As promised last week, developer S-Game showed off more of Phantom Blade Zero in a special PlayStation State of Play presentation last night. The action game was too big for just one 11-minute trailer, and now we have an additional 20 minutes of gameplay to take a look at ahead of the launch in October.
First off, there's the game's world, which is split into eight hand-crafted maps. It's not an open world, but isn't entirely linear, either, according to creative director Soulframe Liang. As our protagonist, Soul, searches for a cure to his ailing heart with only 66 days to live, he'll traverse across a broad range of environments, from huge lakes to narrow valleys packed with bandits.
To face the threats coming your way in Phantom Blade Zero, you'll need a weapon. There are 30 primary weapons and 25 secondary weapons to use in the game, from long-range cannons to swords, spears, and gauntlets that let your fists do the talking.
As it has been compared to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice since its reveal, we know Phantom Blade Zero will not be the easiest game to play. However, there are some difficulty options for you to tune the experience to your liking. Wayfarer Mode lets you have a cinematic approach to the story, focusing less on punishing gameplay. Pathbreaker is the normal mode, with Hellwalker being the most difficult, giving us enemies that will adapt to our tactics on the fly. 66 Days Mode is the most interesting difficulty, as it doesn't make enemies tougher, but it does give you just 66 days to live, with each death costing a day. A fresh take on permadeath, and part of the unique vibe of Phantom Blade Zero you can check out in the deep dive below.
Phantom Blade Zero launches on PC and PS5 on the 29th of October.
