Phantom Blade 0 was unveiled during the very recent PlayStation Showcase, in which it was shown in the very first video that allowed us to get a little taste of what the game will be. In this article, we have decided to collect all the information that has been revealed up to this moment in one place, in order to make a point of the situation on the matter.
A taste of the plot
Among the various announcements that followed during the Sony event, the moment of Phantom Blade 0 also arrived shortly after, a steampunk action RPG with some really interesting ideas. Kung fu, occult, steampunk, and mysterious objects are the core elements of the game.
Players will take on the role of Soul, an assassin in the service of a very powerful organization called The Order. After being accused of killing the leader of this organization and wounded almost mortally while trying to escape his assailants, Soul will be saved by a healer but will have only 66 days to live. The protagonist’s task will be to find out who is behind the conspiracy and who tried to frame him before the temporary cure is no longer effective.
Game universe and gameplay
Phantom Blade 0 will take place in a semi-open world, with maps of a reasonable size, created by hand and which host various activities within them. The gloomy setting was a thoughtful choice by the developers since it allows you to always keep the players’ attention high by giving the feeling of being in constant danger. In fact, many entities and enemies are hiding in the game world and, although they are not easy to defeat, they offer rewards of all kinds: weapons, armor, skills, and artefacts.
The title is an action RPG which however has very frenetic and dynamic fights like in games belonging to the hack and slash genre. The developers have declared that they draw inspiration from games such as Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden which create a lot of adrenaline in those who play them thanks to the frenetic pace and the many moves available. Furthermore, the developers also specified that a slower combat system would not have married perfectly with the kung fu moves typical of 90s films.
The development team has announced that players will be able to sort Soul’s abilities into two hit chains that will be associated with two buttons. Just press two buttons to make the protagonist perform complex and fast combos. This could make some users turn up their noses, but S-Game has ensured that there will be some depth in the organization of the attacks in Phantom Blade 0.
The art of kung fu
Kung fu, therefore, represents a key element in Phantom Blade 0. The fights have been studied at the table precisely to try to make the most of the idea of this martial art, even with the help of experts in the sector. Kenji Tanigaki fills the role of action director in the game’s development, bringing to it years and years of experience in making fight scenes in kung fu films.
The development team, therefore, has decided to focus very decisively on the creation of the combat system, trying to make it as similar to reality as possible and remaining faithful to the ancient art of kung fu. The various moves are made with handcrafted animations using a matrix camera since the acquisition of the movement cannot be totally faithful to this discipline.
Will Phantom Blade 0 also come to Xbox?
During the PlayStation Showcase, a trailer was shown that confirmed the release of the game on PlayStation 5 and PC, without naming Xbox. In this regard, during a Q&A that S-Game held after the end of the Sony event, the developers announced that they “have no exclusive for any platform”, implying that the game could also arrive on Xbox in the future. It would certainly not be the first time that a product lands first on one platform and then also released on others.
Length and release date
According to the development team, it will take 30-40 hours to complete the main story of Phantom Blade 0, which will increase exponentially if you focus on completing all the side missions and activities as well. Furthermore, once the main event is finished, various endgame modes will be unlocked, including multiplayer dungeons, boss rush mode, rogue-like mode and much more to be announced later.
As for the launch date, however, the developers were unable to give a precise period, but they wanted to clarify that the game entered full-fledged development at the beginning of 2022, so it could still take some time before Phantom Blade 0 arrives on the market.
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