Stela |OT| A Cinematic Platformer Named Desire

[Dancrane212]

Platform(s): Windows PC, Xbox One, Apple Arcade
Release Date:

Apple Arcade: August 13th, 2019​

Xbox One: October 17th, 2019​

PC: Q1 2020​

Genre: Cinematic Platformer
Price: $19.99 USD/€19.99
Player(s): 1
Format: Digital
Developer/Publisher: Skybox Labs
Size: ~3GB

What is Stela?
Stela is a Cinematic Platformer where you take control of a young woman as she searches her dying civilization for something to change its fate.

What is a Cinematic Platformer?
I'm a fan of Ichtyander's description of the genre:

Cinematic platformers are action adventure platformers with a strong emphasis on realism, cinematic presentation, detailed character animations, trial and error gameplay and a minimalistic approach to storytelling.

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How long is the game?
It can vary but 2-3 hours seems to be the average.

Is the game enhanced on Xbox One X?
Yes, the game apparently renders at a 4k resolution on the X.

HDR support?
No.

Xbox One | PC (TBA) | Apple Arcade |
Opencritic

Polygon: Unscored

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. As Stela ended, I found myself asking another question: What was the point of it all?

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Destructoid: 6.5/10

Stela clearly wants to be as unnerving and fascinating as its contemporaries but the end product is merely an empty imitation. There is no element of surprise or wonder here, nothing to make players consider the game at a deeper level. Instead, it acts as a good reminder of the far superior titles that came before it.

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Xbox Tavern: 5/5

So as you can guess by now, I'm a big fan of Stela. I'll have to admit that it may not be everyone's cup of team, but if you have previously loved games like Inside and FAR: Lone Sails then it is going to right up your street. 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. It's what this wonderful medium of gaming should strive towards, and for me it's very nearly the perfect experience.

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Official Site
Apple Arcade

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[Dancrane212]

Article touching on the development of the game:

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2019/10/18/cinematic-platformer-stela-xbox-one/

 

[litebrite]

Damn, no interest? I hope it comes to Game Pass soon.

 

[sredgrin]

Damn, no interest? I hope it comes to Game Pass soon.

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Game seems to have relatively middling to poor reviews, the only console it is on is Xbox One, where it basically needs Game Pass like you said, and it's not on PC or Switch for several months which is where these games do well these days.

It's like they picked their release methods via dartboard.

 

[theaface]

Completed this earlier on iOS. It's as most reviews say - merely just OK and will remind you of similar, better games like Inside and Limbo. It's a fine little distraction for the low cost of an Apple Arcade sub, but absolutely not worth $20 on its own.

 

[Dancrane212]

Releasing on Switch and PC next month:

Stela coming to Switch, PC on March 13

Stela, which first launched for Xbox One in October 2019 and followed shortly after by Apple Arcade, is coming to Switch via the Nintendo eShop and PC via Steam on March 13 for $19.99, developer Sk…

www.gematsu.com

 

[Mórríoghain]

Playing it on PC. This feels like baby's first Limbo. There is zero story drip or world-building so far. I have no idea what I am doing.

Edit: Finished it. What a mess this was.

 

[litebrite]

Finally bought on sale. Can't wait to experience it this weekend.

 

[nihilence]

Currently 5.99 on Xbox. Any new impressions?