Look, let’s be real. If you’re here, you’ve probably seen EVE’s flashy combos and the stunning vistas of Xion and thought, "I can definitely platinum this." And honestly? You can. But Stellar Blade is a bit of a sneaky one. It’s not a "difficult" platinum in the sense of a Sekiro or a Souls game, but it’s a logistical nightmare if you aren't paying attention to Lily’s affinity meter.
The game is a 4/10 on the difficulty scale, mostly because you can play the whole thing on Story Mode if you want. No judgment here. But you’re looking at roughly 50 to 60 hours of game time because of how the endings are structured. You can’t just save-scum your way to a one-and-done completion without some serious planning.
The Three Ending Headache
This is where most people mess up. There are three endings: Return to the Colony, Cost of Lost Memories, and Making New Memories.
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To get the platinum, you need all three. The problem? Two of them are tied to Lily’s affinity bar—that little icon that pops up in the top right whenever you pick up a document or a memory stick.
- Making New Memories (The "Secret" Ending): You need Lily’s bar at 100% before you go to the Orbit Elevator. This unlocks a mandatory detour to Eidos 9. At the very end, you must take Adam’s hand.
- Cost of Lost Memories (The "Bad" Ending): This is the opposite. You need Lily’s bar below 100%. If you’ve been a completionist, you’ve already locked yourself out of this for your current run. You take Adam's hand here, too.
- Return to the Colony: This is the simple one. Just refuse Adam’s hand at the end. It doesn't matter what Lily thinks of you.
Basically, you’re looking at a minimum of two playthroughs. Most hunters do a "completionist" run first to get Lily to 100% and grab all the collectibles, then a "speedrun" on New Game Plus where they ignore every side quest and document to keep Lily’s bar low.
The Points of No Return
If you miss these, you’re starting over. Period.
The first major cutoff is after you finish Abyss Levoire. Once you talk to Adam to head to the next major beat, the city of Xion becomes a ghost town. You can't turn in most side quests, and you can't grab the Xion-specific collectibles. If you’re sitting at 48/49 cans and that last one is in a shop in Xion you didn't visit? Tough luck.
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The second cutoff is after Spire 4. This is the big one. Once you go past this, the world is closed. You are on a linear path to the finish line.
Collectibles: Quality Over Quantity (Mostly)
The good news is that Shift Up was actually pretty generous with the requirements. You don't need every single thing in the game for the platinum, just a lot of them.
- Nano Suits: You need 30. There are something like 70+ in the game (and more in NG+). Just explore, and you’ll hit this naturally.
- Cans: You need all 49. This is the big "collectathon" trophy. Some are hidden in the Great Desert behind physics puzzles that are, quite frankly, a bit annoying. The Black Pearl suit is your reward for this, and it's worth the hassle.
- Fish: Catch 20 different types. Don't stress this until you reach the Oasis in the Great Desert and talk to Clyde. Buy the fishing data from him; it makes the mini-game way less of a chore.
- Camps: You need all 89. This is the "Meticulous Explorer" trophy. Here is the kicker: 6 camps are exclusive to Eidos 9. If you don't hit 100% affinity with Lily, you can't go to Eidos 9, and you can't get the trophy. This is why the "completionist" run must be the one where you max Lily out.
The Naytiba Researcher Trap
The Naytiba Researcher trophy is the most common reason people miss the platinum. There are 67 entries. Most come from just playing, but the last few are tied to the endings.
Specifically, the Elder Naytiba entry only unlocks if you choose the "Return to the Colony" ending (refuse Adam's hand). If you only ever take his hand, you will forever be stuck at 66/67.
Your Action Plan for the Platinum
Don't overcomplicate it. Follow this sequence to save your sanity:
Playthrough 1: The "Do Everything" Run
- Do every side quest.
- Find all 49 cans.
- Max out Lily's affinity (100%).
- Go to Eidos 9 when prompted.
- Activate every camp you see.
- Crucial: Before the final fight at the Nest, upload your save to the PS+ Cloud (and turn off auto-sync).
- Ending A: Take Adam's hand. You get "Making New Memories."
- Ending B: Download your cloud save, go back, and refuse Adam's hand. You get "Return to the Colony" and the final Naytiba entry.
Playthrough 2: The NG+ Speedrun
- Ignore all documents, memory sticks, and side quests.
- Blast through the story. It should only take you about 6–8 hours since you’re overpowered.
- Ending C: Take Adam's hand. Since Lily’s bar is low, you’ll get "Cost of Lost Memories."
One final tip: the Body Cores and Beta Cores carry over to New Game Plus, but their locations reset. If you didn't max out your HP or Beta energy in the first run, you can just pick up the easy ones at the start of Eidos 7 in your second run to finish the job.
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Keep your eyes on the cans, watch Lily's meter like a hawk, and don't forget to pet the dog in Xion while you still can. You'll have that platinum trophy in no time.
Actionable Insights for Your Hunt:
- Check Lily’s Meter: It only appears briefly when you pick up a collectible. If you’re at the end of the Great Desert and it hasn't hit 100%, go back and hunt for "Memorysticks" (the bodies).
- The "Load Game" Trick: If you beat the final boss without dying and the credits roll, you can sometimes hit "Continue" from the main menu to be placed right before the final choice. This saves a Cloud Save step, but the Cloud Save is safer.
- NG+ Outfits: If you pick up a suit you already own in NG+, you get a recolored version. These don't count toward the "30 suits" trophy if you already had the original, but they look great.