Phantom Blade Zero is an action RPG for people tired of Soulslikes: Dev says "have fun, unwind"

When I first played Phantom Blade Zero earlier this year at Gamescom Latam, I left the hands-on demo with a spring in my step. I had just played a Dark Souls-style action RPG (though decidedly not a Soulslike), and I kind of kicked a bunch of ass. The action was fast-paced, the combos were slick, and most importantly, boss fights didn't leave me questioning every decision in my life that led to the encounter. I liked it, and I wrote a whole piece about how I wished more big-budget action RPGs were similar.

Now that the wuxia-flavored Phantom Blade Zero is out in the wild, it's clear that it's the entry level dark fantasy action RPG for me and for everyone else who's tired of seeing a new game, being intrigued by it, and then being pounded into submission by that game's ridiculous difficulty curve. As I said back in May, I want to love Elden Ring. I want to love Sekiro. I really want to love Bloodborne. They just need to chill a little bit, or at least give me the option to lower the difficulty.

Phantom Blade Zero, on the other hand, shares some of the same attractive qualities of a good Soulslike—the lengthy, cinematic boss fights, the grotesque enemy designs, the deep lore—but without the mandatory brutality. Critic and player reviews alike suggest the game is far more forgiving than your typical Soulslike, with difficulty options in case you want more or less of a challenge. And in a Twitter post from game director and S-Games CEO "Soulframe" Liang, it's made explicitly clear that Phantom Blade Zero was designed for players of all skill levels.

"Over the past few years, we have taken a close look at many of the conventions that action RPGs and action games have long treated as unwritten rules. We have asked ourselves what players want most, and how to bring those elements together to achieve our goal: a game that everyone who loves wuxia and spectacular action can enjoy. After all, this is game," says Liang.

That last part, to me, reads like a direct answer to the ubiquity of Soulslikes in recent years. I am absolutely not judging Soulslike fans, but it's nice to see a new action RPG that's catered to a more casual crowd when there are already so many games that pride themselves on being extremely hard. After all, this is a game.

"We want as many people as possible to have fun, unwind, and enjoy the experience, while offering an extra rush of adrenaline to those who seek a challenge," says Liang.

Talking specifics beyond basic enemy damage and player health, Phantom Blade Zero doesn't punish you for dying, enemies don't respawn, and boss fights have reload points at different phases, making them much more forgiving. That sort of stuff should go a long way in keeping people like me, who don't suck at video games but are simply less patient than your average Soulslike enjoyer, engaged.

Speaking of people who want more of a challenge, for your first playthrough you'll have three difficulty settings: Wayfarer (easy), Pathbreaker (normal), and Hellwalker (take a guess). I've yet to play the release build, but it sounds like if you're expecting anywhere near the level of challenge in, say, Elden Ring, you'll want to play in Hellwalker mode, and then the permadeath challenge mode that unlocks after your first playthrough. As for me, I think Pathbreaker sounds like a nice balance.

Phantom Blade Zero has the perfect solution to Elden Ring's biggest buzzkill