Stellar Blade’s core combat and many of its gameplay mechanics share a lot in common with the Souls games. I’m here to explore that question and give you a solid answer in case you’re put off by the Soulslike label.

The Soulslike subgenre has been taking over the gaming world for the past decade, and Stellar Blade is the latest subject to be put under its microscope. Stellar Blade has a lot to love from the get-go, but if Soulslike games make you uncomfortable and the genre terrifies you, our breakdown will help.

No, Stellar Blade is not a Souls game or a Soulslike. Instead, I would compare the offensive style and platforming to an old-school action-adventure hack 'n' slash title, rather than a Souls game or Soulslike.

Things aren’t so clear-cut, however, as the line between Soulslike and action games is blurrier than ever before. Initially, Soulslike meant losing a lot of progress upon death, having to retrieve your Souls or XP from your corpse, limited healing items that could be refilled at checkpoints, and challenging, methodical melee combat.