Stellar Blade is an action-adventure role playing game (RPG). Players assume the role of Eve, a super soldier battling an invading alien force on a post-apocalyptic Earth. Sounds interesting, right? But is this PlayStation 5 game appropriate for children? Read on for details about the Stellar Blade age rating and whether this title is right for kids.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating for Stellar Blade is TV-MA. This category is used for content which is suitable for mature audiences aged 17 and older.
Common Sense Media, an independent nonprofit that provides ratings for media in order to help inform parents, agrees with the 17+ rating. They cite bloody action and an overtly sexualized hero to support their decision.
Profanity in Stellar Blade is mild and infrequent, limited to the occasional use of hell and sh*t. So, don’t expect 100% squeaky clean language, but it’s also probably nothing your child hasn’t heard at school already.
While there is no sex and nudity in Stellar Blade, some of the outfits and camera work are heavily suggestive. Female characters primarily wear skin-tight bodysuits, including the main character, Eve.
While some of Eve’s outfits are otherwise modest and feel almost practical in a cyberpunk kind of way, others are just slips of fabric barely covering her body. Almost all of Eve’s clothing seems intended to sexualize her (with the notable and amusing exception of a full bear suit), and this is highlighted when the camera draws attention to her curves.
For parents deciding if Stellar Blade is appropriate for their child, the level of violence is a deciding factor. At its heart, Stellar Blade is a fighting game. Eve uses a variety of weapons, including realistic gunfire, to engage in brutal combat against her enemies, who scream in pain and spray large volumes of blood as they’re being attacked. The deaths are often very violent, including being cut in half and decapitated.
The enemies are all monsters, but some are vaguely human in resemblance. And there is violence against human characters as well, including one cutscene where a woman is torn apart and impaled. Even more notable is the offscreen violence. As Eve investigates the post-apocalyptic world, she comes across a huge number of human bodies having suffered cruel deaths.
The violence in Stellar Blade is stylized and over-the-top, so it may feel too removed from reality to scare some kids, but others — especially younger children — could easily be frightened by the game.
There is no alcohol or substance use in Stellar Blade.
Stellar Blade is an action-adventure RPG game for PlayStation 5. The game is targeted toward adults, which is clear in the rampant violence and sexualized female characters. We recommend taking the Stellar Blade rating of 17+ seriously before handing it off to your child.
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