Stellar Blade features a semi-open world, here’s what that means

Stellar Blade is the first console game by South Korean developer SHIFT UP, but it's already getting a lot of attention - and according to the game’s official page, it will feature a semi-open world.

Thanks to the demo that was released on March 29, it’s possible to do a little exploring of the opening area of the game, but that small glimpse may have left you wondering about the size of the game and where it’s set.

What is a semi-open world?

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Semi-open worlds feature large areas to explore but they aren't necessarily free-flowing or directly connected to one another.

Some good examples of semi-open worlds in games would be the Dark Souls trilogy or the God of War reboot. These games can still vary in scale and size, with God of War (2018) having huge open sections to explore.

The key thing is that you can’t just go anywhere you can see as you can in games like Red Dead Redemption 2 or the recently released Dragon’s Dogma 2 - so there are still some restrictions on where you can go, despite an emphasis on exploration.

Stellar Blade setting explained

Stellar Blade is set in a not-too-distant future where humanity has abandoned Earth and taken refuge in space. Now, EVE has become stranded on Earth after a mission goes awry and is left to explore the wastelands with those who were left behind.

There's also a main city to explore called Xion. This is where the survivors have moved to and where EVE will spend downtime when not on missions. From what I can tell from the website, this is also where you will be able to interact with NPCs and pick up side quests too.

So far, three locations have been confirmed for the game including the Wastelands, Xion, and the Great Desert. It remains to be seen how long the game is and just how big these areas are, but this page will be updated after release with more information about the world and its size.

For more guides, check out our Stellar Blade homepage where we’ve covered the game's release date as well as the different editions and pre-order bonuses you can get.