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

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Could Phantom Blade Zero be the first official "Wuxia Action" game?

Phantom Blade 0
(Image credit: S-Game)

Phantom Blade Zero's creator has doubled down on the reminder that his upcoming action RPG definitely isn't a Soulslike, nor is it a "traditional action game" – in fact, he believes it could "create a new identity" entirely.

Developed by S-Game, Phantom Blade Zero puts players into the shoes of an assassin, and in a new statement from its creator (as well as CEO of S-Game) Soulframe Liang, it's acknowledged that when the game was "first announced, people thought it was a 'Soulslike.' After all, it seemed to feature interconnected maps, hidden secrets, and those sigh-of-relief checkpoints."

Liang says he's "always admired the creators who defied these genres. I spent years immersed in their work, drawing inspiration and learning from their brilliance."

It sounds like he's learned plenty, as it appears that he and the team at S-Game inadvertently ended up creating something unique with Phantom Blade Zero. He notes: "In the process of making this game, we stumbled onto a path we never expected:

"At first, we just wanted to make a game that brought 'hack and slash' into a multi-layered map. But once the animations and environmental assets came together, everything was 'stitched together' by a strong cultural aesthetic – creating something that felt deeply familiar to us, yet is rarely seen or experienced in games."

Liang then points to the long history of "Chinese kung fu and the spirit of Xia," noting that "across different historical periods, they've always managed to find new forms of expression – and within those forms, created distinct genres of their own." He gives the example of "kung fu films, Wuxia films, or martial arts films" which became known as their own distinct branch from the broader action genre from the 1960s onwards.

"Likewise, Phantom Blade Zero is not exactly a 'Soulslike' game or a traditional 'action game,'" he continues. "Broadly speaking, it falls under the category of ARPGs. But more specifically – maybe it could create a new identity that is Wuxia Action Games?"

S-Game is hosting an in-person preview event for Phantom Blade Zero in Beijing next month, which it hopes will give players "a clearer glimpse of the game's core experience." What's more, Liang reiterates that the plan is to "officially announce the launch date before 2025 runs out," so here's hoping we get some more news soon.

People said it wasn't hard enough, so one Phantom Blade Zero dev cooked up a hardcore difficulty mode that changes enemy AI so much it feels more like PvP.

Catherine Lewis
Catherine Lewis
Deputy News Editor

I'm GamesRadar+'s Deputy News Editor, working alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.

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