6 reasons why Phantom Blade Zero will be the best action game of all-time

Phantom Blade Zero is going to be one of the best action-adventure games ever made, if not the best. After playing the game for over six hours, I’m sure of it.

Developed by S-Game, Phantom Blade Zero is an action title steeped in Chinese culture and mythology. The developers describe it as a John Wick-like adventure with intense combat, set within a ‘Kung Fu-punk’ world.

After getting very well-acquainted with the game after a six hour preview session, here are the top six reasons why the game is going to be the best in its class.

Phantom Blade Zero’s bosses retain their progress

Recently I completed Onimusha: Way of the Sword for the first time and while I enjoyed just about every boss in the game, the final boss was a jarring difficulty spike. It was three phases and you have to do it all in one go.

Phantom Blade Zero is kind though. When you’ve beaten a phase, it saves that progress for the next time you die. This means as you run back into the arena, it’ll be in whatever phase you last fought.

Now some elite gamers might take offence to this, but I’m all for it. It doesn’t make the fights any less challenging and keeps things fun, which is what games are all about.

You’re a warrior, not a farmer

While Phantom Blade Zero has some soulslike elements, it’s not that kind of game. While you can upgrade your characters with new skills, you won’t have to farm for materials; in fact, the game makes this impossible.

Any enemy you slay stays dead, but while there’s a finite supply of enemies to fight, there’ll never be a situation where you’re under-levelled for a boss and need to farm. All you may need is a slightly levelled-up weapon.

The power of Donnie Yen

As mentioned in my preview, one of the real highlights of Phantom Blade Zero is the fighting choreography. S-Game’s motion capture artists have worked tirelessly to bring exhilarating combat that’s still grounded in some reality, and they were helped along by Hollywood film star Donnie Yen.

S-Game

The Ip Man and John Wick: Chapter 4 actor stars in the game, but also had a hand in directing and capturing some of the game’s many action scenes.

Kung Fu-punk at its finest

When speaking with the developers at S-Game, they reiterated to me how they wanted players to feel cool whilst playing. The goal was to make you feel like the star of an action film, and it accomplishes that tenfold.

There’s a fluidity to your attacks that I simply haven't felt in other games. It rivals Onimusha for me and perhaps even goes a step beyond with versatility.

Like Onimusha, you can block, parry and dodge out of the way of incoming attacks. However there’s also the ghost step, which is a special evade followed by a devastating attack.

Additionally, you can have two weapons equipped at any given time, and each one gives you its own stamina bar. If the incoming damage is about to break your guard, you can switch to your other weapon and stay in the fight, perhaps initiating one of its special moves at the same time.

Phantom Blade Zero’s armoury could rival a FromSoftware game, but their upgrades exceed it

During my preview session, I got to try several weapons found in the game. You start out with some basic swords that differ in length and weight, so it’s pretty easy to learn what build suits you best.

Once you start adding new weapons to your inventory, though, you’ll see the full breadth of potential in its combat. A good example is a snake sword, a wavy blade that lets you get intoxicated mid-battle. Once you’re in a drunken state, the sword will wander and move all over the place allowing you to strike enemies from afar.

Something I especially love about the weapons is how once you’ve levelled them up, you can refund the upgrade material and upgrade another weapon instead. You’re not stuck with the first weapons you upgrade, so your strategy and play style can change as much as you’d like.

The Phantom Edges of Phantom Blade Zero

In addition to the many weapons found in the game, Phantom Blade Zero will feature a collection of ‘Phantom Edges’. These secondary weapons function more like gadgets, like an enormous axe that can break enemy shields, or a fire-breathing Lion mask for crowd-control.

They can be upgraded like any other weapon and while you’ll probably have your favourites, I’d encourage you to experiment. They all have their uses.

There’s a lot more I can say about Phantom Blade Zero, and I’m excited to dive into the full-game when it launches on PlayStation 5 and PC on October 28.

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