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Start with Devil May Cry 5. It is the clearest preparation for Phantom Blade Zero because S-GAME repeatedly points to the series’ fast, expressive combat and large move arsenal. Play Ninja Gaiden next for relentless speed and execution, then Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance for cinematic weapon spectacle. Save a Souls game for afterward if you want context for the darker mood, interconnected spaces and environmental storytelling; it is not the closest combat match.
Phantom Blade Zero is being built as a hybrid rather than a copy of any one genre. Its direct lineage is S-GAME founder Soulframe Liang’s 2010 RPG Maker title Rainblood: Town of Death, while its modern combat language combines hack-and-slash action, selected Souls-style design ideas and the rhythm of Chinese wuxia cinema.
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What actually inspired Phantom Blade Zero?
The short answer has four layers: Rainblood: Town of Death is the story and spiritual starting point; Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance inform the action; Souls games contribute atmosphere and level-design concepts; and Chinese kung-fu and wuxia films supply the choreography, tone and cultural identity.
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Rainblood: Town of Death is the direct predecessor
Liang describes Phantom Blade Zero as the “spiritual rebirth” of his original RPG Maker game, Rainblood: Town of Death (2010). That makes Rainblood more than a reference point: it is the project’s narrative and creative ancestor. S-GAME said the original property had a fan base of more than 20 million in 2023, although that figure is the studio’s statement rather than an independently audited player count.
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The new game is not presented as a simple remake. It is a much larger action production that reinterprets the earlier title’s world and identity through a different combat format. Players should therefore expect connections in setting and spirit, not a requirement to know the 2010 game before starting.
Hack-and-slash games define the combat ambition
Liang has singled out Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden for their “huge arsenal of moves and lightning-fast pace.” He also names Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance as a hack-and-slash classic. Those references explain why S-GAME shows a protagonist chaining attacks, changing weapons and maintaining momentum instead of waiting for isolated, cautious openings.
Combat Designer Bob Wu describes the target as “fast and smooth flow of combat rather than emphasizing the moves.” That distinction matters. The inspiration is not only the number of animations or the flashiest finishing attack; it is the continuous rhythm between movement, defense, weapon changes and the next decision.
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S-GAME says it is borrowing from both Souls and hack-and-slash traditions “to create something new.” The Souls influence is most useful when thinking about level layout, visual mood and the way spaces can invite careful observation. It should not be read as confirmation that Phantom Blade Zero uses the same stamina-first, checkpoint-driven combat model as a typical Soulslike.
Liang has also emphasized that the game “incorporates some essence of both, but it’s neither of them.” In practical terms, Souls games explain why the world may feel ominous and layered, while the moment-to-moment fighting is aimed at speed and expressive control.
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Wuxia cinema supplies the identity
Chinese martial-arts storytelling is the influence that keeps Phantom Blade Zero from becoming a generic Western-style action game. The official PlayStation feature names Louis Cha’s wuxia stories, Bruce Lee films, Michelle Yeoh’s performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, Donnie Yen in John Wick: Chapter 4 and classic kung-fu choreography. An Epic interview additionally points to The Valiant Ones, The One-Armed Swordsman and Once Upon a Time in China.
These references cover more than costumes or sword names. Wuxia traditionally treats combat as character expression: a fighter’s technique, balance, improvisation and movement through space reveal who that person is. S-GAME has used in-house martial-arts capture, and Donnie Yen serves as a creative consultant and performs Mó Yuan. Those choices are intended to make the action read as physical choreography rather than a collection of disconnected game moves.
Which game feels closest to Phantom Blade Zero?
Devil May Cry 5 is the best first stop for most players. Its combat teaches the basic expectation that attacks should link fluidly, that weapons are tools for different situations and that stylish play comes from deliberate control rather than button mashing. The comparison is about pace and expressive freedom, not identical controls or a shared setting.
Devil May Cry 5: closest overall combat preparation
Play it first if you want to understand the “fast, expressive hack-and-slash” side of the design. Its encounters reward switching tools, extending a sequence and staying active around enemies. That makes it the most useful reference for the feel S-GAME describes when discussing move variety and speed.
Do not expect the two games to have the same scoring systems, character roster or controller layout. Phantom Blade Zero is drawing on the lineage, not reproducing Devil May Cry 5’s exact rules.
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Ninja Gaiden: the lesson in relentless execution
Ninja Gaiden is the stronger second choice for players who want pressure. Its reputation in S-GAME’s comments comes from relentless tempo and a broad set of attacks that demand quick reactions. It helps you adjust to enemies that punish hesitation and to fights where movement and offense need to happen almost simultaneously.
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Choose this before Devil May Cry 5 only if you already prefer demanding action games and want a harsher introduction. For newcomers, its intensity can obscure the broader lesson about experimentation, which is why it works better as the second game in the recommended sequence.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance: weapon spectacle and cinematic impact
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance demonstrates how a game can make every strike feel like a set piece. It is valuable preparation for the dramatic weapon reveals and exaggerated impact that appear in Phantom Blade Zero’s presentation. Its emphasis is spectacle and decisive moments rather than the same breadth of styles you find in a character-action sandbox.
Play it third, after you have experienced a more flexible combo system and a more relentless one. That order lets you recognize the specific contribution of cinematic weapon design instead of treating every flashy attack as the whole combat system.
A Souls game: useful context after the action games
A Souls title is worth playing after those three if you are curious about the darker atmosphere, environmental clues and layered spaces S-GAME says it borrows. It can teach you to read a hostile world, look for routes through complex areas and interpret story details embedded in scenery.
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It is not the closest match for combat. A player who begins with a Souls game may come away expecting slower commitment-heavy attacks, stamina management and a defensive pace that does not represent S-GAME’s stated hack-and-slash focus. Treat it as a lesson in structure and mood, not as a mechanical preview.
How the main comparisons line up
| Game or influence | What it contributes to the comparison | Best reason to play it before Phantom Blade Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Devil May Cry 5 | Fast, expressive combat and extensive move variety | Closest first introduction to the intended hack-and-slash flow |
| Ninja Gaiden | Relentless pace, demanding reactions and broad attack options | Builds comfort with high-pressure encounters |
| Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance | Cinematic weapon impact and dramatic attack presentation | Shows how every strike can function as spectacle |
| Souls games | Darker atmosphere, layered spaces and selected level-design ideas | Provides structural and environmental context rather than a direct combat match |
| Rainblood: Town of Death | The original property and narrative ancestry | Explains the project’s roots for fans who can access the older RPG Maker title |
| Chinese wuxia and kung-fu cinema | Martial-arts rhythm, character-driven choreography and cultural identity | Explains why the movement aims to feel like filmed swordplay instead of generic fantasy combat |
Is Phantom Blade Zero a Soulslike?
Calling it a Soulslike is too narrow. S-GAME explicitly says the game merges inspirations from Souls and hack-and-slash traditions while remaining neither. The distinction is important for choosing what to play first:
- Combat expectation: prepare for rapid attacks, flowing transitions and weapon experimentation rather than assuming a slow, stamina-centered duel system.
- World expectation: the game may use dark visual language and interconnected or layered spaces associated with Souls design, but that does not establish identical checkpoints, progression rules or resource systems.
- Difficulty expectation: challenge is presented as selectable rather than as a single fixed identity. The current PlayStation feature lists Wayfarer, Hellwalker and Sixty-Six Days modes.
The most accurate description is a wuxia-inspired action game with hack-and-slash combat and selected Souls-style world-building ideas. That wording tells you more about the likely experience than a genre label alone.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you play Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden or Sekiro first?
If the choice is specifically among those three, choose Devil May Cry 5. It matches the stated priorities of speed, move variety and expressive offense most directly. Pick Ninja Gaiden first instead when you want a more punishing test of reactions and are comfortable learning under pressure.
Sekiro can be useful for its disciplined sword timing and emphasis on reading an opponent, but it is not one of the developer’s named inspirations in the available statements. Its deflection-centered combat can teach precision, yet it may also lead you to expect a narrower duel rhythm than the weapon experimentation S-GAME is highlighting. Play it because you enjoy that style, not because it is the strongest documented preview of Phantom Blade Zero.
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What the weapon and difficulty information tells you
The current PlayStation feature lists more than 30 main weapons and 25 secondary weapons called Phantom Edges. Those figures indicate that experimentation is a core part of the proposition: the comparison with character-action games is not limited to animation speed, but also includes choosing how to approach an encounter.
The same feature lists three selectable difficulty modes: Wayfarer, Hellwalker and Sixty-Six Days. Because the modes are selectable, players can approach the game according to their priorities. Someone coming from Souls games may choose a tougher setting to preserve pressure, while a newcomer can prioritize learning weapon interactions and choreography before increasing the challenge.
The weapon count is a published “more than” figure, not a promise that every weapon behaves as a completely separate character. The meaningful question is whether the arsenal changes your decisions: range, timing, defensive options and the way a combo flows into the next action.
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If you want the closest mechanical preparation
- Start with Devil May Cry 5 to learn expressive, high-speed combat.
- Continue with Ninja Gaiden to add relentless pressure and reaction demands.
- Play Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance for cinematic weapon impact.
- Finish with a Souls game if you want environmental and atmospheric context.
If you are new to demanding action games
- Begin with Devil May Cry 5 and focus on movement, defensive timing and trying different attacks rather than chasing perfect style scores.
- Move to a lower-pressure playthrough of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance to see how spectacle and weapon identity work together.
- Try Ninja Gaiden only when you want a stricter test of execution.
If wuxia is your main interest
Watch or revisit the wuxia and kung-fu films named by the developers, then play Devil May Cry 5 for the interactive combat vocabulary. The films explain the poses, rhythm and spatial ideas; the game supplies practice in controlling a fighter through continuous action. No single Western action game can substitute for the cultural and cinematic sources that S-GAME identifies.
Release timing and what may change
PlayStation’s August 2026 State of Play feature says Phantom Blade Zero launches on October 29, 2026, with October 28 in the United States and select regions. Retail timing, editions and regional availability can change, so verify the date and platform listing in your region when you are ready to buy or preload.
The same feature is the source for the currently stated weapon totals, difficulty names and Donnie Yen’s roles as creative consultant and Mó Yuan performer. Those details describe the announced version and should not be treated as a guarantee that every system will remain unchanged after launch.
The bottom line on what to play first
Play Devil May Cry 5 first because it best represents the speed, expressive combat and move variety S-GAME says it admires. Follow with Ninja Gaiden for execution under pressure and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance for cinematic weapon spectacle. Add a Souls game for atmosphere and level-design context, and look to wuxia cinema—not another game—for the source of Phantom Blade Zero’s martial-arts identity. The result is deliberately a fusion: rooted in Rainblood, energized by hack-and-slash, shaped by selected Souls ideas and choreographed through Chinese kung-fu tradition.
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