Phantom Blade 0 wants to carve out its own niche in a crowded field of Soulslikes

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As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I’ve played my fair share of action games that claimed to emulate the greatness of FromSoftware. However, Phantom Blade 0 has managed to stand out from the crowd and leave an indelible mark on me.

Phantom Blade 0, as we experienced it at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany this year, isn’t a full game yet. Instead, it’s essentially a series of three adversary confrontations, designed to create a playable slice of the final product. Furthermore, during our conversation with the development team presenting the same demo at Summer Game Fest, they hinted that it may not be released before 2026 at the earliest.

At the event we attended, I must say, the team behind S-Game has truly crafted a solid foundation for their action game – one that stood out as the most immersive in its category. Compared to other titles like The First Berzerker: Khazan and Crimson Desert, Phantom Blade 0 seemed tailored specifically to deliver an intense, challenging gameplay experience that, despite its difficulty, just felt fantastic to play.

Similar to Black Myth: Wukong and the other games mentioned previously, Phantom Blade 0 appears to revolve around incorporating the fundamental characteristics of a FromSoftware game with quicker battles and more flamboyant movements. However, this approach can sometimes create a sense of irritation instead of the satisfaction found in Dark Souls or Elden Ring. For instance, when you engage in an intricate attack sequence that depletes most of your stamina, only to have the enemy retaliate with a swift four-hit combo that drains your health rapidly, it can be quite vexing. These newer games inspired by Souls often require speed and combos, yet they also penalize hasty or imprudent actions.

It’s fortunate that Phantom Blade 0 avoids this problem. Unlike many games, it doesn’t use a stamina bar for attacks, instead providing a posture bar like Sekiro, which depletes as you block. Additionally, the blocking mechanism in this game operates more like Raiden’s from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, enabling you to halt your own attack sequences to parry incoming blows. This creates an exciting back-and-forth of swordplay that mirrors the swift pace of the martial arts films that influenced the game’s creation.

Beyond what’s been mentioned, it’s clear that Phantom Blade 0 has given careful consideration to advanced gameplay. Having played the demo twice, we’ve developed a stronger sense of the combat mechanics and its complexity. One aspect that stood out is the rapid succession of attacks from enemies, making it challenging to deflect them all. During our second playthrough, we discovered that the most effective defense often involves taking the offensive. Instead of focusing on blocking every attack, we found that blocking strategically could stun enemies, allowing us to follow up with impressive combos. Additionally, since you always have two weapons at your disposal, when an enemy breaks free from its stun-lock, switching to your second weapon and executing a special attack can prolong the combo even more.

With its rich gameplay layers, stunning art that blends Bloodborne’s dark gothic aesthetic with a Wuxia saga, and exceptional sound effects that create the best metallic clashing sounds yet, Phantom Blade 0 offers an intensely immersive gaming experience.

Although S-Game’s upcoming project could be its most ambitious, it’s clear from past work that the team possesses a knack for designing engaging combat mechanics and maintaining a consistent style. However, there’s uncertainty as to whether they will perfectly execute this vision, which we may not know for some time.

Here’s what we’ve seen so far from the game, which was showcased during Gamescom 2024. Keep in mind that the final version may differ.

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2024-08-28 17:27