Black Myth Wukong changed the Chinese video game industry. The best-selling game of 2024 moved over 25 million copies and opened the floodgates for a wave of Chinese AAA games. Everyone is now looking for the “next Black Myth Wukong,” and expectations have been high for Phantom Blade Zero ever since its dazzling reveal trailer at a 2023 PlayStation State of Play. The team at developer S-Game is well aware of the crushing expectations, but after finally getting some lengthy hands-on time with Phantom Blade Zero, I think it might just be up to the task.
Phantom Blade Zero pulls inspiration from a wealth of different sources, including Wuxia film, Devil May Cry, and Dark Souls, then fuses all of that into a unique and stylish package. As part of a multi-day trip, Inverse visited S-Game and played several hours of Phantom Blade Zero, and my time left me dying to see more of it.
