Developed by Indonesian studio Extra Life Entertainment, StellaGale: The Trials of Faith launched into Early Access on Steam at the tail end of last year. While the studio is hard at work preparing for their full launch in 2025, we had the opportunity to jump into Early Access and get a taste of what the final game has to offer.
Set in a steampunk Roman Empire, the game follows young mechanic Stella and her spirit-brother Gale, who must win in a brutal Colosseum tournament to uncover the mystery of their long-lost father. While the Early Access is limited to about one hour’s worth of content, we did get to play through the entire Prologue, which introduces our gutsy main characters and their grand mission.
The story is well-paced and intriguing from the start, paired with beautiful hand-drawn cutscenes that drew me (pun intended) into the narrative. The developers did the most with the time that they were given; dialogue is snappy, tutorials cut straight to the point, and story beats are delivered with an almost cinematic flair, interspliced between moments of high-energy action.
Speaking of action, StellaGale at its core is a hack and slash side-scroller with each Arena serving as a level for you to conquer. The Prologue Arena is where you learn the ropes, from your basic skills to how to launch an ultimate. Combat is straightforward but fun, with Gale subtly guiding you along as your personal tutorial ghost. The only glaring problem I faced was the stun locking, which I felt was a little too punishing at this stage.
What’s interesting are the bits of interactive environment, such as levers you can pull to drop things on enemies, or barrels you can throw to deal damage. There’s also an element of fan service which feels oddly reminiscent of The Hunger Games. As you make your way through the Arena, fans will throw you various bonuses including money, healing potions, and even cheering you on to deal bonus damage with your ultimate. You can even take a breather to sign autographs — it’s all very adorable.
Eventually the Prologue comes to an end, and you get free reign to explore the “overworld” where Stella will spend a good chunk of her time. This is where you train your abilities, upgrade your skill tree, buy healing items, and more. There isn’t much to see here yet, although you can dip into certain stores and see what future upgrades will become available in the final version of the game.
Another cool addition to the Early Access is the ability to try early versions of upcoming boss fights. These boss fights are still in a rough state, not coloured in with animation notes scribbled on the sides, but I found it to be an endearing peek behind the curtain. For those who want to provide feedback on these early-stage boss fights, definitely give this a try and share your feedback with the developers.
All in all, StellaGale: The Trials of Faith does run on the short side for an Early Access title, but it succeeds in making me excited for what’s to come. If you’d like to support Extra Life Entertainment in their journey leading up to launch, consider getting the game in Early Access or dropping them a wishlist. Until then, we’ll see you in the Arena!
A review key was provided by Extra Life Entertainment.
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