If you love Cyberpunk and Chinese Kungfu with a medieval Chinese theme, then you will want to check out this upcoming game from Chinese studio S-Game. Called Phantom Blade Zero, it is the most anticipated Chinese AAA title since Black Myth: Wukong.
Where the latter captivates with its folklore-mixed mythical adventure and breathtaking scenery based on real-world locations across China, Phantom Blade Zero shines with the involvement of Chinese kungfu superstar Donnie Yen. You may know Yen from his Ip Man series and his supporting roles in Rogue One (as Chirrut Îmwe) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (as Caine).
His involvement in the game goes far beyond serving as its Creative Director. He also lends his face to the boss in the secret level, as well as his moves. In addition, he also did the voice-over for the English edition. The Chinese voice-over is done by his Chinese voice-over artist from the Ip Man series.
The game is not for Wuxia (medieval-era martial arts) purists. It combines an ancient martial arts adventure with steam-powered machinery. Even the weapons aren’t just plain swords and daggers. They are intertwined with intricate mechanical devices—a theme that isn’t strange to the old martial arts world.
In this game, players take on the role of Soul, an assassin with only 66 days left to live, who uncovers a martial arts conspiracy on his quest for revenge. This is an interesting game mechanic because if you fail to complete the main missions by the end of the 66 days or exhaust all your lives, you will have to start all over again, with all saved files deleted.
Damn. That’s brutal. If you “die” in the game, it apparently deducts a day from the remaining number of days. The pressure is on!
All told, it has four difficulty levels to choose from. The aforementioned 66 Days is the hardest of the four. The other three difficulty levels are Wayfarer, Pathbreaker, and Hellwalker. Wayfarer is the easiest, and Hellwalker is the second most insane, after 66 Days.
The combat emphasizes freedom of choice. It offers more than 30 primary weapons and 25 secondary weapons that can be switched at any time to deal with different enemies.
It is not open-world like many games pitched today, though. The game features eight visually distinct, seamlessly connected maps, with hand-painted ink-wash artwork guiding exploration.
Phantom Blade Zero is set to launch on October 29, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. It comes in a standard edition (US$59.99) and a deluxe edition (US$69.99).
The deluxe edition bags you two deluxe edition-exclusive outfits: Wulin Legend and Blood-Steel Form, plus a digital artbook and digital soundtrack (OST).
Pre-orders for the game are happening as we speak, if anyone’s interested. Gamers who pre-order a copy will get an early unlock of the Treasure Basin accessory and an early unlock of the Legacy outfit.
Images: S-Game.
