Summary

• New Game Plus is a day one patch addition to Stellar Blade, releasing ahead of schedule.
• New Game Plus carries over equipment, skills, currency, and upgrades for a more robust gameplay experience.
• Game progress is overwritten when starting over thanks to the lack of multiple save slots.

New Game Plus is an exciting addition to Stellar Blade, and the mode makes it possible to carry a lot of key elements over to a second playthrough. Stellar Blade developer Shift Up established quite a while before launch that a New Game Plus mode wouldn't be available at launch, but the situation has shifted in a last-minute development twist. A patch released a couple of days before launch added the much-requested feature, getting it in ahead of schedule and just in time for players to get their hands on a more robust version of the game.

Although New Game Plus modes weren't always a particularly common standard, they've become a frequently expected feature in major AAA adventures in recent years. The basic idea is that players can carry over various elements of progression gained across the course of the game to a second run through the story, making for a different experience and offering an extra reward for the care put into a playthrough. New Game Plus isn't always available, and the mode has been locked behind paywalls in some contentious cases, such as Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth's New Game Plus, so it's always nice to see one on offer.

Stellar Blade's New Game Plus Carries A Lot Over

Equipment, Skills, & More Transfer To New Game Plus

As showcased in a tweet from perfect parry more easily, making it possible to go into a New Game Plus round with a truly impressive arsenal of improvements to Eve's capacities. The full list of New Game Plus carryovers essentially covers all key aspects of character progression found in Stellar Blade:

• Equipment
• Currency
• Items and Records
• Character Enhancements
• Drone Upgrades
• Acquires Skills
• Owned SP

New Game Plus Resets Stellar Blade Game Progress

Stellar Blade Doesn't Have Multiple Save Slots

The one thing that ends up being sacrificed in Stellar Blade's New Game Plus is basic game progress, which resets upon starting the new mode. Stellar Blade doesn't make use of distinct save files, so there's no way to keep a nice marker of prior completion around like in some other games with New Game Plus. As there isn't any standard post-game in Stellar Blade, nothing of real value is lost by overwriting an already completed save with a New Game Plus continuation, but it's worth keeping this in mind to avoid an unpleasant surprise.

Anyone purchasing a physical copy of Stellar Blade will need to ensure that their console is connected to the internet to the update for New Game Plus, as the patch is releasing too late to be included on the disc. Getting an actual feature addition in a day one patch is an unusual but welcome surprise, and the game seems to be polished and generally bug-free even ahead of the patch. Whether it's worth the New Game Plus mode will come down to individual enjoyment of the title, but it's safe to say that the additional Stellar Blade mode will be seeing plenty of use overall.

Source: Fightincowboy/X (formerly Twitter)