Phantom Blade: Executioners

Phantom Blade: Executioners is a cross between a platformer and an action RPG, part of a series originating from 2010 with Rainblood: Town of Death. The game was developed by Chinese studio S-GAME and is a prequel to Phantom Blade Zero, a larger project and the franchise's reboot.

Plot

Phantom Blade: Executioners is set in a dark fantasy world. The game's protagonist is Soul - an orphaned, foster-raised leader of the feared Mo clan with no clue as to his real origins. The adventurous period of his life comes to an end when he's admitted to an organization training elite assassins alongside his friend, Zuo Shang. By completing his missions and assignments he gains the trust of the organization's leader, while slowly drifting away from Zuo Shang... How the protagonist's fate turns out largely depends on our actions and decisions.

Mechanics

Phantom Blade: Executioners is a side-scroller. Though the primary protagonist is Soul, there are also other playable characters, such as Mu Xiaokui, the daughter of the assassin order's leader.

The player must traverse various locations, such as snowy mountains, dead forests, dark dungeons and luxurious interiors, complete objectives and dispatch hordes of enemies. Combat is dynamic, requiring constant movement, switching between different abilities and chaining atacks into deadly combos.

As we progress through the game we develop our character, facing gradually greater challenges. To acquire the best available equipment we must delve into Purge Dungeons and face the dangers lurking within. Throughout the game we also unlock so-called Phantoms; these grant us various in-game bonuses, new character stories and more context as to the in-game events.

Game modes

Phantom Blade: Executioners supports singleplayer and multiplayer. The latter can be both cooperative and competitive. The game also supports cross-platform functionality.

Technical aspects

Phantom Blade: Executioners makes use of an atmospheric, cel-shaded manga artstyle.