Proper Death Expression

Ever used 10-Second Death Fade-Out Delay? If so, you would know that after you die, Eve simply has a blank look on her face while her body lies dead on the ground. Given that the Game Over screen was meant to appear near-instantaneously, it makes sense that the devs simply didn't bother programming in any facial expressions. What a shame, huh?

Well, with the power of modding, that changes as of today! I swapped out the facial animation file used when Eve dies with a custom one that I created myself. Now, you can finally admire the many deaths of Eve without putting up with that creepy stare! This was made for a fade-out time of ten seconds, but it'll work fine with shorter times too.

Installation:

Use a Mod Manager of your choice, or just drag the files into your ~mods folder. There shouldn't be any compatibility problems with other mods as this only modifies one seldom touched file, no need for anything fancy like UE4SS.

If the game crashes on startup after installing this mod, try running this utility here: Mod Pak Chunk ID Patcher - exe

UPDATE 1. 3:

Created a proper fix for grappling, explosive, and falling deaths. Placed the file under the main section.

UPDATE 1. 2:

Added a different expression, "Variant B", to the files. Longer version included as well.

UPDATE 1. 1:

Added two optional files: one for longer expression time and another to fix an issue with grapple deaths.

Additional Notes:

The exact file I replaced is SB/Content/Art/Character/PC/CH_P_EVE_01/Animation/Facial/EVE_Facial_ActionVoice_DIE1. It's quite easy to replace this facial animation file with your own, provided that you are familiar with the modding workflow. The only thing to keep in mind is that the animation you provide needs to last the full ten seconds, otherwise it will revert back to that dreaded blank stare before the Game Over screen appears. The animation length I had was around 300 frames at Blender's default 24 fps.

If you're new to replacing 3d models/animations in Stellar Blade, this is a good place to get started: https://github.com/Stellar-Blade-Modding-Team/Stellar-Blade-Modding-Guide/wiki

Also thanks to this helpful video here, by the creator of ATOOL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNWUq8wZ4Co