionally brought them in for SB because of this.
Agree...the music is a major plus.
The OST is one of the best this year
The music is a standout for me and it's highly reminiscent of nier automata
@@system_eneve MONACA was involved with the music in both games.
@@junior-fj8ud YES!!!
She's a death machine with the manners of a primary school teacher... Sounds like the devs went to my primary school
Now I want to go to your primary school
The Critical Thumbnail
It's nice passion and heart was put into a game like it was 15 years ago
I think it’s impressive it’s Shift up’s first non mobile game, I definitely had a blast 100% completing it.
I can forgive some of the problems (like the lack of environmental storytelling) due to that. I haven't played any of their mobile games to know if they're usually good at story.
@@NinjaFlibble I haven’t played their mobile games either, but looking at Nikke for 40 seconds tells me it’s history is not the selling point lol.
@@uvarighalvarado8677 ohhhhhh, trust me, we all thought like you.
Then we read the story, and stayed due to it.
@@uvarighalvarado8677 a surprising amount of people enjoy the Nikke story
@@Tu-Li-Oh really? I’ll give it a shot then.
0:37 Love how Critical slows down while saying "it's time for a serious review" as his focus gets taken away by that amazing view.
I'm glad you keep us abreast of events with your titillating content.
Awesome Video. @00:05 “Not to be the butt of any jokes, but Steller Blade has got to be one of the “BREAST” gaming experiences of the year” 😂
I was wondering if I was the only one that heard "BREAST" 😂
This is pretty much what every female game character used to look like just a few years ago. It was a golden age. Thankfully we can still play many of those games if not all of them
Something else to highlight is the absolutely bitchin soundtrack.
Sb is what 20 years ago me imagined gaming would be in 2024.
After seeing shift ups last game, Nikke: goddess of victory, you can see how they became experts in crafting asse(t)s
Very good. They did indeed.
Ba-dum tssssh
I recently got some free time to finally start playing Stellar Blade, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I'm no hardcore gamer, so the multitude of combat combos are taking some time for me to memorize. The lovely scenery and ability to freely explore the environments at my own pace gives me a real sense of escapism. IMO, it's just an excellent gaming experience with the just right blend of challenge, fun and artistic flare. 5 Stars!
공감합니다.저도 컨트롤 게임을 많이 못합니다.하지만 이 게임은 클리어 했어요!
I really enjoyed this game. It was like an optimistic Nier
@@elwoodcope7152pop it in the PlayStation 5 and watch the performance difference
@@elwoodcope7152 there is a remaster for pc that's pretty good.
Yoko Taro himself gave his approval and recommended the game.
@@elwoodcope7152 oh ok, yeah didn't play it myself.
It's a good solid game. Indeed what games USED to be. Entertaining enough to be fun, long enough to feel like you get your money's worth without feeling like a life investment. It looks good, plays good, doesn't beat you over the head with politics or activism and gives you plenty of unlockables without requiring a extra dime from you. It goes back to the days where you had to put some effort and UNLOCK things rather than buy them and it provides difficulty settings to make it accessable and a good entry point for people who aren't great at the "soulsborne" type, while also providing a difficulty for those who are.
Surprised you didn’t mention the score at all. It’s absolutely phenomenal
It was honestly far better than I expected it to be. The combat system was fluid and fun, with plenty of options as you unlocked more skills and the parries were relatively easy to pull off. Plus the enemy variety was pretty great. The fact that Eve was super hot, was simply an added bonus!
I love Stellar Blade for obvious reasons. 😏🎉
The part at 0:32 is soo good that I revisit this video from time to time just to hear it again.❤
People talk about Eve’s look (she’s beautiful), but the combat system is amazing, simple, intuitive, good looking combos and great parry system. I can’t believe this it’s the first console game from Shift Up.
These guys set the bar high for AA games
The game should be GOY but it has 1 thing holding it back which is the story. The story is good but not incredible but yet the ending was fulfilling leaving you wanting more and excited for what’s coming next. The game needs a sequel in order to fully flesh out the world and the main characters backgrounds more. If it does that and build on top of the great combat, mobility and gameplay that it already has……and outfits too lol, I think it will definitely win GOY next time around.
8/10 Overall
10/10 Fun Factor
6.5/10 Story
9/10 Gameplay
10/10 Boss Fights
10/10 Graphics and Physics….😂
8.5/10 Eve’s Character
7/10 Supporting Characters
The physics are PEAK
It should be nominated at least, simply because the good games this year are very very few.
You got FF7 Rebirth (will win), Stellar Blade, not even DD2 anymore the hype for that died real quick, and maybe Elden Ring dlc but I don't think that counts.
@@aytony4090 I agree lol
Woke media will never allow it as GOY, so far the best 2024 game, way better than dragon's dogma, hell blade and all online shooting games released this year.
@@aytony4090 I'm not sure if remakes or DLC can win GOTY but I could be very wrong. Knowing game media I'd guess Concord will win GOTY
I want Drinker to review Nier: Automata. The original T&A bait that unexpectedly goes deep on philosophy
Bayonetta and Dead or Alive would like a word re: your claim of 'original'.
@@OsellaSquadraCorse Not like there wasn't some skin before. Nier just has some 'meat' in the story
Stella Blade was a very fun and challenging hack n slash, a solid game overall it’s nothing groundbreaking but not every game needs to be
Also the Raven fight can kiss my ass
Raven was a pain in the ass. But ADAM was a far more cheesy boss.
@@FearlessJackson3 I haven’t gotten to him yet
@@plasma2509 oh, so you haven't defeated Raven yet. Damn mybad...... ADAM is literally the first enemy you face immediately after Raven.
@@FearlessJackson3 I have defeated Raven on my first playthrough. I chose to side with Adam thus I didn’t get his boss fight, I fought Lily instead i’m going to fight Adam on my new game plus Playthrough
I just started the game and so far I agree. As someone who played through Dark Souls 1 (and couldn't finish the others... because the difficulty got more and more "GET GOOD"), it was refreshing to have a game that is very similar but way more forgiving and easier to get into. And playing as someone who is as likeable and gorgeous as EVE just makes the game more fun for me. I bought this game instead of Dragon Age Veilguard, which kinda hurts, but thanks to EA's Woke Gaming Staff, my once favourite Franchise was destroyed, so I said: "You know what, I rather give my money to a smaller developer who doesn't give a F++k about Agenda and just makes a cool game!"
If the Drinker liked this game, he really needs to play Nier Automota. One of the craziest games I've ever played.
The drinker reminds me of a more innocent time when jokes, banter and general observational humour was not frowned upon when we could make fun of each other and it was ok. When people were not scared of words lol
If it wasn't for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Stellar Blade would be my Game of the Year for sure. What a fun and addictive game. Great gameplay and musics, and nice environments and characters overall. It's a nice title and doesn't overstay its welcome. Loved it.
Leave it to the "we totally didn't just steal Virgil's thing" boss fight to be the hardest.
Bruh when Raven launched Judgment cut at me I litterally said out loud, "I thought I left you in Devil May 3!" 😅
Its a fairly common trope from anime and other eastern media.. a hundred cuts in a second. Not really original to dmc
@@SL1CEND1CEN Vergil made that the most iconic, though. That wasn't a huge thing that was super widespread until DMC3.
@@Zac_Frost Thats because you mostly see it in jrpg, not many action games have high quality "anime actions" effect in-gameplay.
@@hassanghanim3966 That's my point lol. Not many action games are that stylish in-game.
Lived in South Korea 15 years, and I can confirm that most girls in that country between the age of 18-28 look EXACTLY like the protagonist in this game.
Ah yes, Korean girls are well known for being top heavy and having big booties.
Were they also forced to make lunch for their co-workers and changing towels in men's restrooms in their worklace no matter what their actual job was?
@fun-epersonnproductions4002 I believe you're referring to the unfortunate plight of female Japanese office workers? Korean women don't take that kind of bull sh*t from anyone these days. In fact MALE office workers would be more likely to kowtow and submit to ridiculous requests in Korea
Also live in South Korea, he speaks the truth.
*Borat voice* I go to South Korea!
Cant wait for your Baldurs gate 3 review
Drinker said "How many innuendos can I put into the intro of the video?" The answer is "yes"
Ahhhh this is bringing me back to the ps2 days. I miss those days
On my 4th playthrough, one of the few games that I enjoyed enough to platinum. I hope it gets a sequel that is just as good or even better!
The soundtrack is also really good, both when exploring chill environments and during intense combat
SB exceeded my expectations. Just a fun game without lectures from wine-moms.
Raven 1st fight: WTF is this song...Holy shit I just got wrecked
Raven 5th fight: This song is actually pretty dam good and I'm getting a feel for her
Raven 15th fight: I f**** despise this song that been my soundtrack of hell for an hour
Raven 20th fight: WTF she only hit me once that entire time.....I kind of miss that Raven soundtrack
I can think of two big reasons why Drinker liked this game
I'd love to see Drinker debate Yahtzee on games they disagree on.
I love drinker, but croshaw would absolutely annihilate him.
But I can probably guess it would end with both of them drunk of their minds lol.
@@derekwatson8965 True. Videogames are a blindspot for Drinker. He doesn't bring the same sort of critical eye and level of knowledge to video games that he does to movies.
He also turns a blind eye to wokeness in games.
Yeah, I tend to love Yahtzee but his review on SB seemed a little more than biased.
@@BusesAreFatCars Aside from starting out as a game reviewer, of course....
@@OsellaSquadraCorse That's not what his career was, nor what his first videos were about. Feel free to look for yourself.
Even if it were though, it wouldn't change the accuracy of what I said.
I played through it 3 times just to get all the endings. It was a great game, I’m impressed with what they did
Holy crap, it was genious how many innuendo-laced words he managed to say in just the intro!
Gameplay is king, even for a movie buff like Kojima, he really dedicated a lot of effort in making his games fun to play, I am glad stellar blade follows this way of thinking
for me the game is actually perfect, best slasher combat ive ever seen, have 500 hours in the game and trying to speedrunning and time attacks bosses at minimumsettings without getting hit! The combat flow, hitboxes and impact hits, bro its all11/10 like its so freaking good, the only complains i have about this game was some side quests and some story writing. But if we talk about those platform segments its totally fine. Game optimization is so good and EVE is just a cheery on top in this game. This is my GOTY for sure this year, perfect game!
The woke journalist backlash brought the game to my attention. I thank them for their bad takes leading me to a good game
I really love this game, the graphics are clean, the performance is almost perfect, the music is op, and the combat is super satisfying. The Eve design is a refreshing thing to see given the latest western games.
God bless South Korea!!! They saved gaming!!!
This game is amazing and I enjoyed every moment of it. First playthrough took me nearly 40 hours because I wanted to explore as much as I could and get as many achievements possible. Now I've platinum it after playing the game 5 times.
This is a title we needed after all this blunt and uglyfied characters we've been getting. So this was a breath of fresh air and I hope the devs keep any titles they release at such a capacity. Already the two new swimsuits are welcoming with the latest update and I hope a PC release will be coming.
Nothing about the music? The soundtrack is Stellar!
The music is a standout for me and reminiscent of nier automata's soundtrack
The OST is one of the games strong points imo.
Exactly! I’m surprised Drinker didn’t mention it in the review. The game won’t feel the same without the OST.
It’s good but it gets crazy repetitive.
It's easily Game of the Year for me.
Not because it blew everyone away with a rich and intricate story and absolutely groundbreaking graphics...but because it delivered a well structured, ENTERTAINING game that is complete on launch, without any pay-to-win or online bullcrap, with barely any bugs at all let alone game breaking bugs (something multi-million dollar companies apparently can't do), with good looking characters and that doesn't lecture the gamers in any way whatsoever.
It's entertainment as it should be. And as it used to be. From a developer whose only experience until now was mobile games. For their FIRST console game, ShiftUp delivered an amazing game. And gamers rewarded them with their money. A lot of it. AND, on top of that, even when they messed up by caving to Sony's censorship demands, they then listened to their customers feedback and acted accordingly, delivering a bunch of new and pretty revealing outfits, alongside a "Thank you" note scribbled on a summer beach ball in game.
ShiftUp, so far, has done everything right. And has been rewarded for it.
Western game developers would do well to take a page from their book and re-learn a thing or two. Unless, of course, they want to continue losing money, customers and shutting down.
I'm working on my second playthrough and want to get that platinum trophy. This game is genuinely one of the most fun and engaging games I've played in years. Here's hoping to a sequel
I loved this game waaaaay more than I expected to
The soundtrack is amazing as well, which also helps with getting immersed in the game.
Man the Belial fight with the hard core rock them blaring on in the background as the boss relentlessly attacks and jumps around all while you’re doing the same, fuckin epic
And there was me thinking I had become hopeless at platforming after stumbling to death four times in a row. But for some strange reason those imperfections endeared the game to me even more.
It's my current GotY frontrunner. Had a lot of fun playing through it and into NG+ and am excited for the eventual PC port where I'll do it again.
I loved it. That chest opening animation was unnecessary but so greatly appreciated 😂
My only 2 gripes with the game:
1. Wish Eve was a bit quieter during combat, hearing her yell all the time got a bit annoying.
2. Having to press a button to finish off a boss was dumb in my opinion.
Thank you for being one of the reviewers that actually acknowledged the extra stuff from the docs etc. I’ve seen so many just blatantly ignore and don’t even do everything. Then just say story trash. Can’t really say you read a whole book and say trash if you just read beginning chapter middle chapter then ending chapter. Then say yeah the books story was shit not very well written. As an example. Like be respectable and responsible since your profession is recommending or not. I look at reviews actually more critically. I agree with most of your review. Also if this came out after Veilguard this story would be miles better by comparison lol.
Positively jiggling in excitement 😅😅
Honestly I love this game. And I love the religious Revelation kind of like storytelling in it there's like a really secret like Christian undertone and it's not just the fact that Adam's name is Adam and Eve's name is Eve it's a little deeper than that in fact I would say that the whole entire story is an allegory for Revelations
More games like this please. That's all.
So a video game in the truest, most literal sense with a strong emphasis on "game"
Honestly we need more video games like this. We love our big Oscar bait narratives, reinvented wheels and tutorials the size of a Californian list of grievances but once in a while something that puts its entire focus on the gameplay loop and doesn't demand much anywhere else is just the thing to unwind after a long day.
TBH, this game would have not been successful as it is now if it weren't for those critics. They made the free advertisement for this game inadvertently instead of how most game flops, by ignoring it completely. For once, woke critics did something good by accident.
absolutely phenomenal game and definitely has one of the greatest OST of the past decade
GOTY alone for giving us a beautiful woman!
Did a similar review and gameplay analysis on my channel and most of your observations were spot on.
One little thing I realised after reading on people's comment and replaying the game was that Eve was agreeable and super polite for a purpose. In the world of Stellar Blade, Eve has the emotional development of a child who's forced into a new and constantly changing environment, therefore it's not unusual for her to try and navigate these new challenges the only way she knows how.
Namely, we polite to people not trying to kill her and eviscerate anyone who's against her.
Great video though, and it's a solid game anyone who hasn't played it, should definitely give it a go.
I remember something from the 90's about people losing their sh*t over Night Trap for Sega CD because it was basically an 80's college girl slumber party in nighties
It was more about the fact it was real video and you could "realistically" drain their blood with giant hooks, even though you weren't playing as the vampires and were supposed to stop them. Good old Jack Thompson.
This game quickly became one of my favorite games of all time. With games like Stellar Blade and The First Descendant doing incredibly well games like Flintlock and Concord doing abysmally bad I think the message is clear.
DMC/Sekiro fans are constantly on the lookout for action games like this. This is an amazing first game in the series.
This is nothing like sekiro
@@yogsothoth-tz2bu It's absolutely like Sekiro.
The craziest thing about the story is that it's all there throughout the game... in lore. And when I say in lore, it's on items that most of the players would never think to check (ever read the Beta and Body Core lore you pick up off Airborne Squad members found in your bag? Probably not). It's a crazy gamble by a developer to make players piece the story together by diligently reading the items they acquire because it's pretty obvious most people aren't going to spend an hour going out of their way to read in an audio/visual medium.
straight woman here and I took a perverse amount of satisfaction from fighting monsters in the skimpiest outfits possible. Great game and quite difficult too! there were some mechanics and missions I didn't care for, but overall 8//10 for me!
Same a solid 8/10 for me too. A brilliant IP to build on. Savage combat.
Tbf I wouldn't expect more from a studio that has made 2 mobile games before Stellar Blade, I enjoyed the game thoroughly.
it's simple guys, vote with your wallet. The more woke games don't make money the more they will suffer the consequences.
Fair points and criticisms, Drinker. I absolutely loved this game. I think I plunked around 50 hours into it, as a whole. The music was probably one of my favorite parts aside from the gameplay. It reminded me of the ethereal JRPG music from the early to mid 2000’s. I hope they release the full soundtrack, soon. I also hope it comes to PC because I got rid of my PS5 right after I finished this and bought a Steam Deck.
The music is a standout for me and reminiscent of nier automata's soundtrack
@@system_eneve I never played Nier Automata.
@@LanceCorporal_Waffles you will love it I think
I would die for Eve.
I seriously hope this is a bad joke.
I've been playing it recently. I haven't finished it yet, but so far, I'm absolutely in love with it. It's kind of a mish-mash of a bunch of other games that I love, but it's implemented in a way where it's not blatantly ripping anything else off, and I feel like it's visual style is distinct enough that it feels pretty fresh.
This game is meant to be played in Korean audio. It’s become my top 10 favorite games of all time. The Korean audio is so much better than the English.
I would disagree considering there is nothing hotter than British accents.
It most definitely does match with ALL so called 'triple A' games. The flaws are minimal. Its definitely worth getting, compared to most of the games released this year that aren't remakes etc.
Studying the game, it's as if what was written on the first storyboard was 'Peerless Beauty saves the world'. Then figure out how she does it. No agenda or politics to divert from the vision. Mirrored with Raven where hatred and jealousy twisted her. Such a sinister antagonist.
From a design perspective, Eve has a very real presence in game. She reaches out to touch objects, kick boxes with impulsive force, gracefully adjust direction when swimming and at times trip slightly over unstable ground. Even her fighting animation is a sight to behold: she uses weight, leverage and momentum in ways that are entirely believable. In part to the dynamic sound design as well as how the skill cues line up with the hit boxes clashing.
The effort to put all that together is astounding. Even if it doesn't win GOTY, Stellar Blade is very simply fun, pretty and engaging. Everything a game should strive for.
And to top it all off, my favourite thing, despite being quite miniscule, is how she smashes buttons to open doors and whatnot.
Average character: press the red button
Eve: SMASH THE SHIT OUTTA THE RED BUTTON.
That scene where she is being pulled out of her pod is... it's like iconic. Well, I don't know if it will be, but it almost feels like an act of rebellion. Good review. It is a good game, as well. My main issue is that is taking so much from Nier Automata, that it's hard not to notice. The combat style differs quite a bit, though, so that's a big difference.
9/10 for me.
I still ain't had a chance to play yet, but after I wade through my sea of games, I'll get around to it. Also, I gotta say, I think you branching to talking about games as well on your second channel, was a good move! The amount of reviewers these days that, well, they suck ass and appear terrified to say the wrong thing. I'm chuffed that we have plenty of unforgiving games out right now, because it feels like a ton have been dumbed down for accessibility.
Keep up the good work!
0:58 I don't understand why Suicide Squad's wonder women was there. The game was bad but she looks fine. Far from ugly. She looks better then the one from the Injustice games.
her nose is big. its jewish. thats a woke race.
Giving the customer what they want-fun, escapism, and value-seems simple, yet it’s a principle that many Western studios have lost sight of. Asian developers understand this intuitively, crafting games that connect with players on an emotional and experiential level. If Western studios want to remain competitive, they need to refocus on the gamer, rather than external pressures or trends.
I’m gonna be honest, this game was fun, but nothing groundbreaking. Standard issue Sony hack and slash. All of its hype came from the controversy around the appearance of the character. 7/10 for me.
Good games of this scale are rare so that makes it a must have
It's like a diet NiER Automata from what i hear
@@ArynBacklogDragon that and a dash of Bayonetta
Republic commando is better
@@Nousos I agree. And it’s not a bad game I couldn’t put it down. But it’s no where near the hype it was getting
I platinumed this game and enjoyed almost every minute of it.
I love how the people who took issue with the character design in this game claim to be “feminists,” yet they really seem to hate the female body/anatomy.
They hate any female that's prettier than them, which is not a huge barrier.
That's a childish approach. A good body is a good body, and as long as men play Video games they leave real women alone. That's my feminist opinion.
My game of the year so far, because I had fun playing it