A nearly unknown indie developer from China stole the show during the latest PlayStation Showcase with their upcoming game Phantom Blade Zero. Nearly unknown to PC and console gamers, anyway, as S-Game had previously found success with the sidescrolling action RPG for mobile Phantom Blade: Executioners (due to launch this year on PC and PlayStation, too).
Phantom Blade Zero aims much higher regarding production values and scope, though. The Unreal Engine 5 powered visuals stunned to the point of raising some eyebrows with regards to the feasibility of the graphics for such a small studio.
The gameplay intrigued, too, with S-Game claiming inspiration from the Soulslike genre without the same focus on a punishing difficulty. Still, many questions lingered in the minds of fans all across the world. To clarify some key details, we interviewed S-Game Founder and CEO Soulframe Liang.
As a reminder, Phantom Blade Zero will be released for PC and PlayStation 5.
First of all, why did you switch from making mobile games to PC and console? Is there a chance for a mobile port of Phantom Blade Zero at some point?
We have relied on mobile games to develop our player community and accumulated the necessary development experience and resources. However, we hope to pursue the best ways of expression and chase the long-cherished dreams that have been buried for so long. Moreover, from a market perspective, this actually means a shift from focusing mainly on the domestic market to seeking internationalization.
Shipping PBZ to mobile devices is indeed an interesting topic. However, games developed with Un eal Engine 5 do not possess this feasibility yet. Perhaps cloud gaming could help us provide the same experience across all platforms.
What are the challenges you encountered in switching from mobile to PC and consoles?
There are no difficulties, only relief. In the past, we used to create free-to play, online, mobile games with millions of registrations. There were tons of troubles, normally not fun to work with at all. Only 20% of our energy was spent on actual creativity.
With PC and console games, we have returned to a pure creative domain. Now, we can fully immerse ourselves in perfecting the story, art, and gameplay. Just think about it – now, we don’t need to worry about how to compensate or refund for in-game payment failures! We don’t need to figure out how to make the game run on those $100 smartphones or how to minimize the resource package size during the game’s loading to reduce churn rate! Isn’t it relief?
How will the setting differ from other Chinese fantasy themed games like Black Myth: Wukong, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, or Sword and Fairy?
Our game is based on Chinese Wuxia culture, but it is a 100% original fictional world, blending a wide range of cool and dark elements. Personally, I have been influenced by various cultures. I grew up in China, received professional design education in the United States, and is a zealot of Japanese anime culture. This nature has allowed me to maintain an open-minded perspective at all times. In PBZ, we didn’t develop our creation based on any classical Chinese novels, and it’s certainly not a style you’ve seen before. Instead, we have defined a unique style called “KungfuPunk,” which is basically targeting international audiences.
Can you discuss your main inspirations for Phantom Blade Zero?
There are many sources of inspiration, including traditional Chinese Wuxia novels, 70s~90s Hong Kong films, Japanese manga such as Vagabond, Berserk, and Claymore. The concept of a killer who betrayed his organization being hunted down by former colleagues is somewhat reminiscent of John Wick. In terms of games, Ninja Gaiden, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Nioh have also provided me with a lot of inspiration.
How many weapons are you going to include in the final game?
A lot of weapons to choose from, and they will be presented with some undisclosed game systems. I’d rather keep this information for later.
Can you talk about the character progression system in Phantom Blade Zero?
The game is essentially an action RPG with rich character progression elements integrated with the storyline and gameplay. More detailed information will also be revealed in the future.
Are boss fights a focus in the game? How many of them are you planning to have in Phantom Blade Zero?
Boss battles are definitely the game’s highlights, and they are the reason you develop your skill and character. There are a considerable number of unique and distinctive bosses in the game, but the specific quantity cannot be disclosed yet. Additionally, there are also plenty of secret bosses concealed in the deepest corners of dungeons.
We adopt the most traditional game design approach, avoiding automated mass production. Instead, we meticulously handcraft each intense battle, ensuring they are thoughtfully designed and tailored to provide players with a challenging and rewarding experience.
How is the multiplayer going to work? You’ve said multiplayer dungeons are available after completing the campaign – does that mean the campaign won’t be playable in co-op?
Yes, the story cannot be experienced cooperatively. I hope it is a very pure narrative and immersive journey. We will design multiplayer experiences for some endgame content.
How is UE5 empowering you to create a game of this scope, even with such a small team?
Unreal Engine 5 is there to enable small teams like us to create large-scale games or, at the very least, significantly reduce the gap between small and large studios. We have a good relationship with Epic China, and they have provided us with a lot of support. With Unreal Engine 5, we can easily achieve stunning visuals without the need for a large tech team to build the rendering framework from scratch (which is generally the most expensive and high-risk phase in game development). Everyone can just jump to gameplay productions.
Will Phantom Blade Zero support both Lumen and Nanite?
Yes, Lumen allows us to create a gloomy and foggy atmosphere without making it too dark. Nanite enables us to use high-quality assets without impacting the framerate.
Are you planning to use hardware ray tracing on PS5 and/or PC?
Yes, we have received great support from AMD and NVidia. They have provided their own hardware-based ray tracing solutions for both PS5(AMD) and PC. For our combat system that emphasizes speed, variability, and smoothness, maintaining a stable frame rate while delivering impressive visual effects is crucial.
Will the PS5 version include different presets (e.g., quality graphics mode, 60FPS performance mode)?
Yes, if everything goes as planned, we intend to offer two modes: 2K at 60fps and 4K at 30fps. However, I agree that this is still a compromise. Our team is actively seeking ways to achieve 4K at 60fps on PS5, or at least a stable 45~50fps, to provide players with the best possible gaming experience.
You’ve said you plan to take advantage of the DualSense’s haptics and adaptive triggers. Will that apply to the PC version, too, when using the DualSense controller?
Yes, we will do our best to make the controller functionality applicable to all versions of the game.
Since the game’s development only started in earnest a year and a half ago, is it fair to assume the release is at least two years away?
Even for the most experienced team, completing a project like this would take several years, not to mention our team are relatively young.
We cannot yet estimate the exact time of project completion, but we will try to showcase some of the latest achievements during different stages of development. We hope everyone can continue to follow our progress and stay tuned！
Thank you for your time.
