Phantom Blade Zero Crafted A Kung Fu Punk Style So It Would Reach A Wider Audience

Revealed during Summer Games Fest Opening Night, the Phantom Blade Zero gameplay trailer quickly became one of the hottest titles of the show due to showing off some seriously cool fighting action sequences. Coupled with its somber aesthetic, and fast as lightning hack-and-slash movements, Phantom seems like it will give combat-heavy fans a run for their money.

Although initially very familiar to a Soullike game, Phantom Blade Zero has its own spin on the genre and describes itself as more of a “Ninja Gaiden combat on a Souls game map.”

As Game Rant got some hands-on time with the demo, they also got an opportunity to have a chat with the title’s game director, who goes by the moniker ‘Soulframe,’ who spoke about creating the game’s environment and also what kind of combat players will be faced with when entering its world. Soulframe said that the team’s main goal was to create a new type of style called Kung Fu Punk which incorporates “traditional Chinese culture of Kung Fu with steampunk or cyberpunk elements” so that it would spark the interest in players from all corners of the world and all backgrounds.

“We named this new style Kung Fu Punk. It’s a combination of the traditional Chinese culture of Kung Fu with steampunk or cyberpunk elements, which is a dialog between ancient culture and contemporary fashion culture, right?” stated Soulframe. “You can see, in the temples and the costumes, that some parts are very traditional and the colors are expressive of Chinese esthetics. The red clothes hanging from the trees are very traditional, but the boss with the robotic arm, the cannons and everything, and the lion head spitting fire are all very cyberpunk or something like that.”

Soulframe also describes Phantom Blade Zero fighting elements as a mix of “Ninja Gaiden combat on a Souls game map,” which will certainly pique the interest of a wide range of players who not only enjoy stealthier games but also more difficult, violent combat challenges. To help players through battle encounters, 30 different weapons can be found throughout the game to go along with the long sword, a normal sword, and dual blades. Soulframe also touched upon the ability for players to take a certain weapon from one of the bosses to be used against them in combat, which is a fascinating and fun concept.

Phantom Blade Zero is unfortunately still some time away yet and won’t be released until 2026, but it sounds like it will be worth the wait.

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