Phantom Blade Zero had the privilege of being the ultimate sport in The Summer time Sport Fest earlier this month. The Soulslike gameplay of the supernatural sword preventing sport was mesmerizing.
I performed it hands-on and located it was an accessible sport, designed to allow even inept gamers like me to combat in a skillful manner in opposition to the lightning-fast assaults from foes within the sport. However it might additionally require a lot ability in components that it might 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 group of fifty sport 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 conventional 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 stunned I didn’t continuously die on this sport, 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 bought to precise bosses, it was realy satisfying to do injury — and virtually keep alive.
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Right here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
GamesBeat: The place are you primarily based?
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 cellular video games. We’ve been growing cellular video games within the Chinese language marketplace for greater than 10 years. Our sport shouldn’t be what we’d exactly label as a Souls or “Soulslike” sport. It’s darkish. It has some vibes which may make individuals refer again to that model, however we’re not a Souls sport.
Our sport is extra like an old style combo-driven motion sport. It’s a three-dimensional map like a Souls sport, however 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 sport?
Liang: It’s a lot simpler. It’s accessible for many gamers. However 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 somewhat harder when there have been a number of totally different sorts of enemies. I needed to keep in mind the right way to take care of every kind. Perhaps do away with the archer first.
Liang: Sure, there are a number of methods to try this. The extent you simply skilled, there’s really a easy approach to get by means of it. You may assassinate the archer, utilizing your bow to shoot them down from the opposite facet. Then you need to 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’ve got a number of methods to take care of the conditions you face. That’s one other manner we alter 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 definitely a method you may play it.
GamesBeat: I seen 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 good timing.
Liang: The blocking system is tremendous easy. You simply want to carry the button. If you happen to’re not attempting to good parry the assault, you simply want to carry that very same button. It’ll devour the yellow meter underneath your HP gauge, although. If you happen to see the blue eye assaults and purple eye assaults, the blue eye assaults are one thing you may’t block usually. These it’s essential parry. And the purple eye assaults are one thing you may’t parry. You must dodge these.
GamesBeat: With the second boss, if you happen to hit a single R1, his ranged assault would nonetheless hit you.
Liang: If you happen to time the parry proper, it received’t. The wave would possibly undergo your physique, however you received’t lose any HP. The foremost variations between the bosses, it’s the totally different rhythms of the blue eye and purple 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 definately simply must parry the blue eyes and dodge the purple eyes. The distinction is simply the rhythm.
GamesBeat: There are plenty of sword preventing video games now. Is there something you’d evaluate this to, that’s nearer to your stage? Sekiro was very troublesome 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 issue of our sport is far simpler than a mean Souls sport, the entry issue. Now we have issue choices.
GamesBeat: You don’t must beat everybody again and again, proper?
Liang: No, you don’t. For the primary story, it’s a few 20 or 30 hour marketing campaign. However there are additionally tons of facet quests, collectibles, and challenges which may take one other 20 or 30 hours.
GamesBeat: How massive is your group?
Liang: Now we have 50 individuals in Beijing, and we’re attempting to develop. However we don’t need to get as massive as 100 individuals. It’s nonetheless a comparatively small group. 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 constructive suggestions. It’s very encouraging. It’s additionally difficult for us. Now we have 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 sport. We don’t need to allow them to down. It’s encouraging, however it’s plenty of 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 yr. 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 displaying cinematics. That’s why we introduced the demo we did this yr, to indicate that the whole lot is playable. We made some changes to the digital camera angles, however moreover that, it’s all gameplay. That’s what we wished to inform everybody this yr 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 to date?
Liang: I don’t need to spoil an excessive amount of. However we will speak concerning the world we’re creating. It’s primarily based on an indie sport I created about 15 years in the past, once I was nonetheless a pupil. It was referred to as Rainblood, one thing I made myself in RPG Maker. A really fundamental 2D turn-based sport. However I felt like I created one thing particular there, a mix of conventional Chinese language aesthetic with up to date 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.
