If you own a PS5 and enjoy character-action games like Bayonetta and Devil May Cry, Stellar Blade is an exclusive you should definitely try. Developed by Shift Up and published for PlayStation 5 by Sony Interactive Entertainment in April, Stellar Blade has maintained its $70 price since launch. If you’ve been waiting for a deal, that day is here. Best Buy is offering the physical edition of Stellar Blade for only $50 today only (October 29). It’s one of two notable discounts on 2024 exclusives for PlayStation 5, with the other being Rise of the Ronin for $40 (was $70)–the best price yet for that fun action-RPG, too.
With a MetaScore of 81–including GameSpot’s 8/10 review–Stellar Blade stylishly captures what makes well-made character-action games so fun. It’s a fairly lengthy one, too, as the average playthrough clocks in around 20 hours. Its combat system remains interesting throughout the whole adventure, which features some stunning backdrops.
“Stellar Blade’s influences come from the last two generations of character action games and it wields them proudly, channeling not just ideas but themes, designs, and even stylistic flourishes from games like Bayonetta and Nier Automata,” critic Imran Khan wrote.
Rise of Ronin is also a 20-plus hour adventure, but this action game leans more into the role-playing genre with its systems. It earned a 7/10 in GameSpot’s Rise of the Ronin review.
With a fast-paced combat system benefitted by a nice variety of abilities and weapons and an engaging story filled with interesting characters, Rise of the Ronin is a solid choice for action-RPG enthusiasts–as long as you’re willing to put some time into it without giving up. It doesn’t have a strong opening, and the combat system has a rather steep learning curve. And like many open-world games, there’s a fair amount of repetition in both the environments and mission structures. But a 7/10 is the type of game that really benefits from a nice discount, as it’s less of a gamble when it costs $40 instead of $70.
