>>713259431
You got it right. While there are some genuine complaints about it and it's not as good as the best in the business, a lot of negative posts you've seen about it have been shitposting. Enough have liked it (even Journalist reviews often begrudgingly praise the combat) that it's hard to call it "bad".
It is mostly coming from people who have not tried the game, who are passing judgment, based upon what is essentially opposition research, that's circulated among particular groups of people. But even within those groups there have been people who have spoken positively about the gameplay and the combat system. They just don't get much attention because some people have taken an ideological stance against the game.
So, there are a lot of people who go along with the shared negative opinions about the game because it doesn't benefit them not to. And because it was a Playstation exclusive and now a premium-priced PC game, so a lot of people are unable to play it and have just watched videos or streams of the gameplay.
Outside of the most hardcore players with the highest standards, Stellar Blade's combat system has found general praise for what it pulls off. It's combat system is not winning any awards anytime soon, but given the fatigue over soulslikes, the lack of sequels from franchises like DMC/Sekiro/MGR/NieR, and duds like Bayonetta 3/FF16, it's been a welcome addition. But more competition is on the way.
Wuchange Fallen Feathers, Lost Souls Aside, Ninja Gaiden 4, Nioh 3, Phantom Blade Zero, Tides of Annihilation, Beast of Reincarnation are all releasing soon or targeting release by 2026. And after Black Myth Wukong, expect a flood of ambitious AAA Chinese games over the next 2-5 years.
