PS5 exclusive Stellar Blade has dropped its first update since launch, and it serves up a hearty helping of new features, quality-of-life improvements, and fan service. The biggest addition is the new Boss Challenge mode, which developer Shift Up describes thusly…
“The Boss Challenge pits you against the 19 bosses from the base game. Hone your skills, outwit your enemies… and then brutalize them. Progression in the Boss Challenge requires battle data from bosses you’ve previously defeated. You can also fight bosses on Hard difficulty setting after you’ve seen the ending of the game.
You can either load up and use your own gear you’ve been using or choose one of several presets. Choose the minimum preset for a true challenge, which is extremely understated, or the maximum preset, which has all of your skills and stats buffed up, if you want to taunt the boss with some spectacular combat. After the challenge is over, your battle data is automatically analyzed. You’ll see metrics like battle time, number of perfect parries and dodges, consumable usage, and more. Test your skills and compare with your friends.”
Those who complete the boss rush, unlock the new Neurolink Suit. Another couple “Kunoichi” Nano Suits have also been added to the game. You can check those out below (the Neurolink Suit is the one with the red pants).
Oh, and one more thing – when Stellar Blade launched, some players noticed that, gasp, minor changes had been made to some outfits following the game’s Day 1 patch. Suddenly, those who had been championing Stellar Blade as a return to games as they ought to be were raging about “censorship.” The game’s director stated these changes were just artistic tweaks, not censorship, which seems perfectly believable given the game shipped with a “Skin Suit” that literally makes the main character Eve look nude. Shift Up clearly isn’t afraid of a little titillation. But regardless, this update also quietly adds another couple outfits that are essentially the original versions of the altered outfits (in fact, they seem to be even a bit more revealing). So, enjoy! But also, maybe leave Shift Up alone now?
Meanwhile, here are some other things included in the update 1.003:
- Fixed bugs such as unplayable sections, events not triggering, and trophies not being awarded.
- Added an auto-lock-on option when exiting ranged mode.
- Added option to always show the compass in HUD.
- Slightly increased the time limit for puzzles.
- Many other improvements have been made to the controls, balance, and more.
Stellar Blade can be played on PS5. Update 1.003 should be available to download now.
