It was revealed in an interview that Phantom Blade Zero will offer four difficulty options. The hack ‘n slash will also feature several leniencies in its gameplay, such as in boss battles. For example, players won’t have to completely restart boss battles in Phantom Blade Zero if they’ve reached a boss’ second phase. If defeated, players will restart from the farthest phase they managed to get.
Phantom Blade Zero is an upcoming action RPG from Chinese studio S-Game. The game was compared to Soulslike games and Devil May Cry after its announcement. However, the studio didn’t take long to clarify its main inspirations, stating that Phantom Blade Zero features Ninja Gaiden-style combat within a Souls-like map. In other words, it blends traditional hack ‘n slash gameplay with areas that encourage exploration. Most importantly, Phantom Blade Zero will include a feature many Soulslikes often refuse to implement.
According to the Chinese forum Tieba, Phantom Blade Zero will include four difficulty levels. Based on a machine translation, these appear to be Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard. While difficulty settings aren’t new in games, they remain a contentious topic regarding Soulslikes and a potential easy mode. The inclusion of difficulty levels in Phantom Blade Zero was championed by some and criticized by others. At the moment, it’s unclear whether the difficulty levels will impact specific gameplay elements because the forum message also mentioned a potential mechanic where the ending changes based on how many times the player dies.
The same announcement revealed that Phantom Blade Zero will feature a main story estimated to take 20 to 30 hours to complete, alongside an additional 20 hours of side content, aligning it more with modern action RPGs than pure hack ‘n slash games, which are generally much shorter. Regarding side content, Phantom Blade Zero will include a boss rush mode, allowing players to rematch bosses from the main campaign while also introducing hidden bosses.
The news reinforced some details, such as that Phantom Blade Zero will feature 30 primary and 20 secondary weapons. The primary weapons will consist of blades, including single swords and dual blades, while the secondary weapons will range from spears to hammers. In a boss fight trailer, Phantom Blade Zero’s combat showcased promising kung fu-inspired choreography with a frenetic pace. So far, 2025 is shaping up to be an excellent year for hack ‘n slash announcements and releases, including Phantom Blade Zero itself, the reveal of Ninja Gaiden 4, and the upcoming Lost Soul Aside.
Phantom Blade Zero looks absolutely incredible.
▫️ Fast and fluid combat
▫️ Pure action game
▫️ Main story around 20-30 hours
▫️ 20-30 hours of side content
▫️ 30 main weapons and 20+ secondary weapons
▫️ 4 difficulty levels from Easy to Very Hard
▫️ Replay boss fights as many… pic.twitter.com/yyyjR2WR5X— KAMI (@Okami13_) January 27, 2025
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Related Forum: PlayStation Forum
Source: https://gamerant.com/phantom-blade-zero-difficulty-options/
