Since the start of the summer, Phantom Blade Zero has been ramping up its marketing campaign, and it has to be said, it isn’t doing things by halves! Chinese studio S-Game had in fact set an appointment with a State of Play that ended up airing in the middle of the night, French time. A focus of nearly 20 minutes devoted entirely to its gameplay, enough to confirm S-Game’s ambitions for an action game shaping up as one of the next big Chinese productions. To make an impression, S-Game brought in Donnie Yen to do the introductions, having officially confirmed him as one of the creative consultants on the combat animations. Beyond his status as creative consultant, he also took part in the game directly, since he plays Mó Yuán, the father of the hero Soul.
“Kungfupunk” at the heart of the adventure
But let’s take things in order. Because in Phantom Blade Zero, you play Soul, a feared warrior wrongly accused of murdering his master. Betrayed by his own, he ends up being killed in a duel against his brother in arms. His body is nonetheless saved by the mysterious Flesh Sculptor, who grants him a 66-day reprieve. Soul will therefore have to use that time to take his revenge, while looking for a way to extend his existence. The adventure takes place in the Phantom World, a universe where traditional martial arts meet mechanical and fantastical elements. S-Game and Donnie Yen in fact use the term “kungfupunk” to define its identity.
The city of Pangzhen will serve as a gathering point, while Soul will be able to travel through various regions of the Wulin. The game will not be an open world, but will offer a map made up of several interconnected zones, with side paths, treasure and hidden bosses. Some stretches can even be crossed by boat.
30 main weapons and 25 secondary weapons
But it is obviously the combat system that remains at the centre of Phantom Blade Zero. Soul will be able to use 30 main weapons and 25 secondary weapons, with some weapons having completely unique effects and movesets. One can, for example, summon several monks to pin down an opponent, while another lets you adopt a drunken warrior stance, notably improving your dodging ability. The game will also encourage you to switch weapons regularly depending on the enemies you meet. Certain forms of armour will require a specific weapon to be destroyed. Equipment can then be upgraded in order to unlock new abilities.
Four difficulty modes
S-Game was also keen to point out that Phantom Blade Zero is not a Souls-like. The game will offer four difficulty levels: Wayfarer (an easy mode meant to favour story and exploration), Pathbreaker (normal mode), Hellwalker (a higher difficulty featuring mechanics inspired by fighting games, with more unpredictable bosses) and finally 66 Days, the ultimate mode, in which every death advances a countdown towards Game Over. That last one will be locked at the start and will require finishing the game on Pathbreaker or Hellwalker to be unlocked.In any case, we’ll be able to try it with our own hands on 29 October on PS5 and PC.
