Phantom Blade Zero, the action game developed by S-Game, launched on October 29 for PS5 and PC. PC players can buy the game on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
According to the information Oyun Günlüğü obtained from PlayStation Blog, Polygon and GamesRadar, Phantom Blade Zero launched simultaneously worldwide at 10am Beijing time, which was 7pm PDT and 10pm EDT on October 28. S-Game has also announced a physical PS5 edition for 2027.
An assassin with 66 days to live
In Phantom Blade Zero, players control Soul, an assassin hunted by The Order, the shadowy organization he once worked for. The story opens with a fight between Soul and his childhood friend Zuo Shang, in which the two stab each other through the heart. A mysterious figure called the Flesh Sculptor gives Soul a new heart, but it will only last 66 days. As Soul sets out after the surviving Zuo Shang, his journey unfolds in the dark wuxia world S-Game calls the Phantom World.
Donnie Yen helped shape the combat
S-Game founder and director Soulframe Liang says the studio’s goal was to “create a playable kung fu movie.” Martial arts star Donnie Yen has served as the game’s creative consultant since 2023, contributing to its combat design. Yen also provides facial and motion capture for Mó Yuan, Soul’s father. Kenji Tanigaki is part of Yen’s team of around 15-20 stunt performers as an action director.
The Sha-chi meter and more than 30 weapons
At the heart of the combat is the Sha-chi meter, which powers Soul’s strongest combos. Switching weapons refills the meter, so players can drain it with one weapon and keep attacking with the other. The game features more than 30 weapons along with 20 Phantom Edges, which work as special attacks. Some Phantom Edges are also used for traversal, opening up previously inaccessible areas and adding light Metroidvania elements to an otherwise largely linear game.
Difficulty options and the 66 Days mode
Phantom Blade Zero offers easy, medium and hard difficulty options that can be changed at any time, but players who drop to easy can’t go back up. An unlockable 66 Days difficulty costs Soul one day with every death, until there are none left. Boss fights have checkpoints between phases, so players who fall in the second phase don’t have to restart the whole fight. According to Soulframe Liang, the game takes 35-40 hours to finish for players experienced with action games.
