Developer S-Recreation’s upcoming motion title, Phantom Blade Zero, is attempting to duplicate the sensation of taking part in via a kung fu motion film. Director “Soulframe” Liang spoke about this in a dialog with Eurogamer at Recreation Developer’s Convention 2025. On this dialog, Liang additionally spoke about managing the scope of Phantom Blade Zero by taking cues from sport improvement concepts of the 90s.
“We need to name again the golden age of Hong Kong kung fu films from the Nineteen Seventies, ranging from Bruce Lee after which Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Donnie Yen,” stated Liang. “The pattern has pale out because the early 2000s so we need to return to that and attempt to carry the pattern again.”
Staying with this concept, Liang additionally brings up Sloclap’s motion sport Sifu as one of many inspirations behind the themes and gameplay of Phantom Blade Zero. He brings up the concept that, if a French studio can do it so effectively, why couldn’t a Chinese language studio. “If a French studio can do one thing like that,” requested Liang, “why couldn’t we do one thing much more genuine from Chinese language tradition?”
Liang additionally spoke about desirous to develop video games within the fashion of the previous, again when video games have been being developed for the unique PlayStation and the PS2. Video games on the time was once extra slim of their scope, and barely did we see a sport that attempted to chew off greater than it may deal with, particularly contemplating the {hardware} limitations of the time. Liang refers back to the scope of Phantom Blade Zero as being “like a much bigger indie sport.”
“We need to get again to the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 period,” stated Liang, “when the video games weren’t so massive, the budgets not sky excessive, the group manageable, and all of the builders have been passionate and inventive and with expertise. It’s like a much bigger indie sport, however with finances and with expertise and with a steady hand, and the whole lot feels so built-in from the place to begin whenever you press down the Begin button to the end level of the workers listing.”
Together with this, Liang additionally spoke about one other main Chinese language launch—Black Fantasy: Wukong. Liang spoke about how the discharge of the title gave the bigger gaming market the realisation that there’s a massive marketplace for video games made by Chinese language builders on the worldwide stage. “Everybody now realises there may be potential for a Chinese language-made sport to make 30m copies in half a yr,” stated Liang.
Phantom Blade Zero doesn’t but have a launch date. The title is presently in improvement on PC and PS5. Rumours from final yr have indicated that S-Recreation is concentrating on a Fall 2026 launch window for the upcoming motion title. The studio revealed via an interview again in January that it expects gamers to take wherever between 20 and 30 hours to complete the principle story in Phantom Blade Zero.
A launch date for Phantom Blade Zero is anticipated to be introduced later this yr. Within the meantime, try some uncut footage of a combat in opposition to one of many title’s bosses—Chief Disciple of the Seven Stars.
