Stellar Blade Director Defends Eve Character Design From Western Media Pundits
If you’ve seen gameplay footage or played the demo for Stellar Blade, chances are you’ve noticed that Eve, which is the protagonist in the action game, doesn’t look like she’s fighting hordes of enemies, but rather, looks like she’s ready to pose for a swimsuit photoshoot or something.
This hasn’t escaped the eye of Western media outlets and gamers, as some have expressed displeasure at how developer Shift Up has seemingly sexualized Eve. This concern hasn’t gone by unnoticed by Shift Up, as studio CEO Kim Hyeong-tae has commented about it in a recent interview by Japanese site Ruliweb.
Below is Kim’s answer (as translated by Google).
Q: Relatedly, some Western media outlets expressed discomfort with the portrayal of female characters in ‘Stella Blade’. Are you aware of these issues?
Kim : I know that in the West, game characters must reflect realistic appearances in many ways and that numerous issues such as gender and racial diversity are intertwined. However, ‘Stellar Blade’ is only entertainment and a cultural product. I hope you’ll keep an eye on this as a fun action game has just been released.
Personally, I understand where Kim is coming from. Even if you don’t agree with his design decisions, it’s perfectly fine, but it’s also OK for the studio to design the character the way they want to, no?
In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t affect gameplay at all, and how it plays should be what’s important.
In other Stellar Blade news, Shift Up has revealed that New Game Plus and more costumes are part of the game’s post-release plans.
Stellar Blade launches this April 26 exclusively on the PS5.
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- Stellar Blade’s Game Length Expect to Be Around 25 Hours; 30-50 Hours for Full Completion
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