Stellar Blade isn't exactly shy about what it is. You play as a scantily clad android (there's even a rabbit in one piece) with some obvious jiggle physics as you hack and slash your way through a selection of meaty monsters. Let's call a spade a spade: it's a gooner's 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 hate this character design so bad I really thought it was a kid at the beginning of the trailer,” said @ElitaStrife.
“I'm so sorry but the new Stellar Blade protag has the face of a child,” @AbstractSavior said.
I feel gross just seeing this — u/masonisagreatname.
“I'm sorry but I find it super creepy that the character in the new Stellar Blade has childish features in some screenshots,” read a similar post from @GaaryWlrd.
“I really thought she was 12”
While many find the new character design deeply troubling, this criticism represents only one side of a brewing online conflict. On social media, the backlash has been quickly weaponized, with the usual few names defending the look as a win for “attractive” female representation, even comparing her to Faye in the recently announced God of War: Laufey, who has taken on the incredibly sexist moniker “God of War: Laundry”, as a handful of vocal players who think that anyone who wants to think Ann is desperate. ugly – completely dismissing concerns about Evie's youthful and childish features. In fact, if you read through these posts, you'll find several comments trying to deflect criticism by calling detractors “sick” for even pointing it out.
One look at X or gaming forums like Reddit, though, and you'll see countless posts from people disgusted by the reveal, even calling for Shift Up to overhaul the model to make her look more age-appropriate. It is clear that it is a problem. “It's very disturbing how childlike her face is,” u/Weird-Cookie-2207 commented on a viral post joking about how the team reused a literal baby from Resident Evil Village. “Disgusting and disgusting,” said u/SquidicusBobicus. “I really thought she was 12 at first glance,” replied u/scott1swann.
Of course, there is the possibility that the facial model could have softer and younger facial features, and that this is not a deliberate attempt by the developers to sexualize a childish design. But her looks don't exist in a vacuum. Within the wider gaming culture, there is still 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 confuse youthfulness with sexual appeal. And if you don't believe there is a lolicon culture, then we're forgetting that the Pragmata subreddit was banned for sexualizing an actual child.
- Released
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April 26, 2024
- ESRB
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M too mature
- Developer
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Gear up
- Publisher
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
