Phantom Blade Zero director says playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 "reminded me of Final Fantasy 10" and "I'd love to bring back some vibes from the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 era"

Despite what our constant state of war and suffering might suggest, the human race is united by many things – like understanding that the tie dye-stained years when Sony was selling the PS1 and PS2 were cool as hell.

Director behind the to-be-released, mystical assassin RPG Phantom Blade Zero – and CEO of its developer S-game – Qiwei "Soulframe" Liang tells PC Gamer in a new interview that he yearns to make something that perfectly reflects those sparkling late '90s days. According to him, he'd be in good company. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has already done it.

"When I played Expedition 33," Liang says, "it reminded me of Final Fantasy 10, because I lived in that era." I also think that, beyond their shared turn-based combat, 2001's Final Fantasy 10 and Expedition 33 both efficiently balance the multilayered joy, goofiness, and sadness of their ensemble cast, making for an especially dreamy fantasy.

This might be, in part, what Liang is referring to when he says to PC Gamer, "I always say I'd love to bring back some vibes from the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 era, when games were not so big but were created by creative creators."

"These kinds of games are really rare nowadays," he muses, though they arrive in the shape of "something like Expedition 33."

For Phantom Blade Zero, Liang says his studio wishes "our game will also be something that can express our ideas and is well polished. It may not be the biggest game in the industry. Doesn't have to be. But I wish it can present our very honest heart."

Phantom Blade Zero is "neither a Soulslike game nor a traditional action game," creator says, suggesting that "maybe it could create a new identity" altogether.