It’s a bit of a running joke now, really. Everytime a new action game is revealed, it’s instantly compared back to FromSoftware’s work with the question: “yeah, it looks great, but is it a Soulslike?” It happened with Black Myth: Wukong. And it’s happened again with Phantom Blade Zero, so much so the developer had to release a statement refuting the game is a Soulslike. In an interview, it even admitted that, as a new studio, it doesn’t “have the privilege of FromSoftware to make you frustrated while you’re playing”.
That’s not to say there isn’t an influence, of course. Developer S-Game, in that same statement, described the game’s world as “just like the Souls games before Elden Ring“. At Gamescom, I was able to go hands-on with Phantom Blade Zero, which I’ve been intrigued by since its reveal at the 2023 PlayStation Showcase. However, the demo was essentially a series of three boss fights. As such, I didn’t really get a sense for its world design – though at the least, regular enemies do not respawn and currency isn’t lost at death.
What I did experience, though, was considered combat and a strong parry mechanic that brought to mind FromSoftware’s Sekiro, as well as this year’s Stellar Blade. Phantom Blade Zero is a fast-paced action game that’s speedy and stylish, with a hard mode that could be transformative.
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