Phantom Blade Zero Refuses to Play by the Rules, Aiming to Redefine Action RPG Genre

Phantom Blade Zero is quickly becoming one of the most interesting upcoming action RPGs, and not just because of its intense battles and moody graphics. It also doesn't fit nicely into any one genre category. The game, developed by the Chinese company S-GAME, has already garnered a lot of attention thanks to trailers and gameplay demos that look and sound amazing. 

But the person who made the game says that the similarities to Dark Souls and Devil May Cry are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Phantom Blade Zero is really about. Soulframe Liang is the founder and CEO of S-GAME and the artistic lead on Phantom Blade Zero. He is at the center of this project. In a recent interview, Liang talked about the growing rumors and genre assumptions going around in the gaming community. 

From the beginning, early videos led people to believe the game would be similar to FromSoftware's Soulsborne series, especially due to its dark fantasy setting, difficult enemies, and shrine-based checkpoint system. Later, a hands-on combat demo seemed to change the subject. Both reviewers and fans started to compare the game to character-action games, especially Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry, because of its lightning-fast combos and highly choreographed melee sequences.

However, Liang says that these similarities aren't helpful and that they're actually not that relevant. From his point of view, Phantom Blade Zero is not a Soulslike. It's also not just a hack-and-slash game. He says that trying to put it within a genre based only on known rules of that genre limits the imagination. Liang says that genres are made up of beliefs. "These are helpful guides, but they don't always show what a game is really trying to become."

Liang and his team have adopted a more natural way of coming up with ideas instead of following pre-existing plans. The point isn't to copy what's already famous but to come up with something new—something that hits home culturally and feels mechanically new. There are some structural parallels between Phantom Blade Zero and other action RPGs, but the way it was designed is very different in important ways.

The cultural character of the game is one of the most important parts of this difference. The S-GAME team understood, as they worked on the game, that they were making more than just an action game. They were making an interactive tribute to the spirit of traditional Chinese martial arts fiction. 

Everything about the game, from the way the fights are choreographed to the story's themes, is influenced by wuxia, a literature and film genre that celebrates martial heroes. Liang talks about the wide range of ways that Chinese martial arts are shown in books, TV shows, and old-school kung fu movies. This idea runs through the whole world of Phantom Blade Zero, creating settings and characters that feel both fantastical and rooted in real-life stories.

The way the game's fighting works also shows this creative drive. Some might compare it to how smooth Sekiro or Bayonetta is, but Liang says the fighting is more than just a mix of speed and style. The goal is for every cut, dodge, and counter to feel intentional and balletic.

This is done to capture the grace and rhythm of martial arts as a performance art. The animations were made by hand and are adjusted based on the situation to create a sense of speed, balance, and stress that rewards timing as much as it does aggression. It feels like the weapons are heavy, and switching between forms feels more like real-life martial arts than like an arcade show.

This idea is further strengthened by the world design. The levels are set up so that you can explore them in different ways without having to rely on big, open worlds. Instead, players will find themselves in zones that are tightly connected and full of secrets, shortcuts, and stories that happen in the world. 

The broken state of the story is reflected in the game world, a place where politics are unstable, magical evil is common, and morals are unclear. It's hard for the main character, a skilled assassin caught in a web of betrayal, revenge, and supernatural forces, to move through this world without killing anyone.

Phantom Blade Zero is officially an action RPG, but Liang sees it as a chance to make something that defines the genre instead of just fitting into it. He wants to create a new type of creative work that combines the storytelling power of Eastern tales with modern game design, but he doesn't want to fall into old game loops, making that an exciting promise for players who want to stand out in a field that's becoming less willing to take risks.

To add to the excitement, S-GAME has announced that they will be organising a live, and in-person preview event in Beijing later this year. This event will give some press and influencers a chance to get hands-on with the game. The company also stated that a firm release date will be announced before the end of 2025. 

As the team works to make their vision even clearer, Phantom Blade Zero stands as a strong statement: an engaging experience born from respect for culture, rejection of genre norms, and design ambition. Part of what makes Phantom Blade Zero so interesting is that the puzzle is still there. This company is not only trying to beat the big names in the space, but it's also going its own way. 

The video game industry is still debating whether to innovate or iterate. S-GAME's future game might be a good lesson that games don't have to be all the same. The events that totally break it are sometimes the ones that people remember the most.