Unfortunately, there are a few things that keep Stela from being a great game. Stela (Switch eShop) Review. A side-scrolling cinematic puzzle-platformer, Stela has a more specific story to tell but it’s about a passage as well. Find reviews, trailers, release dates, news, screenshots, walkthroughs, and more for Stela here on GameSpot. 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Each solution usually requires a combination of platforming, timing my movement, and pushing and pulling objects in the world to get something done. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Stela is a cinematic, atmospheric platformer about a young woman witnessing the final days of a mysterious ancient world. Stela’s dark and tonally scattered world can be graphically inconsistent at times but it manages to be consistently beautiful throughout. He has also enjoyed many PlayStation exclusives, such as The Last of Us and Horizon: Zero Dawn. Summary: Overcome daunting challenges, treacherous terrain, and gargantuan beasts while traversing a decaying land. Behold, Kirby as Sephiroth in Smash Bros. Cyberpunk 2077’s digital store removal: your questions, answered, Immortals Fenyx Rising guide: Kalliope’s Distress Vault of Tartaros walkthrough and puzzle solutions, Destiny 2 Trials of Osiris rewards, Dec. 18-22. Stela is a nice break from the hectic shooters and other competitive style games. Still, Stela will likely leave more of a positive impression than negative. Allure is all well and good, but Stela is a game that doesn’t have much to tell players plot-wise. There’s a moment when the protagonist has to jump from a ledge to evade a monster, but stumbles and doesn’t get back up. The simplistic look to the different areas is effective. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. He also contributes to ScreenRant. Likewise, the player being in an enclosed place as creatures try to break in was excellent, and again, would make for a great set piece. Stela won't go down as the next Limbo, but its dramatic presentation is effective. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here. And if SkyBox can apply the same sort of atmospheric touches to Infinite as they’ve shown they can produce with Stela, it’s going to be an extremely rich world to play in. The forest, the snow area, and everything else all look like great movie set pieces. Overcome daunting challenges… Stela won't go down as the next Limbo, but its dramatic presentation is effective. He resides in Old Bridge, New Jersey, and graduated from Thomas Edison State University with a B.A. Compared to Inside and Little Nightmares, the puzzles in Stela are relatively simple. While Stela doesn't need cutscenes or dialogue, many will probably feel unsatisfied with the ending. One can tell the world is ending due to the desolate cornfields. It does the trick. Stela Review - Noisy Pixel The game was provided by the publisher for review purposes. What happens, and why, is never really explained, and the imagery isn’t enough to carry the game on its own. It's a shame that at this present time, there is no way to enjoy the music outside of playing through the game. Stela, Like I said, maybe it’s just me and having played so many of these sorts of games before, but on the other hand, the game does cost 20 bucks (albeit it’s 16 bucks with a sale right now), and that’s arguably way too much money for only 2 hours of gameplay. One-night game. One recent platformer in a similar vein to these games is Stela. As for the platforming, Stela won't win any awards, but it's effective enough. The jumping can feel floaty in comparison to something like Super Mario World, but it's nothing too bad. Limbo left players pondering the true meaning, as did Inside. It’s not that easy to engage a player deeply in a game without any dialogue and narrator, but Stela has done it with a piece of heartful music that’s deeply stranded to the game’s stunning visuals. And having played Stela, I’m actually more enthusiastic about that game. Stela has genuine scares thanks to the forest with human-like creatures. She awakens in a cave-like area, and makes her way above-ground to a world that appears to have been sucked out of life. All … The PC version of the game was played for this review of Stela . Overcome daunting challenges, treacherous terrain, and gargantuan beasts while traversing a decaying land. Stela follows a young woman of the same name. This is our Stela review for Xbox One. Stela is not a long game. The game perfectly combines stealth and frenetic escape in one experience. Little Nightmares has no dialogue, but the story can be understood in terms of what's happening. As Stela ended, I found myself asking another question: What was the point of it all? Atmospheric platformers stand out. Stela is more like Gris, but Gris had emotional resonance in its end. What elevates Stela among so many incredible games of the modern design age is that it follows a “less is more” attitude around gameplay, but this is amplified by one of the best scores I’ve heard in a videogame before, and a cinematic approach to key moments, reveals, set-pieces and deeper environmental storytelling, that fills in the many blanks you’ll have as you press right on your controller, … One thing to note is that a couple of times it can be easy to overlook where to climb or what to grab due to how the game is presented. 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Early on in Stela, I escape from a swarm of rustling beetles in a dilapidated building by breathlessly pushing a box to plug a hole in a wall, blocking their path. A Nintendo Switch copy of Stela was purchased by TheGamer for this review. Stela - Review. Stela will have to be careful as she makes her way across this desolate world. Overcome daunting challenges, treacherous terrain, and gargantuan beasts while traversing a decaying land. Click the button below to start this article in quick view. Stela lives up to its description as a "cinematic, atmospheric platformer." Then it scares me while I try to solve a puzzle. Platforming is effective, and the puzzles are decent. There's a nice weight to your character, especially the realistic feeling of weight in her ju… Notable puzzles, a unique atmosphere, and the overall presentation makes games like these stand out among the many other titles released in a given year. You can move right or left, jump, and drag things around. You'll use this small skill set in a variety of situations, helping Stela to survive plenty of encounters with monsters, environmental hazards, and bottomless pits. It’s what this wonderful medium of … Review: Stela Posted on October 16, 2019 October 15, 2019 by Michelle Kruse There is something to be said about a game without dialogue, narration, or text of any kind. SkyBox Labs has done a great job with the environment and music. Sometimes I need to figure out a way to avert the gaze of a monster, other times I might need to find a way to survive hazards like a rolling stone covered in spikes. The game is also rather short considering its price tag. Stela Review — The Bottom Line. One of the most exciting aspects is the desperate run-for-your-life, whether it be against a swarm of insect-like creatures, or something far bigger. Read reviews and ratings of Stela from our experts, and see what our community says, too! Stela follows an unnamed protagonist, a tall woman clothed in white, as she explores a world in ruins. in Communications. - 4.5/5 Stars, Touch Arcade "I love this game man" - Jesse Cox Stela is a cinematic, atmospheric platformer about a young woman witnessing the final days of a mysterious ancient world. Stela’s puzzles take on multiple forms. Curiosity — not an explicitly articulated quest — drives me to explore as I seek to learn and see more of this world. Sadly we never really understand how its human protagonist has managed to survive for so long in a self-consuming world, but maybe that’s for the best because it would likely seem ridiculous. Her motivations and goals are unclear. Stela is a dark, collapsing world. Finally, the cinematic presentation of Stela is shown, or rather heard, in its soundtrack. Stela is a puzzle adventure video game developed by the Canadian developer SkyBox Labs.It was released on 17 October 2019 for iOS and Xbox One and for … The game was reviewed using a final “retail” Xbox One download code provided by SkyBox Labs. This review is based on a copy of the game provided by the developer. Even when I do everything right, I know my next death is lurking around the corner. All the storytelling in Stela comes in the form of context clues given to me by the scenery and larger world. Each of the game’s zones has its own color palette and striking aesthetic. Stela follows an unnamed protagonist, a tall woman clothed in white, as she explores a world in ruins. However, those hoping for the challenging puzzles of Limbo will be disappointed. “Stela is one of the more enjoyable gaming experiences I’ve had in a long time.” 4.5/5 Stars, Touch Arcade Stela is a cinematic, atmospheric platformer about a young woman witnessing the final days of a mysterious ancient world. ... Stela is ultimately an empty title that brings to mind the better games that inspired it: Journey, Limbo/Inside, and shades of Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey. It appears only monsters concerned with surviving and killing roam about. As a whole though, platforming is good. There were multiple times throughout my playthrough where the games graphic style left me in awe and in its later levels I was stunning by the scale that the game takes from its humble beginnings. My questions about the world and this character were never answered, and I didn’t feel like I learned much of anything during the journey. Overcome daunting challenges, treacherous terrain, and gargantuan beasts while traversing a decaying land. Stela was developed and published by SkyBox Labs. Her motivations and goals are unclear. The aesthetic variety is the game's greatest feat, and the singular way Stela rises above the games from which it so clearly takes its cues. If you’d like to see more of Stela, check out the developer’s official site. Stela Review for PC Stela is an atmospheric platformer about a young woman’s journey through a dying world. She pants after running for more than a few seconds, and often looks tired. There are no other controls you discover later, no abilities added along the way. Stela is light on storytelling, but this (mostly) works in the game's favor because the minimalist backdrops are interesting to look at. They can quickly kill her (without blood or gore), but she doesn't fight back. His favorite video game company is Nintendo, and once you get him talking about Mario or Smash Bros., he won't stop. Stela's ending is too vague to be effective and doesn't live up to everything that came before. Visually, the game shines. One can definitely get through it in under three hours. Our hero is human, but capable. Stela is traversing a world on the brink of its end. The only other entertainment he enjoys more than gaming is watching a Godzilla movie. The blaring horn players hear near the beginning, and other parts of the music, have a dramatic flair to them. – Jesse Cox Stela is a cinematic, atmospheric platformer about a young woman witnessing the final days of a mysterious ancient world. Stela isn't perfect. Check out more reviews from IND13 ! Parents need to know that Stela is a puzzle and exploration game for Apple Arcade with a strong female protagonist who never gives up. At a glance, Stela is a spectacular 2D puzzle-platformer with pretty aesthetics, slick design, tense sections encouraging quick reflexes and an apocalyptic perspective on society. The game is a 2D side-scrolling adventure, much like Limbo, and was created by SkyBox Labs, co-developers of Halo Infinite. The game was provided to us for review on X1. The puzzles are decent enough, but can lack satisfaction for those  looking to feel rewarded. One can tell the world is ending due to the desolate cornfields. Manipulate the environment to solve elaborate puzzles and creep past dangerous creatures under cover of muted landscapes, all set to an original soundtrack in this cinematic, And even the game’s animations help sell its personality. Stela is now available on Nintendo Switch and PC. Stela Review | Jumping to safety Stela, for all of its missed worldbuilding opportunities, does at least get most of its platforming right, even if it fairly worn territory. It opts for impeccable sounds and visual design in order to convey emotion throughout the three-hour playtime. But if “witnessing the final days of a mysterious ancient world” sounds intriguing, don’t stop reading this review yet. At times, the puzzles are simply pushing an object to gain greater height. READ NEXT: Stardew Valley Developer Says There Are Still Secrets No One Has Found Yet. Then it makes me solve a puzzle. Originally released on Xbox One and iOS, Stela has made its way to Nintendo Switch and PC. Stela frequently comes under attack from a variety of creatures, including beetles, lizards, and shadowy humanoids with glowing eyes. It's a little too short to recommend for its $19.99 price. The puzzles are nothing too frustrating (but probably not complex enough), making playing through the game a brisk experience for those who prefer not spending too much time on puzzle-solving. The camera sometimes pans across a scene to create a beautiful composition between our hero and the background scenery. Stela is a cinematic, atmospheric platformer about a young woman witnessing the final days of a mysterious ancient world. Stela is one of those games that keeps me either yelping in fright or breaking out into nervous laughter. In the past, he's written for ComicBookMovie, Unleash the Fanboy, and 411 Mania. It's still an above-decent title, but would have benefited from at least another 30 minutes of content. The way the game progresses is also effective; the surprise moments catch players off guard. Stela is an epic poem of a game that plucks at the heart and makes you yearn for a world that you never knew existed. Its mysterious setup creates curiosity that would have been lost with a comprehensive storyline, allowing for an unique sensation despite its fairly common game style. Here at GBG we use a rating method that you … There is not a single dialogue box or spoken word in the entire game. Running across a bridge as giant tentacles crush it provide an adrenaline boost. You can emphasize style over substance in a game like this, but the style better be damn good, and Stela never quite gets there. The official story synopsis for the game tells that a young woman witnesses the end of her world. Only this time, you won’t exactly have a clue what it all was about when the game’s protagonist has reached her destination. The character is dropped into a dark place, and then makes her way to the surface. Other puzzles require using mechanisms. Stela is available now on Apple Arcade, and will be released Oct. 17 on Xbox One and in 2020 on PC. There’s a beige forest filled with tall and dangling Slenderman-style monsters chasing me, as well as a booby-trapped temple painted in deep blues. Overcome daunting challenges, treacherous terrain, and gargantuan beasts while traversing a decaying land. Stela is a beautifully well-made game, with the score and the background creating a wonderfully immersive atmosphere. This cinematic quality continues throughout the game in terms of unexpected, unsettling danger. + ... ενισχύουν την απλοϊκότητα που προαναφέραμε και καθιστούν το Stela ένα game που δε ζητάει πολλά από εσάς, αλλά ούτε και εσείς από αυτό. Of course, there are puzzles to be solved along the way. Games like Limbo, Gris, and Little Nightmares are memorable for their take on 2D gameplay. If Stela was a movie, it would have one captivating introduction. Stelaisn't that difficult to understand gameplay-wise. Here, Stela becomes a stealth title, where players have to maneuver past these beings without being seen. It really could use a few more cutscenes. The character is dropped into a dark place, and then makes her way to the surface. So many games with platforming elements or jumping puzzles feature characters that are always on their feet, but the hero in Stela frequently stumbles and falls. A lot of the time is spent running to the right and jumping over objects. All I know is that she woke from her slumber at the beginning of the game, and leaves a cave to face a crumbling world. The game knows how to surprise players with a simple breaking of the floor, forcing players to adapt to a new situation. Stela is light on storytelling, but this (mostly) works in the game's favor because the minimalist backdrops are interesting to look at. I have to tie together speed, planning, and execution to survive most of these situations, and each one leaves me a nervous wreck. Because Halo, of course, already has a story behind it. An interesting premise that never pays off. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. RELATED: Ori And The Will Of The Wisps Review: Even The Bugs Are Beautiful. 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