Phantom Blade Zero is a stunning action RPG that gives the best of all time a run for their money. Check out our full review of S-Game's first AAA title.
Phantom Blade Zero is a stunning action RPG that gives the best of all time a run for their money. Phenomenal combat, a beautiful world, and a confidently original story wrapped up in a package that's an intricately designed Metroidvania at heart. It's a special game.
Ever since my first time seeing Phantom Blade Zero in person at Summer Game Fest earlier this year, I knew to expect the spectacular. Halfway through my demo, the PR team ushered me behind a curtain to see a video of a boss fight that Soulframe, the game's director, had just been sent. I wasn't allowed to talk about it at the time, but it blew me away. The fluidity of the action, the beauty of the arena, and the epic three-stage music were incredible. I expected it to be a highlight of the game, though, rather than just one of countless incredible moments the full game boasts.
The question of what exactly Phantom Blade Zero is has been floating around for years. S-Game insists that it's not a Soulslike, while the checkpoint system and general aesthetic say otherwise, and that it's primarily an action RPG. What I believe it is more than anything else, however, is a Metroidvania. Exploration, backtracking, finding keys, secret bosses, and blocked paths are core to Phantom Blade Zero. In that sense, it's a remarkably well-designed game.
The action RPG identity of S-Game's adventure is phenomenal, too. Its vision for kung-fu punk has well and truly been realized. Fighting enemies big and small feels incredible. The martial arts animations flow beautifully, slashing away at enemies as you try to figure out their attack patterns.
You have your trusty block, although you need to parry attacks that flash blue, and perfect dodge those that flash red. Each time you nail the timing, the action slows and Soul, your protagonist, flips and twists in a puff of smoke to turn the tide of the fight. Every success, from the moment you wake in the Weeping Creek Valley until the spectacular final fight, is so satisfying.
A lot of the fights require the same tactic: parry attacks until you 'guard-break' the enemy, then unload your arsenal on them while it regenerates. Rinse and repeat until they're dead… or their second phase begins. While that may sound simple and repetitive, the variety in foes and their attacks keeps it from being so. You'll engage in standard hand-to-hand combat, sword vs sword, but will also have to dodge the likes of huge laser beams, hundreds of blades raining from the sky, leaps across arenas, and countless other unique attacks.
This is where Phantom Blade Zero's suite of weapons comes in, too. While you start with a pretty standard sword, you eventually get access to a huge hammer, a mask that spits fire, chains with blades on the end, and even a sword that makes you drunk, and you must think about which is the best option for each fight.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.pcgamesn.com/phantom-blade-zero/review
