S-Games recently unveiled a brand-new gameplay trailer for Phantom Blade Zero, their upcoming action role-playing game. From what we’ve seen so far, it appears to draw inspiration from SEKIRO: Shadows Die Twice and Nioh, with a touch of Black Myth: Wukong added into the mix.
However, it’s not a Souls-like game — a significant departure given that many titles following in Black Myth: Wukong's footsteps are rooted in FromSoftware’s Souls-like mechanics.
This means there are no respawning monsters after resting at a bonfire and no fixed difficulty levels. Instead, Phantom Blade Zero leans heavily on classic hack-and-slash gameplay reminiscent of Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden.
Gameplay that Caters to All Types of Players
The gameplay trailer showcased snippets of its combo-based combat. While the boss fights feature health bars akin to FromSoftware’s games. The title doesn’t aim to replicate their punishing difficulty, instead, Phantom Blade Zero offers varied difficulty options, catering to players who prefer a casual experience or those seeking a more challenging encounter with its bosses.
Like CAPCOM’s Devil May Cry series, weapon selection plays a pivotal role in gameplay. The trailer revealed the protagonist wielding a range of weapons, including what appears to be a Kris and a throwable katana capable of decapitating enemies.
There’s limited information about Phantom Blade Zero, though reports have highlighted its deviation from Souls-like mechanics, as we’ve mentioned. Additionally, the game takes full advantage of Unreal Engine 5, targeting a smooth 60 fps on the PlayStation 5, with potentially a higher performance on PC.
An upcoming multiplayer endgame mode is also planned, though details remain under wraps.
A Statement From the Chinese Video Games Industry
Phantom Blade Zero represents a bold venture into the Chinese gaming market to establish dominance in the AAA gaming space. This ambition is evident, with reports suggesting the game received additional funding following the success of Black Myth: Wukong, as noted by industry analyst Daniel Camilo in a recent tweet.
Chinese gaming companies are leveraging the momentum created by Game Science, ushering in a wave of action RPGs grounded in Chinese mythology.
Although Phantom Blade Zero still has a long way to go, S-Games has confirmed that they are targeting a release date later this year.