Phantom Blade Zero had the privilege of being the ultimate sport in The Summer season Recreation Fest earlier this month. The Soulslike gameplay of the supernatural sword combating sport was mesmerizing.
I performed it hands-on and located it was an accessible sport, designed to allow even inept gamers like me to struggle in a skillful method in opposition to the lightning-fast assaults from foes within the sport. But it surely might additionally require a lot talent in components 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 crew of fifty sport builders at S-Recreation. 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 consistently die on this sport, however I additionally discovered I needed to outwit the massive teams of enemies and take them out in the fitting 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 among 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 sport is just not 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, nevertheless it’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 model of sport?
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’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 bit of tougher when there have been a number of completely different sorts of enemies. I needed to keep in mind how one can cope with every sort. Perhaps eliminate the archer first.
Liang: Sure, there are a number of methods to do this. The extent you simply skilled, there’s truly a easy solution to get by it. You possibly can assassinate the archer, utilizing your bow to shoot them down from the opposite aspect. Then you should utilize the cannon to explode the enemies across the bonfire. Then you definitely’ll go into fight with lower than half as many enemies. You will have a number of methods to cope with the conditions you face. That’s one other method we alter the issue. Gamers can attempt other ways of getting by.
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 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. In the event you’re not attempting to excellent parry the assault, you simply want to carry that very same button. It’ll eat the yellow meter below your HP gauge, although. In the event you see the blue eye assaults and pink eye assaults, the blue eye assaults are one thing you’ll be able to’t block usually. These it’s essential parry. And the pink eye assaults are one thing you’ll be able to’t parry. You need to dodge these.
GamesBeat: With the second boss, if you happen to hit a single R1, his ranged assault would nonetheless hit you.
Liang: In the event you time the parry proper, it gained’t. The wave would possibly undergo your physique, however you gained’t lose any HP. The most important variations between the bosses, it’s the completely different rhythms of the blue eye and pink eye assaults. That’s the important thing to defeating the enemies. You need to be taught the tempo and rhythm of the boss assaults. Then you definitely simply should parry the blue eyes and dodge the pink 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 sport is way simpler than a median Souls sport, the entry problem. Now we have problem choices.
GamesBeat: You don’t should beat everybody again and again, 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 which may take one other 20 or 30 hours.
GamesBeat: How huge is your crew?
Liang: Now we have 50 individuals in Beijing, and we’re attempting to broaden. However we don’t need to get as huge as 100 individuals. It’s nonetheless a comparatively small crew. We don’t have a launch window but, however growth goes easily.
GamesBeat: Have been you pleased with the response at Summer season Recreation 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. 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, nevertheless it’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 displaying cinematics. That’s why we introduced the demo we did this 12 months, to indicate that every little thing is playable. We made some changes to the digicam 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 up to now?
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 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 primary 2D turn-based sport. However I felt like I created one thing particular there, a mixture 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.
