There are a lot of Soulslike games that have taken from plenty of From Software's standard-setting works. Games like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order have used the format of the Soulslike and thrown in Metroidvania-styled exploration, while also doubling down on a parry mechanic despite being released before Sekiro.

Still, despite the popularity of Soulslikes, it has not felt like enough games have taken?? inspiration from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice??. Many fans of From Software's games, as well as those who simply appreciate a well-made video game with fleshed-out combat mechanics, tend to refer to it as a masterpiece.

So, why a Sekiro-like instead of Soulslike?

It's important to lay out what separates Sekiro from the rest. The game places a special emphasis on its parry mechanic and haste within its combat's pacing. The Dark Souls games, as well as Bloodborne and Elden Ring, will reward players for a well-timed parry. Usually, players get time to breathe and the opportunity to land a high-damage hit, but Sekiro throws in the Posture mechanic.

Posture is the ability to withstand a hit. Properly attacking and parrying damages an enemy's Posture, and fully breaking an enemy's Posture provides the player a chance to pull off a Deathblow. The lower an enemy's health is, the slower their Posture rebuilds. Sekrio did not create th??e parry, nor did it popularize it, but plenty of gamers look to the game as an example of how to do it best.

Before the release of new titles like Stellar Blade and Nine Sols, not many titles took inspiration from Sekiro, even though new Soulslikes continue to pop up. This could be attributed to the fact that games just take a long time to make. It could also take developers even more time to structure an entire game around combat as polished as Sekiro's.

Many gamers just end up going back to Sekiro becau??se it's hard to find a similar experience, but with so many upcoming releases, those seeking to scratch that itch may not have to wait much longer.

Games that are definitely Sekiro-likes

Nier: Automata and Bayonetta were the primary comparisons people made to Stellar Blade when they first saw Stellar Blade. Despite that,?? this game features a strong focus on its parry mechanic.

It may take Sekiro players some time to adjust to the way that inputs register. Dodging, parrying, and movement have a significantly different weight in Stellar Blade. Still, gamers do agree that the Sekiro influence is there. Stellar Blade even includes its own spin on Posture, called Balance, though it does differ in areas like its ?skill trees and additional ways?? to tune combat to the player's liking.

Nine Sols is different in a couple of ways, namely that it has a hand-drawn 2D art style and features platforming. Regardless, developer Red Candle Games has gone all-in on the Sekrio inspiration.

Nine Sols' combat is based on deflection, with enemies putting enough pressure on the player to force them to consistently deflect. Deflection in Nine Sols allows players to store Chi ?energy to use in charged attacks instead of having a Posture bar?? to maintain.

Games that focus on parrying

Where Winds Meet is a Wuxia-inspired game that offers versatility in weapon choice and combat approach, though?? countering appears to be central to its gameplay.

In each gameplay showcase so far, trailers have featured its protagonist swiftly parrying an enemy attack. Everstone Studio seems ambitious with the many different features it plans to incorporate into Where Winds Meet. The game will feature a picturesque open world alongside a narrative that is said to be influenced by player choice. Where Winds Meet is slated for a 2024 release.

Then there's Phantom Blade Zero. The combat in this game's original trailer looked? too good to be true, and people insisted that it must be scripted in some way. But the more footage fans see of it, the more the game shows its hand.

There are plenty of gaps for player input. Some animations appear to cancel very well into the other, allowing for a wide range of player expression. There is risk, though, as the game seems to force players to commit to their actions. At IGN's hands-on demo, Developer S-Game pushed back a bit against the haste to lump Phantom Blade Zero in with ever??y other Soulsborne. S-Game noted a feature on "old-fashioned combo-driven traditio??nal action" while using a map design akin to Souls games.

Phantom Blade Zero appears to share plenty in common with Assassin's Creed and Ghost of Tsushima, but this doesn't mean it has nothing in common with Sekiro. In Phantom Blade Zero, players and enemies have a Sha-chi meter, which functions similarly to Posture and depletes?? when guarding. Taking consecutive hits breaks thi??s defense and leaves the target wide open. There is a block stance, but pulling off a parry or perfect dodge can reward players with a counterattack called a Ghoststep.

Games that may continue Sekiro's legacy

Black Myth Wukong has gamers excited for a couple ?of reasons. Those who like a good story are excited to see a big-budget video game put a spin on the story of Sun Wukong, while others are here for the combat.

The combat system in Black Myth Wukong appears to be somewhat different from Sekiro. The game appears to put a heavy emphasis on agility, and while ?it does occasionally show a player blocking an attack, it does?? not seem nearly as consistent. That being said, there appears to be a similar emphasis on an aggressive play style.

Lastly, there's Ballad of Antara, which gamers are waiting to see mor?e about, but one thing seems certain—guarding against?? enemy attacks matters.

Each segment of action shown feels demanding. In the announcement trailer for Ballad of Antara, combat comes off as dynamic and weighty. The game appears to reward aggressive gameplay and consistent guarding. For those searching for something closer to Sekiro than Souls, this game appears ??to show off more guarding th?an it does dodging, which could be promising.

Some of these games may take even longer than expected to release, and by the time they all come out, they could end up being closer to Dark Souls or something entirely different. No matter what, there appear to be plenty of interesting a?ction games in the w?orks.

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Summer Game Fest 2024 came to an end with the first gameplay reveal of Phantom Blade Zero. This is the first we've seen from Phantom Blade Zero since it was revealed at the PlayStation Showcase last year. The action RPG focuses on deep fast-paced combat in a fictious world that meshes? Chinese martial arts and Steampunk together.

With how ambitious Phantom Blade Zero looked in 2023 followed by a year of nothing new, I was starting to get a little worried. However, this gameplay trailer alleviated all my concerns. It looks as though Phantom Blade Zero is pulling in elements of a ton of successful titles including Elden Ring, Sekiro, and Ghost of Tsushima.

I know that any trailer can be inten?tionally designed to look a certain way, but the fluidity of the combat in this gameplay trailer looks absolutely insane. The player quickly weaves in attacks while jumping over attacks and parrying or dodging others. I can't wait to hear more about how some of the more RPG-centric elements work.

Developer S-Game confirmed that there will be hands-on experiences to play Phantom Blade Zero throu?ghout the year, including at Summer Game Fest 20?24, Tokyo Game Show, and Gamescom.

Phantom Blade Zero does not yet have a release timeframe but will be release?d on b?oth PlayStation 5 and PC.

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First revealed in May 2023, Phantom Blade Zero is an intense sword-fighting kungfu punk game that looks like it borrows a lot of inspiration from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

In Phantom Blade Zero, players take on the role of a warrior who has had his heart stolen and is left with a mere 66 days to live. He's using those 66 days to try to reclaim his heart, but he's also going to need to fight through some of the strangest and most imposing enemies in the land. Faceless foes and humans with colossal augments are just some of the boss-like enemies you'll be battling, but there's so much more to the game than com?bat encounters.

What is the release window for Phantom Blade Zero?

The release window for Phantom Blade Zero is unknown at the time of writing. However, the game's official Twitter account did confirm in July l?ast year that a fully playable 30-?minute demo would be available at some point in 2024.

However, we also don't have a release date for this demo right now. If Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth and Stellar Blade are anything to go by, ??the demo will be released roughly one month before the game, but we won't know when either of these products will be released until the time is right.

What is Phantom Blade Zero?

Phantom Blade Zero is the latest and possibly most ambitious entry in the Phantom Blade series. As explained in a PlayStation Blog post, Soulframe Liang, CEO and Founder of developer S-Game, began work on an indie title called Rainblood: Town of Death while studying architecture.

He went on to found the development company, which has now released several games in the Rainblood/Phantom Blade series, though most aren't playable outside of China. Phantom Blade Zero is a considerably more ambitious game in the same universe and one that aims to hit a worldwide audience with the same dark world that over 20 mill?ion fans have been enjoying for the past few years.

The overarching style that S-Game has adopted with this latest release is what it describes as kungfu punk. With so many steampunk elements combined in??to martial arts-inspired arenas and Chinese architecture, it's the best way the developer could describe the world it's created.

Protagonist Soul uses authentic kungfu moves in the epic trailers and gameplay shown to date. This will be core to the way players interact with the world, since most people in it seem to want to kill Soul before he?? retireves his heart.

The dark world that seems devoi?d of color is used to emphasize Soul and the characters with pure intentions he encounters. It also helps highlight the weapons and skills you can acquire for Soul as you progress and defeat the monstrosities that stand in his way.

Phantom Blade Zero looks like nothing I've ever played before. The closest titles I can point to are probably Devil May Cry 5 and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. I don't think it's wise to try to put it in a box with any other games as references, though, since it seems to be spearheading its way o???nto PS5 as a trailblazer in many new spaces.

What platforms will Phantom Blade Zero be available on?

The official S-Game website for Phantom Blade Zero lists it as coming to both PS5 and PC. However, without a release date, it's hard to tell if these releases will be simultaneous or if there's a period of PS5 exclusivity. We'll need to wait for more information ??to be released, but I don't see the game releasing for any fewer platforms, given it wa??s part of a PlayStation Showcase and has a PlayStation Blog post up on it.

Is Phantom Blade Zero open world?

No, Phantom Blade Zero?? is not a fully open world game. Instead, it presents you with several smaller open world areas that are densely packed with enemies to fight, NPCs to meet, and intriguing encounters to stumble upon. This is a deliberate move from S-Game because it wanted to make every environment feel unique and handcrafted rather than have a huge open world where players might see a few reused assets and textures repeatedly.

All Phantom Blade Zero trailers

Below, I've listed every trailer we've had for Phantom Blade Zero to date. Each one should give you a new view of what to e??xpect in the game?? when it's eventually released.

The Year of the Dragon ??trailer shows very little gameplay, but it does show something running on PS5 towards the end that shows off the atmosphere of the wo??rld.

There are listings for an 8-minute trailer out there ?but these are, from what I've seen, just videos of every other piece of gameplay stitched together.

The announcement trailer for Phantom Blade Zero gave us our first look at the title, and it's an inten??se, almost 4-minute ride through its dark fantasy world.

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66 Days to Live

As part of the 2023 Playstation Showcase, we’ve been given an extensive look at Phantom Blade Zero. It is a "Spirtual Rebirth" of the Rainblood games, which were previously never released outs???ide of China.

//youtu.be/pueXBkFMK7Q

Built in Unreal Engine 5, Phantom Blade Zero follows a seemingly doomed protagonist. The game is set in a place called the "Phantom World," and said protagonist is an assassin named Soul. It’s described as an action-RPG and is a mix of Chinese Martial arts and Steampunk. The trailer demonstrates a numb??er of facets of gameplay, including setpiece moments and combat.

The world is described as semi-open, with the S-Game Studio Founder saying, "Phantom Blade Zero unfolds in a semi-open world, consisting of multiple large maps filled with diverse, handcrafted activities." He also goes onto describe the style as "Bleak and punishing." That may sound like Dark Souls, but the combat depicted in the trailer looks nothing like that. The enemy design definitely has some things in common with Sekiro, at least.

No release date is stated??, but it’s curren??tly announced for PC and PS5.

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