I love Phantom Blade Zero. You can read about just how much I love it in my review, but its exploration was a major highlight for me. Each of the game's locations felt so intricately designed, with something hiding around every corner. Meigu Lake was one of the most interesting locations to me, and it very much gave me Wind Waker vibes.
Because of this, I had to reach out to Phantom Blade Zero's director, Soulframe, who told me that the game's Meigu Lake wasn't inspired by Wind Waker, but instead by Chinese folklore.
It took me a little while to warm up to Meigu Lake, but when I did, I loved it. There was something special about hopping in Soul's Sha-Chi-powered boat, jumping from island to island, not knowing what to expect. It evoked the same feelings I had when island-hopping across Hyrule's Great Sea in the King of Red Lions. Is this what inspired Phantom Blade Zero's Meigu Lake, though?
"While many games have featured memorable lake environments, the inspiration for Meigu Lake came directly from Chinese wuxia culture," Soulframe tells me. "Lakes are among the most iconic settings in wuxia, and the Chinese term...
