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- S-Game says it was inspired by the PS1/PS2 era of development for Phantom Blade.
- In the 90s, budgets were controlled, teams were more manageable, and creativity was the key.
- After Black Myth: Wukong’s success, expectations from Chinese devs are higher than ever.
Phantom Blade Zero is expected to be released in 2026. The action game was developed by Chinese developers S-Game, who, based on initial impressions, seem to have done a great job with it. Now, the team has revealed the motivation behind the development process.
According to developers, they want to take things back to the PS1/PS2 era of gaming with Phantom Blade, when budgets weren’t too huge and creativity was the key.
Why it matters: Modern games are often criticized for lacking creativity and playing too safe due to the enormous budgets associated with development these days.
Talking to Eurogamer at GDC 2025, Liang, the founder of S-Game, discussed the key elements of their upcoming release. The game has been inspired by Devil May Cry, Dark Souls, and Resident Evil 4, borrowing a few elements from each.
They also wanted to manage the scope of the title, so they followed the 90s (PS1/PS2 era) development approach, where creativity was the most important thing, teams were manageable, and budgets weren’t skyrocketing.
We want to get back to the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 era, when the games were not so big, the budgets not sky high, the team manageable, and all the developers were passionate and creative
Liang compared Phantom Blade to a bigger indie game with a higher budget and a more stable development team. He said that Black Myth: Wukong’s success has pressured and motivated them to do even better.
Furthermore, the world now realizes that Chinese games have the potential to sell 30 million copies in half a year, so expectations are higher than ever. Phantom Blade Zero will likely be released next year on the PS5.
What are your thoughts on devs taking inspiration from the PS1 era for Phantom Blade Zero? Let us know your opinions in the comments, or join the discussion at the Tech4Gamers forum.
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News Reporter
Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.
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