With the title set to launch later this year, Phantom Blade Zero’s creator Soulframe Liang has argued the upcoming action RPG isn’t a true “soulslike” – or even a traditional action game.
Phantom Blade Zero’s creator Soulframe Liang has said the upcoming action RPG isn’t a true “soulslike” – or even a traditional action game.
Phantom Blade Zero creator and S‑GAME CEO Soulframe pushed back on genre comparisons, saying the title is “neither a soulslike nor a traditional action game”.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Soulframe wrote through the official Phantom Blade Zero account: “People thought it was a ‘Soulslike’… After we released some combat demo, people noticed that the pace was clearly much faster… it must be a ‘hack and slash’ game.
“Genre is a label based on stereotypes… Phantom Blade Zero is neither a Soulslike game nor a traditional action game.”
The S-GAME CEO noted that early impressions tied the game to soulslike titles such as Elden Ring due to its interconnected maps and “sigh‑of‑relief checkpoints,” but insists the gameplay is faster and distinct.
He added: “I’ve always admired the creators who defined these genres. I spent yers immersed in their work, drawing inspiration and learning from their brilliance. But in the process of making this game, we stumbled onto a path we never expected
“At first, we just wanted to make a game that brought ‘hack and slash’ into a multi-layered map.
“But once the animations and environmental assets came together, everything was ‘stitched together’, by a strong cultural aesthetic – creating something that felt deeply familiar to us, yet is rarely seen or experienced in games.”
Phantom Blade Zero isn’t a true ‘soulslike’ game, says creator
