So three things, here: story-telling interludes, side-scrolling scuffles and stylus mini-games. The story's told with still hand-drawn images and lumps of text. There's some touching on heavy subjects like the origin of religion and the existence of afterlife, but the text-only storytelling is confusing and convoluted.
But without detriment, you can easily evade the story and hurtle into the side-scroll, which is glorified punchy/kicky with an OK twist. You've given a single 3-hit combo to thump abundant packs of standard-looking baddies, and you'd probably spear the stylus into your eye if you didn't also have a meager set of alchemic attacks you can charge and release screen-filling rapture with. There's also some mild platforming. You'll conjure what looks like tombstones to help you cross fire pits, block attacks and, uhhh... cross fire pits.
Stellar Blade director jokes the action RPG "is the outcome of my creative dictatorship," but "everyone pretends to listen to what I say whilst creating what they want"
I wish Stellar Blade's New Game+ was added before my first playthrough, because it sounds like a whole new action RPG with 34 new outfits and a bigger skill tree
