It feels like everyone is making a soulslike these days, as the cultural impact of the likes of Dark Souls and Elden Ring means it's difficult to find action games that don't feature respawning enemies, mid-level checkpoints, or a carefully managed pool of resources that you lose when you die.
Phantom Blade Zero, which was announced and previewed at Summer Games Fest earlier this year, looked like it would be the next big soulslike pretender to try and compete with FromSoftware, but developer S-Games wants potential fans to know that this isn't the case. Speaking with TheGamer, S-Games has explained that the only real inspiration from Dark Souls that can be seen in Phantom Blade Zero is the level design, as the game will include "multi-layered maps" and multiple paths to explore.
Phantom Blade Zero's combat may look at home in a FromSoftware game, but S-Games explained that it wants players to experience fast-paced combat more reminiscent of titles such as Devil May Cry 5. Another of Capcom's biggest franchises has also influenced Phantom Blade Zero's story, as S-Games specifically mentions Resident Evil 4 and Alan Wake helped the team create "creepy vibes structured around carefully...
