Phantom Blade Zero aims to create a new Wuxia Action genre. Read on to learn more about how the game differs from Soulslikes and the three difficulty options it features.
Phantom Blade Zero IS NOT A SOULSLIKE
Director Defines New Genre As "Wuxia Action"
Phantom Blade Zero Director Soulframe reiterated that the game is not a Soulslike, but instead a new genre type he coined as "Wuxia Action." Phantom Blade Zero’s official Twitter (X) account posted a Developer’s Letter on June 24, where Soulframe addressed several questions from fans regarding the game.
He noted that when the game was first announced, people immediately considered it a Soulslike for its interconnected maps, hidden secrets, and checkpoints. After the demo was released, people referred to it as a hack-and-slash title, as it had a faster pace compared to typical Soulslikes.
Although the director acknowledged that categorizing Phantom Blade Zero into a genre helps fans distinguish it from other games and build a general expectation, he emphasized that it is neither a Soulslike nor any other traditional action game. Despite this, Soulframe took inspiration from games of those genres, which led them to what they have today.
Initially, the development team’s goal was to make a hack-and-slash game with a multi-layered map. What came out was what Soulframe described as "something that felt deeply familiar to us, yet is rarely seen or experienced in games." It was a mixture of Chinese martial arts, Western combat techniques, and Hollywood filmmaking, which he attributed to kung fu master Bruce Lee.
A similar feel was applied to the game, differentiating it from existing genres. Soulframe stated, "Broadly speaking, it falls under the category of ARPGs. But more specifically— maybe it could create a new identity that is Wuxia Action Games?" In this new genre, he stated that fans can experience high-speed action, deep historical connections, and iconic cinema moments
This was the primary reason why developer S-GAMES wanted to invite everyone to their exclusive hands-on demo in Beijing, China, on July 26-27. The upcoming demo will give fans a "clearer glimpse of the game’s core experience."
Difficulty Options Revealed
It was previously reported that Phantom Blade Zero will have difficulty options, further differentiating it from Soulslike games. Continuing the developer’s letter, Soulframe confirmed that there will be three difficulty settings, namely Gamechanger, Wayfarer, and Hellwaker.
The Gamechanger is the default difficulty level, offering a balanced playthrough and is great for beginners. Meanwhile, Wayfarer is the easiest mode designed for those with little to no experience in action games. Finally, Hellwalker is the hardest mode, only unlocked in New Game+. It pushes players’ skills to the limit, featuring smarter AI, reshuffled movesets, and entirely new moves.
S-GAMES plans to announce the game’s release date before 2025 ends, giving fans more things to look forward to for the "kungfupunk" experience. Phantom Blade Zero is set to release in Fall 2026 for PlayStation 5. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
Source:
Phantom Blade Zero Twitter (X) post on Developer’s Letter
