You’re out there in the red dust, squinting at the sun, and your drone pings. Another corpse. Another tiny blue glow. Honestly, the first few times you pick up a Stellar Blade Wasteland memory stick, it feels like just another checklist item for that Platinum trophy. But if you're just spamming the "collect" button and running to the next waypoint, you’re missing the actual soul of the game.
The Wasteland is huge. Like, "where did I park my Tetrapod" huge. There are 37 of these things scattered across the dunes, ruins, and scrap heaps. Some are just lying there in the open, while others are tucked away behind platforming puzzles that'll make you want to throw your controller into the Abyss Levoire.
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Why These Sticks Actually Matter
Basically, these memory sticks are the only way to understand what happened when the world ended. They aren’t just lore; they’re the final screams of a civilization. You've got everything from soldiers writing their last wills to some guy complaining about his boss ten minutes before a Naytiba ate him.
Most people think collecting them is just for the "Memory Collector" trophy or to boost Lily's progress bar. While that's true, some sticks are tied to specific side quests that unlock the best gear in the game. If you ignore the memory stick for Tommy’s Testament, you’re literally locking yourself out of finishing the "Life of the Scavengers" quest. No quest completion means no rewards, and no rewards means Eve is going into the late-game underpowered.
The Most Annoying Spots
Look, let’s be real. A few of these are a total pain to find.
- The Solar Tower Area: You'll find a bunch of Sentinels here. Specifically, Sentinel 78’s Consolation and Sentinel 82’s Report. They’re often on different vertical levels. If your drone isn't fully upgraded with the scanner range boost, you'll walk right past them.
- The Western Canyon: This place is a maze. You’re looking for Scavenger 160’s Advice and Scavenger 102’s Decision. They are usually tucked into small alcoves where the lighting makes the blue glow blend into the rocks.
- The "Urgent Information" Trio: This is a big one. You can't just find these by exploring. You have to accept the quest in Xion first. Once you do, you’ll find Lee’s Complaint, Young’s Screams, and Woo’s Record. They’re all clustered together on a group of corpses, but they won't trigger until the quest is active.
Tracking Down the Full 37
If you’re stuck at 36/37, don't panic. It's almost always Go’s Memory. You get this one inside Altess Levoire during the main mission, but it counts toward the Wasteland total. A lot of players finish that dungeon, head back to Xion, and realize they’re missing one.
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You’ve also got the "Looking for my Brother" quest. This is where you find Albert’s Memory and Aaron’s Memory. If you haven't talked to the NPC Su in Xion, those sticks might not even show up on your map properly.
The Mystery of Mary
There’s this weird thing the community noticed. If you read the text on Citizen 212’s Memory in the Wasteland, it mentions a woman named Mary. Then, you find another stick in the Great Desert, and another one in Spire 4, all talking about her. It’s a tragic, multi-region story told through these tiny data bits. Most players never connect the dots because the sticks are found dozens of hours apart.
Pro Tips for Efficient Hunting
Don't just wander aimlessly. That’s how you burn out.
First, upgrade your drone. Specifically, get the "Enhanced Scanner" and the "Bio-Map" upgrades. The Wasteland is vertical. A standard scan might miss a memory stick that is 20 feet above you on a rusted pipe.
Second, watch the colors. All Stellar Blade Wasteland memory sticks emit a specific blue pillar of light. If you see a yellow glow, that’s a crate or a document. If it’s red, it’s a trap or an explosive. Stick to the blue.
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Third, use the map markers. The game actually does a decent job of marking "dead bodies" once you’ve scanned an area. If you see a little corpse icon on your mini-map that you haven't looted, 90% of the time it’s holding a memory stick.
Common Misconceptions
A lot of guides say you can get all 37 on your first pass. You can't.
Some areas are gated by the "Double Jump" ability, which you don't get until you finish the Altess Levoire mission. If you’re trying to reach a memory stick on a high ledge in the scrap plains and you keep falling, just move on. You're supposed to come back later with better acrobatics.
Also, some sticks only appear during the "Recruit Passcode Specialist" questline. This involves the "Chapter of Trial" collectibles. If you’re wondering why a certain body won't let you interact with it, check your quest log. You might need to be on a specific stage of a mission for the memory data to be "readable."
What to Do Next
If you're serious about finishing the collection, start by checking your Data Bank. Sort by "Wasteland" and see which names are missing. If you see a gap between Citizen 439 and Citizen 224, you know you need to head back to the residential ruins near the Solar Tower.
Go talk to the NPCs in Xion. Specifically, check the Bulletin Board. Many of the hardest-to-find sticks are linked to "Missing Person" requests. Taking those jobs puts a waypoint directly on the corpse, which is basically a cheat code for finding the sticks without staring at a map for three hours.
Once you’ve cleared the Wasteland, don't forget to visit the Great Desert. The mechanics are the same, but the verticality is even worse. Grab the Double Jump first, or you’ll just be wasting your time.