Summary
Sony seems to be on a roll once again in 2024 with hits likeFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthand the recently releasedStellar Bladeearning high praise from critics and fans alike. WhileFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas a massive legacy behind it, the success ofStellar Bladeis a major achievement for developer Shift Up as the game is their first home console release. Despite being very different games,Final Fantasy 7 RebirthandStellar Bladeshare one level design choice in common, which sparked controversy for the former at launch but has failed to do so for the latter.
AlthoughStellar Blade’s launch has been largely well-received, the game has also seen its share of controversy among a subsection of players. SomeStellar Bladeplayers are unhappy about the alleged censorshipof the game introduced in a day-one update and have created a petition for developer Shift Up to roll back the changes made in this update. However,Stellar Bladealso contains yellow paint used to denote climbable paths, which was controversial inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthbut doesn’t seem to be as divisive inStellar Blade, showing just how much of a non-issue this design choice actually is.
Stellar Blade Features the Controversial Yellow Paint Path Markers
A common design trend in modern gaming is “signposting,” or using obvious markers to make it clear to players where they are supposed to be going in the game. Recent games have utilized yellow paint on climbable ledges to show that they are interactable, but despite being utilized in numerous titles, some players have taken issue with this design practice.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthwas the recent target of controversysurrounding the use of yellow paint signposting, with players criticizing the use of these marked ledges as immersion-breaking and distracting from the otherwise cohesive world of the game.
Stellar Bladefollows in the footsteps ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthwith its use of yellow paint for signposting but arguably utilizes this practice even more so. WhileFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthprimarily utilized yellow paint to signal a small number of climbable ledges to players,Stellar Blade’s greater emphasis on platforming means it contains more marked ledges, as well as markings on other interactable objects like poles thatStellar Blade’s protagonist EVEcan swing from. DespiteStellar Blade’s heavy use of yellow paint for signposting, the game has received far less criticism for this design choice thanFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthdid, showing how this practice can enhance a game’s level design.
Why Marked Paths are Necessary in Stellar Blade
The primary reason developers use signposting in games likeStellar BladeandFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis to provide players with guidance on where to go amid a visually cluttered world. When anopen-world game likeFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthuses this yellow paint to mark a climbable path, it’s because the yellow stands out against the rest of the environment and helps distinguish it as a point of interest. Without this signposting, players might end up frustrated that they can’t find the path forward when overwhelmed with directions to choose from, or might miss out on an optional treasure because there was no obvious clue that one was nearby.
Stellar Bladeuses yellow paint signposting for a similar reason, given that its world is full of crumbling buildings and ruined city streets, which often makes it difficult to isolate an interactable path from a background element. Rather than letting players spend time trying to interact with every ledge or rock,Stellar Bladeuses these yellow paint-marked paths as a way of respecting the player’s time. While this practice might be unpopular with some players, it ends up benefiting the game and is a necessary part ofStellar Blade’s level design.
