Phantom Blade Zero, the ambitious action game from developer S-Game, aims to translate the thrilling spectacle of Wuxia cinema into an interactive experience. It largely succeeds in capturing the visual poetry of martial arts combat, offering a feast for the eyes with its meticulously choreographed moves and fantastical settings. However, for all its aesthetic brilliance, the game falters in finding a consistent balance between player accessibility and meaningful challenge.
A Tale as Old as Time
Set to release on October 29th for PlayStation 5 and PC, Phantom Blade Zero centers on Soul, a protagonist on a desperate 66-day quest to survive while a magical artificial heart functions within him. He is a legendary swordmaster and former member of the influential Order in the land of Wilun, wielding mystical Sha-Chi energy and battling Maskwalkers. The game’s narrative exposition is intentionally sparse, a style common in some Chinese productions where understanding of the world and its lore unfolds gradually through gameplay, NPC interactions, and environmental storytelling. While this approach can be rewarding for those who embrace it, it may initially feel overwhelming with its deluge of unfamiliar terms like the Order, Wilun, Sha-Chi, and Maskwalkers.
Despite its initial narrative opacity, the story expands into a complex tale of world-changing conspiracies. While the narrative touches on epic themes, it rarely elicits strong emotional responses. Instead, the plight of ordinary individuals caught in the conflict, such as soldiers defending an outpost before transforming into monsters, offers more poignant moments. Soul himself, driven by revenge and redemption, remains a somewhat flat character, allowing the richly imagined world to take center stage. Phantom Blade Zero's world is a captivating blend of traditional Chinese fantasy and steampunk, featuring coexisting natural landscapes and industrial towers emitting steam, creating a unique and visually striking backdrop for the unfolding events. It's a world where warriors are augmented into cyborgs to enhance their skills and manipulation of Sha-Chi, a place defined by intertwined power, honor, and treachery, yet where good people still strive for noble deeds amidst widespread suffering.
A True Martial Arts Game
S-Game’s ambition for Phantom Blade Zero’s combat is evident in its goal to replicate the "sleek, breathtaking moves in kung fu movies." The combat system attempts to marry the unrestrained attack sequences of hack-and-slash games with stamina-dependent strong attacks and defensive maneuvers. Players weave normal and heavy attacks, with the latter consuming stamina represented by Soul's Sha-Chi bar. Weapon combos often require the use of heavy attacks, encouraging tactical stamina management. Defense is primarily handled through dodging and parrying, with parries being particularly effective in depleting enemy Sha-Chi. Players can also utilize weapon-specific special attacks and swap between two primary weapons during combat, which crucially refills the Sha-Chi bar.
The inclusion of a stamina bar, however, often feels contradictory to the game's aim of "sleek, breathtaking" action. With the ability to swap weapons to instantly recover stamina and the acquisition of talismans that boost Sha-Chi regeneration, the stamina management quickly becomes trivialized after the initial hours of gameplay. This renders the stamina bar almost superfluous, a genre convention seemingly included without full integration. Combat, while satisfying in its core loop, tends towards repetition. The execution of powerful combos and finishers is often simplified to single button presses, with the visual spectacle of the attacks carrying the player through otherwise basic command sequences.
The game’s commitment to Wuxia authenticity is bolstered by the involvement of action veterans like Donnie Yen as a creative consultant and actor, and Kenji Tanigaki as a fight choreographer. This collaboration results in combat animations that are genuinely cinematic, with Soul’s movements fluid and expressive, reminiscent of classic martial arts films. The extensive arsenal of primary and secondary weapons, each offering distinct attack sequences, keeps the visual variety fresh, making each combat encounter feel like a scene from a new movie. The interplay of simple button inputs with these elaborate animations transforms combat into a visual performance, prioritizing style and speed.
Let Me Help Create the Show
While S-Game's effort to make Phantom Blade Zero accessible is commendable, it inadvertently diminishes the challenge in many encounters. Although the combat itself is rarely tiresome, the game seldom presents situations that inspire genuine desperation, unlike the challenging boss fights found in titles like Onimusha. Boss encounters can be particularly punishing, especially early on when players are still mastering the controls and have limited equipment. The early fight against Jing Ye, for instance, serves as a stark reminder of the game's potential difficulty.
However, the game provides players with a plethora of tools that can undermine these challenging moments. The four difficulty options are less impactful than the abundance of talismans found throughout the game, which can mitigate boss-specific mechanics or exploit weaknesses. Furthermore, the sheer variety of weapons means some are inherently more powerful than others, such as the Scarlet Wraithblade, which drains enemy HP and Sha-Chi. This allows players to bypass much of the intended challenge by relying on specific gear and abilities.
The combat system’s accessibility is further emphasized by clear visual cues for enemy attacks. Red flashes indicate that dodging is the only option, while blue flashes signal an opportunity for a parry. Successfully executing these defensive moves not only results in stylish animations but also significantly depletes enemy Sha-Chi or creates openings for counter-attacks. While these cues ensure the spectacle continues and combat flows smoothly, they also condition players to wait for these prompts, reducing active engagement. This reliance on telegraphed cues, combined with powerful talismans and weapons, can turn challenging boss fights into more of a scripted sequence than an active test of skill. The game’s commitment to visual artistry in combat is undeniable, successfully recreating the magic of Wuxia films. Yet, by overemphasizing player accessibility and providing an abundance of crutches, Phantom Blade Zero undermines the sense of player agency and the extraordinary feats that define the genre, ultimately breaking the immersive spell it so carefully crafts.