S-Game's Phantom Blade Zero's latest demo gave fans a hands-on impression of the action RPG that features fast-paced Ninja Gaiden-like battles.
The game made headway during last May's PlayStation show and was also showcased at the Summer Game Fest. The reveal trailer also attracted a lot of positive reactions from fans, especially about the beauty of its visuals.
Phantom Blade Zero's Beautiful Combat
(Photo : S-Game / Screenshot taken from official website)
Phantom Blade Zero sets up a blazing-fast, combo-heavy extravaganza where players can delete some bosses in just seconds if they know what they're doing. This is also true on the other end of the spectrum where a single mistake can send you right back to your last spawn point.
It is easy to see that Phantom Blade Zero is a character action game because when you press the attack button three times, your character will lunge forward and perform more than just three hits.
The game's attack strings are also long and lavish and it wasted no opportunity to look stylish while delivering intense action. Even when players block, you will not just weather attacks as you will knock your enemy's weapon out of the way with blows of your own, according to GamesRadar.
All of these combat mechanics make Phantom Blade Zero's battles frantic, steel slap fights that look way cooler than they seem. The demo lets players use a variety of weapons available in the game, including a katana, a pair of twin shortswords, and more.
You can swap between weapons mid-attack to reset and thereby extend your combo on your enemies. This particular weapon swap is tied to a brief cooldown, which should be saved for an enemy's opening or when they get staggered.
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Every single weapon in Phantom Blade Zero also has their own special attack, branching light and heavy combo strings, and brutal execution animations for stance-broken enemies. On top of melee weapons, you can also equip two ranged weapons.
Players who were able to get their hands on the demo for the game will be thrust into the action relatively quickly following a short tutorial. The main character in Phantom Blade Zero is Soul, who has a stamina bar that is used up during combat, said IGN.
A Fast-Paced and Intense Battle System
Due to the game's fast-paced action, tackling it like you would in the Dark Souls games is a mistake because it does not reward patience. What it does encourage is hyper-aggression that rewards quick reflexes and great timing.
The majority of enemies in the game are made up of warriors that are of similar size to the protagonist and suffer very little in the way of knockback to individual attacks. The developer also described the game's art style as "China Punk."
It takes classical Chinese mythos and environments and mixes them up with modern sensibilities. When Phantom Blade Zero was first revealed during the PlayStation Showcase event in 2023, it wowed fans with its fluid, fast-paced action.
S-Game has also been clear on the claim that the game is tough, but not inaccessible to a lot of players who would probably be eager to try it out.
The developer declared that while Phantom Blade Zero will not be a piece of cake, it will be slightly more forgiving in its gameplay loop and overall difficulty than other titles, according to Gaming Bible.
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