Phantom Blade Zero is an upcoming Action RPG featuring deep and dark art style, fast paced combat, and a fictitious world blending Chinese martial arts and steampunk! Phantom Blade Zero is developed by S-GAME and its a spiritual rebirth of the Rainblood: Town of Death indie game that was released only in China.
Premise[]
Phantom World, the universe in which the game is set, is a place where many kinds of powers converge. Here you’ll find Chinese Kung Fu, intricate machines reminiscent of steampunk, arts of the occult, and other intriguing elements that don’t quite fit into any of these categories.
In Phantom Blade Zero, you play as Soul, an elite assassin serving an elusive but powerful organization known simply as “The Order.” Soul is framed for the murder of The Order’s patriarch, gravely injured in the ensuing manhunt, and, though his life is saved by a mystic healer, the makeshift cure will only last for 66 days. Now, he must fight against powerful foes and inhuman monstrosities, all while seeking out the mastermind behind it all before his time runs out.
Gameplay[]
Phantom Blade Zero unfolds in a semi-open world, consisting of multiple large maps filled with diverse, handcrafted activities.
This world of Phantom Blade Zero is bleak and punishing, a constant reminder to never let your guard down. Seeking out the game’s many challenges and power foes will reward you with weapons, armor, artifacts, skills, and other ways to customize or progress your character.
Players will be able to equip two weapons: main weapon and a secondary weapon called shachi weapon. The main weapons are different kinds of blades with movements changing according to the different lengths and weights of blades. There are over 20 types of shachi weapons from canons to lances, from axes to big hammers, giving more creative ways to play.[1]
Endgame content will include various multiplayer dungeons, boss rushes, rogue-like abysses, and more.[2]
Story[]
Phantom Blade Zero houses the protagonist, Soul, who’s a talented assassin serving the organization called ‘The Order’. The game’s story is said to begin with Soul being framed for the murder of The Order’s patriarch. Unfortunately, Soul is killed in the manhunt that followed but is resurrected by a mystic healer.
Setting[]
It will offer up a semi-open-world for players to explore. The Universe the game is set in is called Phantom World, which is also the setting for other games from the developer.
Plot[]
In Phantom Blade Zero, you play as Soul, an elite assassin serving an elusive but powerful organization known simply as “The Order”.
Development[]
Early concept of the game has been written and designed since 2017 with a team of two-three core members. The actual development started in early 2022.[2]
On May 24, 2023, Phantom Blaze Zero was revealed during PlayStation Showcase 2023, showcasing some tweaked gameplay footage. In a PlayStation blog post, the studio founder and CEO, Soulframe, revealed that the game is a spiritual rebirth of the original Rainblood.[3] On July 30, 2023, during ChinaJoy 2023 stage presentation, S-GAME revealed that they plan to release a 30-minute playable demo in 2024.[4]
The game draws inspiration from the Chinese Wuxia and Kung-Fu movies, aiming to create a Kung-Fu Punk style. While the game also has some Souls-like elements, the developers describe that the game will not be as punishable and difficult as Souls-like games, and be more "approachable", not needing lightning fast reflexes.[2] With a decade into mobile developing, the team have learned how to make a "Combo Chain" system that will work with a controller and will make everyone's gameplay look more professional.[2] The game isn't the first Phantom Blade game, but playing other games won't be required to understand the story. Phantom Blade: Executioners will serve as a prequel, telling the story of a younger Soul.
On February 2, 2024, an animated Phantom Blade Zero “Year of the Dragon” special trailer has been released, celebrating Chinese New Year.[5]
On June 7, 2024, a new trailer dubbed “The Blade is Drawn”, was showed during Summer Game Fest 2024. A playable hands-on demo was also revealed to be available on Summer Game Fest from June 8 to 10, ChinaJoy from July 26 to 29, Gamescom from August 21 to 25, and Tokyo Game Show from September 28 to 29.[6] S-Game founder Soulframe and Localization Lead David Zheng joined IGN Live stage to show a hands-on look at Phantom Blade Zero. The demo focused on combat mechanics and featured three bosses.
Videos[]
Screenshots[]
Trivia[]
- This is not the first game in the series, previously S-Game studio released mobile Phantom Blade games, but now the developers have decided to try their hand at developing a project for home platforms.
- The events of Phantom Blade Zero unfold in a fantasy universe that combines eastern culture, steampunk and the occult. The protagonist is an assassin named Soul. During the mission he is killed, but the mysterious healer manages to bring Soul back to life. Soul has only 66 days to live, so you must do whatever you need to.
- The Phantom Blade Zero story campaign will take 30-40 hours to complete, but the action has a lot of additional content, both single and multiplayer.
- The game is structured as a semi-open world: there will be spacious but separate locations.
- Phantom Blade Zero uses S-Game's own Combo Chain system. It will allow gamers to make complex and spectacular combinations of punches with the push of only two buttons.
- The trailer shown on PlayStation Showcase reflects the actual gameplay of the game, and has only been slightly tweaked to make it more spectacular.
- S-Game did not sign a contract for exclusivity on Phantom Blade Zero, so the game is likely to be released on multiple platforms at once.
References[]
- ↑ IGN Developers Interview: https://www.ign.com/articles/exclusive-developer-interview-ft-phantom-blade-zero
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Official Discord Q&A
- ↑ PlayStation Blog: https://blog.playstation.com/2023/05/24/phantom-blade-zero-a-new-beginning-in-a-long-journey/
- ↑ ChinaJoy 2023 Presentation: https://x.com/pbzero_official/status/1685687741194133504
- ↑ Year of the Dragon: https://x.com/pbzero_official/status/1753231124409807047
- ↑ The Blade is Drawn: https://x.com/pbzero_official/status/1799214715631284567
Links[]
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Rainblood: Town of Death · Rainblood 2: City of Flame · Rainblood Chronicles: Mirage · Phantom Blade: Executioners · Phantom Blade Zero