Large companies rarely have only one project underway. This is also true in the videogame industry. When you reach a certain size, it is normal to have at least two projects running in parallel in order to better utilize resources and ensure that even if one doesn’t turn out as expected, the other one will. That’s why it shouldn’t surprise us to know that a company that is about to release a game already has another one in the works.
SHIFT UP, the company behind Stellar Blade and Goddess of Victory: NIKKE and a subsidiary of Sony, has started hiring new employees for a new project. Describing it as an urban science fiction action RPG, they claim that it will be developed in Unreal Engine and released on PC, consoles, and mobile devices. Among the positions they are looking for are programmers, artists, and designers, indicating that the project is still in an early stage of development.
This catches attention because there is less than a month left for them to release a new game, Stellar Blade. An action game that combines elements from Nier Automata and Sekiro, along with a spectacular visual technical section. A game demo that allows us to try a small section of the beginning of the game, as well as a much more advanced final boss in time, is available for free on the PS Store. On the other hand, the full game will be released on March 29th.
In addition, the game is generating quite a controversy. The sexualization of its main character, Eve, is leading to numerous criticisms, but also heated defenses, both from the press and social media. At the same time, the backlash against the criticisms of the demo, and especially the comments about its lack of personality and certain input lag issues, have added another layer to the debate. Making it one of the most talked about games at the moment.
Although this is nothing new for SHIFT UP. It is exactly the same as what happens with Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, a game with sexualized female characters and certain mechanical issues, which is the fifth most popular game in Japan, although it has barely managed to penetrate the Western market. Something that remains to be seen if Stellar Blade will be able to change, anticipating what will happen with this new project, still without a date or name.
