Throughout the latest ChinaJoy 2023 stage presentation, developer S-Recreation introduced that it’ll launch a 30-minute demo for the upcoming motion RPG Phantom Blade Zero. Extra particulars have but to be revealed. Phantom Blade Zero will launch for PlayStation 5 and PC. A launch date has but to be introduced. The sport is ready in a semi-open world, with “bleak and punishing” gameplay, with gamers accessing a number of weapons, armor, artifacts, abilities, and extra. In Phantom Blade Zero, gamers play as Soul, “an elite murderer serving an elusive however highly effective group recognized merely as “The Order.””
“What’s your plan, figuring out you may have solely 66 days to stay?”
This journey started with Rainblood: City of Demise, an indie recreation I made again in 2010. The event course of was a inventive outlet for me as an structure scholar, first in Beijing and later New Haven.
After I returned to China, I based my very own improvement studio, S-GAME, and Rainblood grew right into a franchise that might later turn out to be Phantom Blade. Most of those titles had been for smartphones and by no means launched exterior of China, however we nonetheless managed to construct a fan base of over 20 million gamers.
Now, permit me to introduce Phantom Blade Zero, the religious rebirth of the unique Rainblood and the sport we all the time wished to make.
Kung-Fu Punk
Phantom World, the universe by which the sport is ready, is a spot the place many sorts of powers converge. Right here you’ll discover Chinese language Kung-Fu, intricate machines paying homage to steampunk, arts of the occult, and different intriguing components that don’t fairly match into any of those classes.
In Phantom Blade Zero, you play as Soul, an elite murderer serving an elusive however highly effective group recognized merely as “The Order.” Soul is framed for the homicide of The Order’s patriarch, gravely injured within the ensuing manhunt, and, although his life is saved by a mystic healer, the makeshift remedy will solely final for 66 days. Now, he should battle towards highly effective foes and inhuman monstrosities, all whereas searching for out the mastermind behind all of it earlier than his time runs out.
From Louis Cha’s Wuxia tales and Bruce Lee’s movies to Michelle Yeoh in The whole lot All over the place All at As soon as and Donnie Yen in John Wick: Chapter 4, Phantom Blade Zero attracts on a variety of martial arts icons, however with a twist of its personal. What we name “Kung-Fu Punk” instills a heavy dose of punk spirit and our distinctive visible aesthetic.
Worldbuilding
Phantom Blade Zero unfolds in a semi-open world, consisting of a number of massive maps crammed with numerous, handcrafted actions.
This world of Phantom Blade Zero is bleak and punishing, a continuing reminder to by no means let your guard down. Looking for out the sport’s many challenges and energy foes will reward you with weapons, armor, artifacts, abilities, and different methods to customise or progress your character.
Genuine Motion by Mr. Kenji Tanigaki, Motion Director
Having a decade of cell improvement beneath our belts, we’ve realized to simplify management inputs for touchscreens, giving gamers methods to execute elaborate strikes with out senseless “button-mashing.” We’ve taken these classes and utilized them to motion gameplay with a controller.
And we’re honored to have Mr. Kenji Tanigaki as our motion director, the battle choreography grasp behind most of the traditional martial arts movies that impressed us. For Phantom Blade Zero, Kenji-san bodily demonstrated every transfer within the recreation to be scanned by a digital camera matrix. This knowledge was then used as reference materials for our animation artists, who would then rebuild these strikes by hand to be used within the recreation.
That is all we are able to disclose for now, however there’s far more to return.
