{"rewrite":{"id":"r_047e9c8cbc17dccfaa03e863","clusterId":"c_0d64dae9cddbf5c9da9a6920","slug":"s-game-opens-phantom-blade-zero-to-six-hour-hands-on","model":"deepseek-v4-1-flash","headline":"S-Game Opens Phantom Blade Zero to Six-Hour Hands-On","summary":"S-GAME held a hands-on event in Beijing for Phantom Blade Zero, its wuxia action RPG launching October 29 on PS5 and PC. Press played roughly six hours, clearing most of Chapter 1 and sampling late-game bosses including the sword fanatic Hua Qianxiao and the lion dance boss Flame. Protagonist Soul, framed and given an artificial heart, has 66 days to live. A Sha-Chi resource governs attack and defense; parrying blue attacks opens a Ghost Step counter, while red attacks demand evasion. Defeated enemies stay dead, so upgrades come from exploring new areas rather than farming. The game ships in Standard at 8,580 yen and Digital Deluxe at 9,980 yen. Donnie Yen is a creative consultant and plays Soul's father, Mo Yan, also one of the bosses. Director Liang Qiwei, known as Soulframe, and sound producer Bo Caisheng spoke at the event.","whyItMatters":"S-GAME keeps claiming Phantom Blade Zero is not a soulslike, and the event was built to prove it: six hours of exploration, finite map resources, no enemy respawns, and an RPG base under the swordplay.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFour difficulty modes: Wayfarer (Easy), Normal, Hard, and 66 Days. Wayfarer lowers enemy aggression and makes guards easier to break, not just the numbers. Hard and 66 Days share the same top-level AI; 66 Days only adds a cap of 66 deaths.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect quote from Soulframe at the event: \u0026#34;In Easy mode, it feels like watching a kung fu movie with simple button operations.\u0026#34;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe 66 Days mode is the one where \u0026#34;no one on the development team has been able to clear it without dying.\u0026#34; Soulframe says he believes a skilled player will eventually manage it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoss count: Soulframe corrected the reported figure on the spot, saying \u0026#34;at least 50\u0026#34; bosses and \u0026#34;actually more\u0026#34; than 30, since every weapon drops from one.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDevelopment method draws on Donnie Yen\u0026#39;s account of the split between Hong Kong and Hollywood action production. Hong Kong shoots fight scenes improvisationally; Hollywood pre-boards everything. S-GAME used both.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMusic producer Bo Caisheng called the score the culmination of \u0026#34;18 years\u0026#34; pursuing new Chinese-style music, continuing from the studio\u0026#39;s earlier indie title Rainblood and enlisting top pipa and erhu players.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMotion capture was done at Shanghai studio FLYING GOAT. Actors recorded more than 10 variations of basic actions like approaching an enemy so the game\u0026#39;s system can pick one based on posture and state.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSide quests affect the ending. Soulframe confirmed the game has multiple endings, and that Donnie Yen\u0026#39;s character Mo Yan is positioned as a sub-character who appears throughout.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEstimated playtime: about 20 to 30 hours for the main story, and 50 or more with side content.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Phantom Blade Zero kills its enemies permanently, so S-Game builds progression around territory rather than grind. Parry a blue attack and Ghost Step counters, but red attacks force a dodge.","twitterPost":"S-Game makes Phantom Blade Zero's dead stay dead, so leveling comes from new ground, not farming the same road.","threadsPost":"Phantom Blade Zero removes respawning enemies, so S-Game ties progression to exploring new areas instead of farming. Its combat splits on color: blue attacks parry into Ghost Step counters, red attacks must be dodged. Soul has 66 days to live and an artificial heart.","newsletterBlurb":"S-GAME invited press to Beijing for six hours with Phantom Blade Zero and came armed with an argument: this is an RPG with swordplay on top, not a soulslike. Defeated enemies stay dead, upgrades come from new ground, and four difficulty options include a 66-death limit mode. It launches October 29 on PS5 and PC.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"GAME Watch (Impress)\",\"url\":\"https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/preview/2146727.html\",\"title\":\"Over 50 Bosses! Kung Fu Spirit Explodes in Action Game \\\"Phantom Blade Zero\\\" Hands-On Preview\"},{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/709/G070944/20261006038/\",\"title\":\"「Phantom Blade Zero」はハイスピードアクションをRPGの土台に載せた\\\"ピラミッド構造\\\"［インタビュー］\"},{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/709/G070944/20261006026/\",\"title\":\"Phantom Blade Zero Is a Dense Wuxia Action RPG With Not Just Swordplay but Exploration Too; Even Button-Mashing Lets You Become the Star of a Kung Fu Movie\"},{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/reportjp/20261009-472629/\",\"title\":\"Phantom Blade Zero, a major new title for PS5/PC, mocap was practically a martial arts dojo. Behind the scenes of a serious kung fu action game that also features Donnie Yen\"},{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/interviewsjp/20261009-472623/\",\"title\":\"PS5/PC Highly Anticipated Action Game 'Phantom Blade Zero' Developer Says the Foundation Is an RPG; Boss Fights Require Brains, Not Just Skill. But the High Difficulty Comes from 'Human-like Enemy AI' and Mind Games on the Level of PvP\"},{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/reportjp/20261009-472617/\",\"title\":\"PS5/PC's Next Big Anticipated Title 'Phantom Blade Zero' Played for a Full '6 Hours'; Not a Soulslike, but a Robust Wuxia Action Game Packed with Rich Side Content\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/10/09/173402.html\",\"title\":\"About 6 Hours of Early Hands-On With the Anticipated New Sword-Fighting Action Game 'Phantom Blade Zero'! \\\"The More You Attack, the Better It Feels\\\" - High-Speed Swordplay and a Wuxia World That Makes You Want to Take Detours\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/10/09/173401.html\",\"title\":\"\\\"Anyone Can Become a Kung Fu Master\\\": Phantom Blade Zero Developer Interview - Learning the DNA of Action from Donnie Yen, and the Game's Unique RPG Design\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":57724,"outputTokens":1926,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1791507129,"createdAt":"2026-10-09T00:48:29.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-10-09T00:51:05.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-09T00:51:05.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_0d64dae9cddbf5c9da9a6920","canonicalTitle":"PS5/PC次なる注目の大作『Phantom Blade Zero』を「6時間」たっぷり遊んできた。ソウルライクではないけど骨太、寄り道濃厚武侠アクション","representativeArticleId":"a_3358fccdacb4148feda320e9","sourceCount":4,"writtenSourceCount":4,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Phantom Blade Zero\"],\"studios\":[\"S-GAME\"],\"people\":[\"Donnie Yen\",\"Soulframe\",\"Bo Caisheng\"],\"type\":\"review\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-10-09T00:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-10-09T00:00:30.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-09T00:51:05.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/709/G070944/20261006038/","title":"「Phantom Blade Zero」はハイスピードアクションをRPGの土台に載せた“ピラミッド構造”［インタビュー］"},{"source":"GAME Watch (Impress)","url":"https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/preview/2146727.html","title":"ボス50体以上！カンフー魂爆発アクション「Pantom Blade Zero」先行レビュー"},{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/reportjp/20261009-472629/","title":"PS5/PC注目の大型新作『Phantom Blade Zero』のモーキャプ、もはや武術道場だった。ドニー・イェンも参加する本気カンフーアクションゲームの裏側"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/10/09/173402.html","title":"期待の新作剣戟ACT『Phantom Blade Zero』を約6時間先行プレイ！“攻めるほど気持ちいい”高速剣戟と、寄り道したくなる武侠世界"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Phantom Blade Zero"],"studios":["S-GAME"],"people":["Donnie Yen","Soulframe","Bo Caisheng"],"type":"review","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Phantom Blade Zero is scheduled for release on October 29 on PS5 and PC, with a Standard Edition priced at 8,580 yen and a Digital Deluxe Edition at 9,980 yen.","S-GAME founder and director Liang Qiwei said the game contains at least 50 bosses, matching 30 main weapons and more than 25 Phantom Edges.","A hands-on event in Beijing let press play about six hours, covering most of Chapter 1 and two bosses cut from the later game.","Phantom Blade Zero has four difficulty options: Wayfarer, Normal, Hellwalker, and 66 Days, which ends the run after 66 deaths but uses the same enemy AI as Hellwalker.","Donnie Yen is a creative consultant on Phantom Blade Zero and voices and plays Mo Yan, the protagonist's father, who appears as a boss."]}