Stela

The cinematic beauty of Stela can't be understated and I wholeheartedly hope that Skybox Labs expands on Stela because this beautiful and challenging world is one I need more of.

Much like its unnamed protagonist, Stela carries the torch of cinematic platformers and delivers a unique and compelling experience. If you’re a fan of the genre, or just want to look at a beautiful game for a couple of hours, then this is a must-play. I found myself saying, “I’ll stop at the next area,” over and over again, while subsequently not being able to due to the amazing visuals and intriguing evolution of the game.

Overall, Stela is a beautifully well-made game, with the score and the background creating a wonderfully immersive atmosphere. Its mysterious setup creates curiosity that would have been lost with a comprehensive storyline, allowing for an unique sensation despite its fairly common game style. While the puzzles aren't overly tough, keeping yourself levelheaded enough in real life to keep going was more than enough challenge for me, making Stela as interesting and fun as it is beautiful and immersive.

A platformer that sets a sombre tone and elicits an emotional response, that missed a few story opportunities that really could have set it apart from the pack.

Stela is good but unspectacular. It grabs your attention from the outset and packs a lot of tense and testing scenarios into its short running time. But there’s nothing overly compelling about it; nothing that elevates it from being just an inoffensive way to waste a couple of hours. It’s enjoyable, sure, but its short length and lack of wow factor makes it hard to recommended at full price. Still, if you really loved Limbo and know what Planet Alpha is, you might want to give Stela a go.

Stela will be a familiar experience for those who’ve played Limbo and Inside. That doesn’t mean it lacks its own merits, though it does try to imitate those Playdead classics a bit too much.

Souls-likes and cinematic platformers have been two genre spin-offs that have yet to be topped by any team outside of those who started those trends. The former are still largely owned by FromSoftware while Playdead still reigns supreme over the latter. But that doesn’t mean others can’t try their hand, which is exactly what SkyBox Labs has done with STELA, an atmospheric platformer with obvious inspirations. Even with its remarkable minimalist visual style and occasional awe-striking segments, it falls well short of the high genre expectations.

Stela is a cinematic platformer, much like Limbo and Inside, and it’s not afraid to wear its inspirations on its sleeves. But does it live up to these sources of inspiration? Let’s delve into the world of SkyBox Labs’ Stela and find out.

It’s clear from the start that 2016’s Inside is a major influence on Stela, the latest game to come from SkyBox Labs. You’re constantly moving in one direction, it relies a ton on environmental storytelling, and there’s plenty to think about after the credits have rolled. But just because Stela is good at copying what made Inside so great doesn’t mean it is great. For what it’s worth, Stela is worth your time but outside of a couple of cool moments and set pieces, it falls incredibly short of being the next must-play puzzle-platformer. In the end, all I wanted to do was boot up Inside again.

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.

When it all clicks together, Stela makes for some beautiful platformer moments. When it doesn't, it's frustrating and obtuse.