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 combat in a skillful method in opposition to the lightning-fast assaults from foes within the recreation. Nevertheless it may additionally require a lot talent in elements that it may fulfill hardcore sword fighters. It’s harking back 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 crew of fifty recreation builders at S-Sport. Liang stated in an interview that he thinks of the setting for the sport as “kung fu punk,” a mix of a standard Chinese language aesthetic and cyberpunk. We talked concerning 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 consistently die on this recreation, however I additionally discovered I needed to outwit the massive teams of enemies and take them out in the proper order, beginning with the archer first. Then I may take out the weaker swordfighters after which go after the boss-like character. After I received to precise bosses, it was realy satisfying to do harm — and virtually 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 number 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 is just not 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 type, however we’re not a Souls recreation.
Our recreation is extra like an old school combo-driven motion recreation. It’s a three-dimensional map like a Souls recreation, but it surely’s extra such as you put Ninja Gaiden fight right into a Souls map. It’s a brand new mixture. We needed to create one thing new with that mixture.
GamesBeat: Would you say it’s simpler than that type of recreation?
Liang: It’s a lot simpler. It’s accessible for many gamers. Nevertheless it nonetheless has depth for professional gamers. For regular gamers, they’ll benefit from the story, benefit from the exploration with out an excessive amount of strain 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 seen it was a little bit tougher when there have been a number of completely different sorts of enemies. I needed to keep in mind learn how to cope with every sort. Perhaps do away with the archer first.
Liang: Sure, there are a number of methods to do this. The extent you simply skilled, there’s really a easy strategy to get by means of it. You may assassinate the archer, utilizing your bow to shoot them down from the opposite facet. Then you should use the cannon to explode the enemies across the bonfire. Then you definitely’ll go into fight with lower than half as many enemies. You’ve gotten a number of methods to cope with the conditions you face. That’s one other method we modify the issue. Gamers can attempt other ways of getting by means of.
In fact, some gamers will simply undergo the entrance door and straight into fight with all of the enemies. That’s actually a technique you’ll be able to play it.
GamesBeat: I seen a distinction between the primary boss and the second. The primary boss, I may block him each time. The second boss, it felt like I wanted good timing.
Liang: The blocking system is tremendous easy. You simply want to carry the button. In case you’re not attempting to good parry the assault, you simply want to carry that very same button. It’ll eat the yellow meter underneath your HP gauge, although. In case you see the blue eye assaults and crimson eye assaults, the blue eye assaults are one thing you’ll be able to’t block usually. These you should parry. And the crimson eye assaults are one thing you’ll be able to’t parry. You must dodge these.
GamesBeat: With the second boss, in the event you hit a single R1, his ranged assault would nonetheless hit you.
Liang: In case you time the parry proper, it gained’t. The wave may undergo your physique, however you gained’t lose any HP. The key variations between the bosses, it’s the completely different rhythms of the blue eye and crimson eye assaults. That’s the important thing to defeating the enemies. You must be taught the tempo and rhythm of the boss assaults. Then you definitely simply must parry the blue eyes and dodge the crimson eyes. The distinction is simply the rhythm.
GamesBeat: There are numerous sword combating video games now. Is there something you’d examine this to, that’s nearer to your stage? Sekiro was very tough for me. Ghost of Tsushima, a lot simpler.
Liang: I wouldn’t examine it to something particularly. We’re doing one thing new. However I’d say the issue of our recreation is far simpler than a median Souls recreation, the entry issue. We’ve issue choices.
GamesBeat: You don’t must beat everybody time and again, proper?
Liang: No, you don’t. For the principle story, it’s a couple of 20 or 30 hour marketing campaign. However there are additionally tons of facet quests, collectibles, and challenges that may take one other 20 or 30 hours.
GamesBeat: How massive is your crew?
Liang: We’ve 50 individuals in Beijing, and we’re attempting to increase. However we don’t need to get as massive as 100 individuals. It’s nonetheless a comparatively small crew. We don’t have a launch window but, however improvement goes easily.
GamesBeat: Had been you pleased with the response at Summer time Sport Fest?
Liang: Sure, completely. We had been overwhelmed by all of the shout-outs and optimistic suggestions. It’s very encouraging. It’s additionally difficult for us. We’ve to make one thing even higher for subsequent time, and for the ultimate product. Everybody’s expectations are rising to a excessive stage. Many individuals anticipate our recreation. We don’t need to allow them to down. It’s encouraging, but it surely’s numerous strain. 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 12 months. After we first revealed the sport on the PlayStation Showcase, individuals complained that the actions had been too fluid. They stated it was too good to be true. They thought we had been simply exhibiting cinematics. That’s why we introduced the demo we did this 12 months, to indicate that every thing is playable. We made some changes to the digital camera angles, however in addition to that, it’s all gameplay. That’s what we needed to inform everybody this 12 months with the demo. Afterward we’ll present extra stage designs and extra of the story.
GamesBeat: What are you able to say concerning the story and lore thus far?
Liang: I don’t need to spoil an excessive amount of. However we will discuss concerning the world we’re creating. It’s based mostly on an indie recreation I created about 15 years in the past, after I was nonetheless a scholar. It was referred to as Rainblood, one thing I made myself in RPG Maker. A really primary 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 referred to as it “kung fu punk.” It’s a mixture of one thing conventional and one thing new. Hopefully it feels distinctive.
