An RPG with fast-paced combat, a dark art style, a heavy focus on Chinese martial arts, and made by a Chinese developer? Sound familiar? Well, there's no monkey business in Phantom Blade Zeroan upcoming role-playing game by the Chinese developer S game.
During Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2024, Geek Culture had the opportunity to experience the first demo of the upcoming game, and we were blown away by the fluid animation, responsive controls, and super-fast action.
Phantom Blade Zero It represents S-GAME's first foray into the 3D action game genre. Founded in 2011, its previous work consists largely of mobile games that were not released outside of China, with its most notable titles being the 2018 games Crazy crowna 2D deck-based roguelike RPG for PC, set in 2023 Phantom Blade: The Executionersa free-to-play, live-service side-scrolling game for mobile and consoles, set in the same universe as its upcoming title.
Consisting of a tutorial and four boss fights, the demo wastes no time throwing players into the thick of the action, providing enough time to showcase the game's impressive combat system. Veterans of the genre will instantly feel at home with the game's controls, with blocking, parrying and dodging functions that should now feel like standard command.
What sets Phantom Blade Zero Setting it apart from its peers is undoubtedly its animation. Blocking attacks are the standout feature here, with Soul, the game's main protagonist (who was also a playable character in… Phantom Blade: The Executioners), deflecting blows with a blade in a way that feels natural and satisfying. Combat is fast-paced and combo-focused, with Soul jumping from enemy to enemy similar to Batman in Arkham series.
The film is set in a fantasy world of “Kungfupunk” that mixes Chinese martial arts with complex machinery reminiscent of Steampunk and the occult arts. Phantom Blade Zero Mixes RPG elements with fast-paced third-person combat inspired by… devil may cry and Ninja Gaiden.
Soul's light and heavy attacks can be combined to perform powerful Sha-Chi combos (杀气, literally meaning energy kill), which drain a certain amount of his yellow Sha-Chi bar (the in-game equivalent of his stamina bar). Melee weapons also have unique moves known as Power Surges, which deal massive damage but only recharge by blocking or dodging attacks and performing combos.
During boss battles (and it looks like there will be many), the combat intensifies and shifts gears to require a more interactive gameplay. Here, there's a greater emphasis on patience and waiting for opportunities to counterattack, evoking the all-too-familiar feel of the various Souls-like titles players have been exposed to over the past few years.
It is worth noting that Phantom Blade Zero It's not like the usual hardcore Souls, and instead leans more into the RPG and action space, with studio head Soulframe Liang describing the title as an “accessible game for most players”, offering multiple difficulty options to suit players of all skill levels.
Blocking attacks is also easier, as it only requires holding down the L1 button (found on the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller) to automatically block most attacks. Players will need to manage their Sha-Chi bar, which decreases with each blocked attack, as well as look out for brutal moves and killer moves, which can only be blocked and dodged respectively.
To face the many monsters that await him, Soul is equipped with two melee weapons and two Phantom Edges, special weapons that seem to prefer dealing damage from afar. During the demo, players were given the option of the powerful but slow Tiger Cannon and a smarter bow. These weapons have a limited amount of ammunition, requiring players to manage and conserve their resources to get the right shot.
In terms of blade, the demo showed off three different types: a balanced short sword, dual blades, and a heavy long blade. The weapons looked very different from each other, the double blades, for example, supported a more aggressive play style with their fast successive strikes, while the long blade was slower but reached farther, encouraging a more deliberate exchange of blows.
Aside from combat, the game is said to feature a semi-open world, consisting of multiple large maps that provide opportunities for exploration via side quests, collectibles, and challenges. The title will apparently feature end-game content as well, including multiplayer dungeons, boss rushes and even a rogue-like game mode, but the focused nature of the demo means those claims are left unconfirmed at this time.
Graphically, the game is definitely stunning. The details of the environment are stunning – patches of vegetation scattered on the ground react realistically to the player's movements, trees and signs subtly sway in the wind, and raindrops drip from the brim of Soul's Kasa (traditional Japanese straw hat). The particle effects are equally impressive, with each deflection of the blade producing a satisfying amount of sparks, which, while bright, never end up being too overwhelming.
With so much happening on screen at any given time, it's surprising that the game manages to maintain a very strong frame rate on PlayStation 5. During the entire demo, the game's performance didn't seem to drop once, even during the more effects-heavy scenes. The demo is clearly very well optimized, which is a good sign of the times to come.
the Phantom Blade Zero The demo was certainly one of the highlights of TGS 2024, giving players a glimpse into its slick combat and challenging boss encounters, while at the same time providing a more accessible experience than its genre brethren. Only time will tell if the full release can live up to the standards set by the more structured nature of the demo, but at least for now, the game is shaping up to be a must-play experience for anyone interested in 3D action titles.
Phantom Blade Zero It has yet to receive a release date, with only the developers confirming it Fall 2026 release window.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race player with a penchant for perks like “Fail”. Darksiders III and Dead space 3. He made it his lifelong mission to play every major release of gaming – lest his wallet die trying.
