Phantom Blade Zero

Phantom Blade Zero is an action RPG and a reboot of Phantom Blade (a series originating from 2010 with Rainblood: Town of Death). It was developed by Chinese studio S-GAME, its creators inspired by wuxia stories (the term originates from the Chinese language and refers to upper-class heroes wielding melee weapons and supernatural abilities), as well as the movies Everything Everywhere All at Once and John Wick.

Plot

Phantom Blade Zero is set in the fantasy Phantom World, where elements drawn from Chinese mythology, kung-fu, steampunk and occultism all come together. The main protagonist of the game is Soul, an elite assassin working for The Order. He's framed for the murder of the organization's patriarch and mortally wounded during the ensuing manhunt; though a mystical healer manages to keep him alive, his cure will only maintain him for 66 days. This leaves Soul with little time to find the true masterminds behind the patriarch's death.

Mechanics

Phantom Blade Zero makes use of the third-person perspective (TPP). The game is set in various open locations. The player must traverse them, complete objectives and fight enemies. Combat is dynamic, requiring constant motion, avoiding enemy attacks and countering their blows. We can dispatch enemies using melee weapons and various skills. Aside from regular opponents we'll also face powerful bosses. As we progres through the game we develop our character, unlock new skills and acquire better gear, such as weapons, armor and artifacts.

Technical aspects

Phantom Blade Zero runs on the Unreal Engine 5. The game's dark artstyle is very appealing. Its most distinctive feature are the smooth, realistic animations of the main character, motion captured by professional stuntman and fight choreographer Kenji Tanigaki.