An action role-playing game (RPG) with fast-paced combat, dark art style, with a heavy focus on Chinese martial arts, and made by a Chinese developer? Sound familiar? Well, there’s no monkey business in Phantom Blade Zero, the upcoming action role-playing game by Chinese developer S-GAME.
During Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2024, Geek Culture had the chance to try out the first demo of the upcoming game, and we were blown away by its fluid animations, responsive controls, and lightning-fast action.
Phantom Blade Zero marks S-GAME’s first foray into the 3D action game genre. Founded in 2011, their previous works largely consist of mobile games never released outside of China, with their most prominent titles being 2018’s Mad Crown, a 2D turn-based deckbuilding roguelike RPG for the PC, and 2023’s Phantom Blade: Executioners, a free-to-play live-service side scroller for mobile and consoles, set in the same world as its upcoming title.
Consisting of a tutorial and four boss fights, the demo wastes no time thrusting players into the thick of the action, providing ample time to showcase the game’s slick combat system. Veterans of the genre would immediately feel right at home with the game’s controls, with block, parry and dodge functions that by now should certainly feel like the standard affair.
What sets Phantom Blade Zero apart from its peers is undoubtedly its animations. Blocking attacks are the standout here, with Soul, the game’s main protagonist (who was also a playable character in Phantom Blade: Executioners), deflecting blows with his blade in a way that feels natural and satisfying. Combat is fast-paced and combo-focused, as Soul leaps from foe to foe akin to Batman in the Arkham series.
Set in a fictitious “Kungfupunk” world blending Chinese martial arts, intricate machines reminiscent of steampunk, and arts of the occult, Phantom Blade Zero blends action-RPG elements with fast-paced third-person combat inspired by Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden.
Soul’s light and heavy attacks can be strung together to perform powerful Sha-Chi (杀气, literally meaning killing energy) combos, which drains a certain amount of his yellow Sha-Chi bar (the game’s equivalent of a stamina bar). Melee weapons also possess unique moves known as Power Surges, which deal massive damage but are only recharged by deflecting or dodging attacks and performing combos.
During boss fights (and it seems there will be many), combat intensifies and shifts gears to require a more reactive play style. Here, there’s a larger emphasis on patience and waiting for openings to counter-attack, evoking the all-too-familiar feeling of the various souls-like titles players have been bombarded with over the past few years.
It is worth noting that Phantom Blade Zero is not the usual hardcore souls-like, instead leaning more into the action RPG space, with studio head Soulframe Liang describing the title as a “more accessible game for most players”, providing multiple difficulty options to suit gamers of all skill levels.
Blocking attacks is also much more accessible, requiring only holding down the L1 button (on the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller) to block most attacks automatically. Players will need to manage their Sha-Chi bar, which decreases with every attack deflected, as well as looking out for brutal moves and killer moves, which can only be parried and dodged respectively.
To face off against the numerous monstrosities that await him, Soul is equipped with two melee weapons and two Phantom Edges, special weapons that seem to favour dealing damage from afar. During the demo, players were given the choice of a hard-hitting but slow Tiger cannon and a more nimble bow. These weapons possess a limited quantity of ammunition, requiring players to manage their resources and save them for the right opportunity.
Blade-wise, the demo showcased three different varieties: a balanced short sword, dual blades, and a heavy long blade. Weapons felt vastly different from one another, dual blades, for example, supporting a more aggressive play style with its swift consecutive blows, while the long blade was slower but further reaching, encouraging more deliberate exchanging of blows.
Outside of combat, the game reportedly features a semi-open world, consisting of multiple large maps that provide opportunities for exploration via side missions, collectibles, and challenges. The title apparently will feature endgame content as well, including multiplayer dungeons, boss rushes, and even a rogue-like game mode, but the focused nature of the demo meant these claims are left unconfirmed at this time.
Graphically, the game is a stunner for sure. Environment details are astonishing – patches of vegetation littered on the ground react realistically to the player’s movements, trees and banners subtly sway in the wind, and raindrops drip off the edge of Soul’s Kasa (Japanese traditional straw hat). Particle effects are equally impressive, with every blade deflection producing a satisfying amount of sparks that, while flashy, doesn’t end up being too overwhelming.
With so much happening on the screen at any given time, it’s amazing that the game manages to hold a rock-solid frame rate on the PlayStation 5. During the entirety of the demo, not once did the game’s performance seem to drop, even during the most effects-heavy scenes. The demo was clearly very well optimised, and is a good sign of times to come.
The Phantom Blade Zero demo was definitely one of the highlights of TGS 2024, giving players a taste of its slick combat and challenging boss encounters, while at the same time providing a more accessible experience compared to its genre brethren. Only time will tell if the full release can live up to the standards set by the demo’s more curated nature, but at least for now, the game is shaping up to be a must-try for anyone interested in 3D action titles.
Phantom Blade Zero has yet to receive a release date, with developers only confirming a Fall 2026 release window.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Si Jia
