Initially mistaken for a soulslike, Phantom Blade Zero is actually attempting to rewind the clock by a few console generations with combat inspired by original PlayStation and PS2 titles. The PlayStation 5 and PC game has an eclectic group of games it's taking cues from, but also wants to channel the iconic performances of Bruce Lee.

Speaking with GamesRadar, Phantom Blade Zero director "Soulframe" Liang said one of the "principles in deg the game" was "to bring back the golden age of Chinese kung fu movies, starting from Bruce Lee in the 1970s and into maybe the early 2000s." He continued, "The other one, for gaming itself, we want to rediscover the golden age of PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2." Liang has specifically noted Devil May Cry as the primary inspiration for Phantom Blade Zero's combat.

Phantom Blade Zero Doesn’t Want To Be Mistaken For A Soulslike

Its Action Combat Is Closer To DMC

Phantom Blade Zero dazzled with its reveal at a PlayStation Showcase in May 2023, and was quickly assumed to be a soulslike since pure action games are few and far between nowadays. Phantom Blade Zero gameplay trailers and demos have been trying to set the record straight ever since: it's not a soulslike, but is closer to "a playable kung fu movie with exploration and character progression," according to Liang.

Named as inspiration, Devil May Cry had its breakout era on the PlayStation 2, which also featured other legendary hack-and-slash action titles like the first two God of War games. Phantom Blade Zero wants to return to such halcyon days, but also "rekindle this ion for the kung fu movie." Developer and publisher Game-S has still not set a release date for Phantom Blade Zero, but its combat continues to be the major draw, and its inspirations are only becoming more clear.

Dark Souls Is Still A Major Inspiration For Phantom Blade Zero

Expect Interconnected Levels

Despite the distance its developers are intent on putting between Phantom Blade Zero and the soulslike subgenre, Liang does name Dark Souls as another inspiration. Game-S was "inspired by the pre-Elden Ring, interconnected, tight level design." The original Dark Souls is still celebrated for its intricate level design, where all of its areas are built on top of one another and connected in interesting and unforeseen ways. Level design appears to be a major focus for Phantom Blade Zero alongside its combat, with a representative from the studio telling GamesRadar:

"[Liang] actually went to school for architecture, so the level design is something that's very important for us and we want to have very robust levels, have a lot of depth to them, very dense."

Game-S isn't afraid to wear its inspirations on its sleeve with Devil May Cry, Dark Souls, and Bruce Lee films. To make the amalgamation even more odd, Phantom Blade Zero is looking to Resident Evil when creating its atmosphere. Resident Evil's remakes have elevated some of that series' PS2 classics, and it remains to be seen how far Phantom Blade Zero leans into horror.

Source: GamesRadar