Summary
It is no secret that the creators ofStellar Bladeare devoted fans ofNier: Automata, so much so that the former is almost a love letter to the latter. They both follow a female protagonist tackling the question of what it means to be human, all the while facing massive enemies with nothing but a sword.
Since they are so similar, you might wonder how they compare. While Nier: Automata is regarded as a cult classic, Stellar Blade has plenty of charms to offer, so which game is better?
8Originality - Nier: Automata
Stellar Blade Is Based On It, After All
While dystopian futures with nothing but robots remaining isn’t something new to fiction, Nier: Automata has its own way of telling the story that sets it apart even from games in its own series. The original Nier has a more traditional dystopian future, filled with people barely surviving and with much fewer robots with skirts.
Stellar Blade, on the other hand, does little to expand on this idea, feeling at times like a spiritual successor, rather than an entirely original idea. This lack of elements to set itself apart is what makes Nier: Automata far more original than Stellar Blade.
7Visuals - Stellar Blade
You Can Tell These Games Are 7 Years Apart
Nier: Automata has a lot of style and design choices that make it stand out even today, both in the story and the visuals. Yet we can’t deny that technology has moved on since then, and Stellar Blade shows us what current consoles can portray on our screens.
Even if you consider the story in Stellar Blade to not be as memorable as in Nier: Automata, you can’t deny that Stellar Blade just looks better. It’s filled with color, big action scenes and set pieces to entertain through sheer spectacle.
6Story - Nier: Automata
There Really Wasn’t Any Competition
This is less of a win for Nier as much as it is a loss for Stellar Blade, since EVE’s story seems to be overly complicated for no good reason. While players can end up confused after both Nier and Stellar Blade, Nier offers many endings to keep exploring the story, while Stellar Blade just leaves you dazed and confused.
The main problem a lot of people have is that they didn’t understand whatthe main antagonist was trying to do. There are a lot of little things like this all throughout Stellar Blade, leaving many feeling like they missed soemthing.
5Combat - Stellar Blade
This Is Where Stellar Blade Shines
Nier: Automata, like many games made by Yoko Taro, can get a little bit experimental at times. Balance wasn’t always at the forefront when the game was designed, and when compared to other games (like the original Nier), it is actually one of the most mainstream titles of the author.
While that experimenting is part of what makes Nier: Automata deeply engaging, Stellar Blade is, quite simply put, a lot of fun. The combat is designed in a tighter way, giving room for dodges, parries and, in general, a more responsive and engaging system, meaning many do side quests simply for the fun of it.
4World Building - Nier: Automata
It Just Has More Games To Work From
The thing about Nier: Automata’s world is that, if you start digging, you’re going to see a lot of references to previous games that you’re able to then play and explore. That involves the original Nier, but also includes the entire Drakengard franchise.
For context, the world of Nier is a direct result of the ending E of the original Drakengard.
Stellar Blade might one day have a world as deep as Nier’s, but it has a lot of catching up to do, and it won’t happen in a single game. We still have alot of unanswered questions, like what’s the deal with Mother Sphere, and what will happen with the Naytibas?
3Bosses - Stellar Blade
The Naytibas Are Great Enemies
A combat-focused video game needs to have great bosses, and Nier: Automata has a lot of them. Yet not all of them are hits, and when you compare that aspect with Stellar Blade, the latter’s fights end up becoming more memorable simply by being excellent action-packed moments.
It’s not just the gameplay, but also the enemy design and the cutscenes surrounding each confrontation. In those areas, Stellar Blade feels closer to titles like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta, where after a monster has an intro of being big and terrifying, you finish it off in the most stylish way possible.
2Characters - Nier: Automata
They Make It Memorable
Both Automata’s 2B and Stellar Blade’s EVE are women dressed in provocative clothing that do acrobatic fighting in high heels. Yet, for some reason, 2B’s journey feels like a more complete package than that of EVE’s, and it isn’t just due to a better told story.
The thing is, many of the characters in Stellar Blade, fromthe stoic EVE to the comical D1G-g2r, lack detail and complexity. In comparison, 2B, 9S and everyone else in Nier: Automata feel like actual people, with excellent performances and moments where you get to learn their hopes and fears.
1Winner - Nier: Automata
The Classic Remains On Top
While Nier: Automata being better than Stellar Blade isn’t a huge surprise, it is a statement of how well it holds up. It has a deep and involved story that is very well worth experiencing again, and nowadays, you can even see it in anime form.
This isn’t to say that Stellar Blade is a bad game, it is in fact a lot of fun. The best part about both games is that they hit differently; one has the deeper story while the other has the deeper combat. In the end, Stellar Blade is being held back by a story that references Nier a bit too much, and we hope that future games in the series will be able to have their own identity.
