In celebration of the Year of the Snake, S-GAME is kicking off 2025 with a new trailer full of updates for Phantom Blade Zero which draws inspiration from Chinese Martial Arts.
On Wednesday, S-GAME kicked off the 2025 Year of the Snake with a new trailer for their upcoming action title, Phantom Blade Zero. The trailer showcases the leaps in quality the title has made since it was announced in 2023. In celebration of the Year of the Snake, the new trailer has not only shown the carnage the player can unleash upon enemies, it has also revealed three serpent-like weapons that players can wield in-game along with enhanced visuals brought on board by Unreal Engine 5. The trailer can be seen below.
S-GAME reveals Phantom Blade Zero has reached a “deep water” phase when it comes to in-game references, and in celebration of the Year of the Snake the development team has revealed their latest inspirations have come from Hong Kong martial arts films of the 1980s and 1990s embracing the traditional techniques of Chinese Martial Arts. The boss fight featured in the new trailer pits the player-controlled protagonist Soul, against the Seven Judgments, who appear to surround the player in a formation reminiscent of the “Big Dipper” star constellation.
The trailer digs deep into the combat encounter on display, with one move seamlessly weaving into the next, emphasizing the fluidity of hostile engagements. Next-gen technology from Unreal Engine 5 delivers visuals that have taken a notable uptick, and engaging with the Chief Disciple of the Seven Stars and the Seven Judgments showcases attention to detail.
In the fight, the player must fend off six highly coordinated enemies while attempting to attack the heart of the formation. The leader is denoted by visual cues, six enemies in the encounter wear white robes with dark hollow faces, while the leader Decree, wears blue (with the same hollow face).
In Phantom Blade Zero, surveying encounters to search for weakness is paramount and in this scenario, defeating Decree is the objective. Each enemy is highly coordinated, and the boss fight gets harder as it wears on. After dealing enough damage in souls-like fashion, the boss fight enters phase 2, turning the difficulty and focus required up a notch. This is also denoted by the heavy metal track that begins in the background during combat, a sign that things will get serious.
Aside from the exciting combat, updated visuals and faster seeming gameplay, S-GAME has also announced new weapons fans can play with in Phantom Blade Zero. White Python and Red Viper serve as the dual wield option with White Python being a longer serpentine-shaped weapon and Red Viper is a short sword designed for precision strikes. The Venomous Softblade has also been revealed, and it serves as a flexible sword capable of deflecting and parrying enemy blows with water-like movements.
S-GAME has yet to give fans a release date for the upcoming action title Phantom Blade Zero, but fans can check out the official website for more information ahead of the planned 2025 launch.
