Stellar Blade players will have access to New Game Plus mode on the day of release.
The review embargo on Stellar Blade has been lifted, and we're seeing plenty of positive reviews. The good news doesn't end there for players who have pre-ordered the game and are excited to play it. Players can access Stellar Blade's New Game Plus mode on launch day. Sony PlayStation has officially confirmed this across its social channels. And it's not just your run-of-the-mill NG+ mode where you just start over with all your character levels and gear retained. You get more goodies and gameplay features, as you'd expect from a PlayStation 5 exclusive.
When does Stellar Blade get New Game Plus mode?
Stellar Blade's New Game Plus mode will be available to players on the game's release date of April 26. The only catch is players who want to play New Game Plus will have to download the Day 1 patch. Thankfully, this patch isn't a huge update. In addition to NG+, this update also replaces an unintentionally controversial graffiti found in the game by reviewers.
Can you access New Game Plus without downloading the patch?
Unfortunately, this isn't possible. New Game Plus is only accessible to players who download the update. There is a small audience who'll want to play the game with its original files and without installing any patches. But most players will download the update anyway. Day 1 patches have become a part and parcel of the AAA gaming experience. However, it's worth noting that it's very rare for a developer to release New Game Plus alongside the game and make it available at launch.
What's special about the New Game Plus mode?
New Game Plus in Stellar Blade unlocks access to a few extra gameplay features and cosmetics for players. This includes new costumes for the protagonist Eve and her supporting characters Adam and Lily.
- Eve's New Game Plus costume is Crew Style
- Lily's New Game Plus costume is Day Off
- Adam's New Game Plus costume is Nighthawk
In addition to these costumes, players can level up further thanks to a raised level cap for Eve's gear.
- Weapon: Level 15 > Level 40
- Body: Level 6 > Level 9
- Beta: Level 6 > Level 9
- Tumbler: Level 5 > Level 13
- Players can sell any extra cores at SP0-tt2r’s shop to acquire Vitcoin and purchase more outfits
New Game Plus unlocks additional combat skills for Eve. These are called infinite skills and they work as enhancements to existing beta skills, which are Eve's most powerful attacks and can be activated when the beta skill meter is full.
- Infinite Slash is a new beta skill that deals AOE damage to foes in a single slash
- Infinite Pierce is an enhancement for the Quadruplet beta skill, which deals heavy damage to a single foe
- Infinite Breaker is another beta skill that is capable of shredding opponent shields, making it effective against armored/shielded opponents
In addition to the beta skills, players can also enhance the burst skills with the skill points they earn through NG+.
Finally, New Game Plus mode enhances Eve's gear and exospine, which gives players the ability to customize their gameplay approach uniquely based on preference.
Needless to say enemies in NG+ also level up in Stellar Blade per Eve's newfound abilities and power, so difficulty scales with player strength.
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