Phantom Blade Zero had the privilege of being the ultimate recreation in The Summer time Sport Fest earlier this month. The Soulslike gameplay of the supernatural sword combating recreation was mesmerizing.
I performed it hands-on and located it was an accessible recreation, designed to allow even inept gamers like me to struggle in a skillful manner towards the lightning-fast assaults from foes within the recreation. But it surely might additionally require a lot ability in elements that it might fulfill hardcore sword fighters. It’s paying homage to Chinese language Wuxia martial arts, the place individuals transfer at superhuman speeds.
The title is the dream of Beijing-based Soulframe Liang and his workforce of fifty recreation builders at S-Sport. Liang mentioned in an interview that he thinks of the setting for the sport as “kung fu punk,” a mix of a conventional Chinese language aesthetic and cyberpunk. We talked in regards to the origins of the sport and what it takes to play Phantom Blade Zero. Liang thinks of the sport as extra like a cross of Ninja Gaiden and Souls video games.
I used to be shocked I didn’t always die on this recreation, however I additionally discovered I needed to outwit the massive teams of enemies and take them out in the suitable order, beginning with the archer first. Then I might take out the weaker swordfighters after which go after the boss-like character. After I acquired to precise bosses, it was realy satisfying to do harm — and nearly keep alive.
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Right here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
GamesBeat: The place are you based mostly?
Soulframe Liang: We’re in Beijing.
GamesBeat: How lengthy have you ever been engaged on Phantom Blade Zero? Are you able to inform me about a few of the historical past?
Liang: We’ve been formally engaged on it for about two years. Earlier than this we primarily did cell video games. We’ve been growing cell video games within the Chinese language marketplace for greater than 10 years. Our recreation shouldn’t be what we’d exactly label as a Souls or “Soulslike” recreation. It’s darkish. It has some vibes that may make individuals refer again to that model, however we’re not a Souls recreation.
Our recreation is extra like an old style combo-driven motion recreation. It’s a three-dimensional map like a Souls recreation, nevertheless it’s extra such as you put Ninja Gaiden fight right into a Souls map. It’s a brand new mixture. We wished to create one thing new with that mixture.
GamesBeat: Would you say it’s simpler than that model of recreation?
Liang: It’s a lot simpler. It’s accessible for many gamers. But it surely nonetheless has depth for professional gamers. For regular gamers, they will benefit from the story, benefit from the exploration with out an excessive amount of stress within the fight. However for professional gamers there’s some very, very deep alternatives to discover the combos, the parry system, the right dodging system. There are tons of challenges for skilled gamers.
GamesBeat: I observed it was somewhat harder when there have been a number of totally different sorts of enemies. I needed to bear in mind learn how to cope with every kind. Possibly eliminate the archer first.
Liang: Sure, there are a number of methods to try this. The extent you simply skilled, there’s truly a easy technique to get via it. You possibly can assassinate the archer, utilizing your bow to shoot them down from the opposite aspect. Then you should use the cannon to explode the enemies across the bonfire. Then you definately’ll go into fight with lower than half as many enemies. You might have a number of methods to cope with the conditions you face. That’s one other manner we regulate the problem. Gamers can strive other ways of getting via.
After all, some gamers will simply undergo the entrance door and straight into fight with all of the enemies. That’s actually a method you may play it.
GamesBeat: I observed a distinction between the primary boss and the second. The primary boss, I might block him each time. The second boss, it felt like I wanted excellent timing.
Liang: The blocking system is tremendous easy. You simply want to carry the button. Should you’re not making an attempt to excellent parry the assault, you simply want to carry that very same button. It’ll devour the yellow meter beneath your HP gauge, although. Should you see the blue eye assaults and crimson eye assaults, the blue eye assaults are one thing you may’t block usually. These it is advisable parry. And the crimson eye assaults are one thing you may’t parry. It’s important to dodge these.
GamesBeat: With the second boss, for those who hit a single R1, his ranged assault would nonetheless hit you.
Liang: Should you time the parry proper, it gained’t. The wave would possibly undergo your physique, however you gained’t lose any HP. The key variations between the bosses, it’s the totally different rhythms of the blue eye and crimson eye assaults. That’s the important thing to defeating the enemies. It’s important to be taught the tempo and rhythm of the boss assaults. Then you definately simply should parry the blue eyes and dodge the crimson eyes. The distinction is simply the rhythm.
GamesBeat: There are quite a lot of sword combating video games now. Is there something you’d evaluate this to, that’s nearer to your degree? Sekiro was very tough for me. Ghost of Tsushima, a lot simpler.
Liang: I wouldn’t evaluate it to something particularly. We’re doing one thing new. However I’d say the problem of our recreation is way simpler than a mean Souls recreation, the entry issue. We’ve got issue choices.
GamesBeat: You don’t should beat everybody over and over, proper?
Liang: No, you don’t. For the primary story, it’s a couple of 20 or 30 hour marketing campaign. However there are additionally tons of aspect quests, collectibles, and challenges that may take one other 20 or 30 hours.
GamesBeat: How huge is your workforce?
Liang: We’ve got 50 individuals in Beijing, and we’re making an attempt to broaden. However we don’t need to get as huge as 100 individuals. It’s nonetheless a comparatively small workforce. We don’t have a launch window but, however growth goes easily.
GamesBeat: Have been you pleased with the response at Summer time Sport Fest?
Liang: Sure, completely. We have been overwhelmed by all of the shout-outs and optimistic suggestions. It’s very encouraging. It’s additionally difficult for us. We’ve got to make one thing even higher for subsequent time, and for the ultimate product. Everybody’s expectations are rising to a excessive degree. Many individuals anticipate our recreation. We don’t need to allow them to down. It’s encouraging, nevertheless it’s quite a lot of stress. We’ll attempt to do higher and higher.
GamesBeat: You had good placement on the present, attending to go on on the finish.
Liang: We had the identical expertise final yr. Once we first revealed the sport on the PlayStation Showcase, individuals complained that the actions have been too fluid. They mentioned it was too good to be true. They thought we have been simply exhibiting cinematics. That’s why we introduced the demo we did this yr, to indicate that every little thing is playable. We made some changes to the digicam angles, however apart from that, it’s all gameplay. That’s what we wished to inform everybody this yr with the demo. In a while we’ll present extra degree designs and extra of the story.
GamesBeat: What are you able to say in regards to the story and lore to date?
Liang: I don’t need to spoil an excessive amount of. However we are able to discuss in regards to the world we’re creating. It’s based mostly on an indie recreation I created about 15 years in the past, once I was nonetheless a pupil. It was known as Rainblood, one thing I made myself in RPG Maker. A really fundamental 2D turn-based recreation. However I felt like I created one thing particular there, a mix of conventional Chinese language aesthetic with modern steampunk and cyberpunk, modified people, issues like that. We known as it “kung fu punk.” It’s a mixture of one thing conventional and one thing new. Hopefully it feels distinctive.
