Stellar Blade isn't exactly shy about what it is. You play as a scantily-clad android (there's even a bunny one-piece) with some overt jiggle physics as you hack 'n slash your way through an assortment of fleshy monsters. Let's call a spade a spade: it's a gooner game. So, when the sequel was announced last night at Summer Game Fest, it's hardly surprising that people were a little weirded out that newcomer Evie looked like a 12-year-old.

"I fu**ing hate this character design so bad I genuinely thought that was a child at the beginning of the trailer," @ElitaStrife said.

"I'm so sorry but that new Stellar Blade protag has the face of a child," said @AbstractSavior.

I feel gross for just seeing this — u/masonisagreatname.

"I'm sorry but I find it super creepy that the character in the new Stellar Blade has childlike features in some screenshots," a similar post from @GaaryWlrd reads.

"I Genuinely Thought She Was 12"

While many find the new character design deeply unsettling, the usual names are defending the look as a win for 'attractive' female representation, completely dismissing concerns about Evie's juvenile and babyish features. It has even drawn comparisons to Faye in the recently revealed God of War: Laufey, which some gamers have termed "God of War: Laundry" (complete with blatantly sexist AI mock-ups) as they desperately try to convince us that Deborah Ann Woll, of all people, is ugly. In fact, if you read through these posts, you'll find several comments that try to deflect the Evie criticism by calling detractors "sick" for even pointing it out.

One look at X or gaming forums like Reddit, however, and you'll see countless posts from people who were disgusted by the reveal, even calling for Shift Up to overhaul the model to make her look more age-appropriate. Clearly, it's a problem. "It's very unsettling how child-like her face is," u/Weird-Cookie-2207 commented on a viral post joking about how the team re-used a literal baby from Resident Evil Village. "Disgusting and vile," u/SquidicusBobicus said. "I genuinely thought she was 12 at first glance," u/scott1swann replied.

Of course, there is the possibility that the face model might have softer and younger facial features, and that this isn't a deliberate attempt by the developers to sexualize a childlike design. However, her appearance does not exist in a vacuum. Within the broader gaming culture, there remains a deeply embedded normalization of lolicon tropes and an obsession with making female characters appear increasingly infantile. Consequently, even if the developers' creative intentions are benign, reinforcing this culture is inherently problematic, catering to those who conflate youthfulness with sexual appeal. And if you don't believe that there is a lolicon culture, lest we forget that the Pragmata subreddit was banned for sexualizing an actual child.

3.5/5 Stellar Blade Like Follow Followed Action RPG Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 81/100 Critics Rec: 81% Released April 26, 2024 ESRB M for Mature Developer(s) Shift Up Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment 5 Images Close
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