What was reported
Coverage of this story continues to develop across the region, and the account below restates what was reported by the original publication without adding anything that was not already there.
Facebook X Reddit Flipboard Email 0 us At just 15 hours into Blade Zero, I've out my primary more times than do in an Souls campaign. quickly my starter sword for pair of dual and jagged weapon chunks damage off my in showers of blood. But stick with either for Soon was running with two-handed blade taller than my martial hero Soul, which trail of magical, energy-sapping with every swing. It moveset with another two-handed giant life with each hit. But have time to either one: I'm already with my new twin blades, of which can send spinning in me like protective Somehow haven't even the weapon took off crazed turns Soul into drunken But I'm sure I'll have time: I'm less than third(!) of the way game that's far, bigger than anticipated when chunk of it last year. For the part, Blade Zero's epic is exciting—PC Gamer guides writer Sean promises me I've got hundred boss fights left to Its first dozen hours illustrate the dangers of long-in-development game in scope. House of flying While playing Blade Zero I've thinking lot this other big action which spent more than half decade in Capcom's revival of Onimusha. game little time in introducing its protagonist Musashi or the forces be up again. brash and headstrong, taunting of samurai after whipping up their master—then leading Looney Tunes-style chase when are too many to at once. The game punctures this silly shortly after introducing Musashi's rival, when both are murdered by Genma. (Image credit: Musashi's saved when given an oni in the afterlife and sent back to the of the living to harness souls with it; the of the game is him deciding who and he fights for. It's journey first and foremost, with the machinations of the villain spurring him along—and acting and facial motion do ton of the work to make the compelling. In Blade Zero, by contrast, I've already lost of the tangled web of characters, betrayals and motivations with dozens of hours to I've seen (and played) to Soul's childhood, teenage and recent past; I've watched his enemy doing Machiavellian scheming with another guy name; I've read dozens of cryptic scattered throughout each zone are to explain more why I'm fighting dudes whose bodies have into pure energy, monks who their bodies in hardened gold, and mean (Actually, nothing has the dogs yet). appreciate attempt to start in media and give Soul sense of urgency—we back to him being stabbed the heart, shortly after forward to him getting temporary heart will fail him in days. But the and bits of incidental often feel like infodumps someone who's spent years massive bible and has lived with the thing in their head for so they realize how it is to when you're coming in with zero context. The gaming news, reviews and deals Keep up to date with the stories and the best deals, picked by the PC Gamer team. these flowers, Blade Zero's way of doling out upgrades. You'll find scattered each and finding all of (usually will net you 10% more Each plays 30 seconds or so of and the writing's often vague references to and events I've never witnessed makes me want to mash the button. We're the evocative vignettes of BioShock, here. Way of the Sword has plenty forgettable sidequests, but it features number of quests Japanese fables written by Murasaki, the author of The Tale of These sidequests are great, embellished with art inspired me to read more Japanese mythology. Like main story, they're and straightforward, but with just enough flair to make compelling. So Blade Zero is lot more than my favorite wuxia films, with casts of and straightforward motivations—a story, "save the town corrupt story, ghost story. But when its epic sweep get to play with an absolutely variety of weapons, I'm not heartbroken the is less than riveting. Ways of the sword (Image credit: In Way of the started the game with and ended the game with sword. At point in between did anything but sword. This is not complaint. I'm not sure another videogame has sword better than Onimusha frankly physicality of it, the dance between deflects and parries, the lightning of an issen—the animations and weighty in Onimusha combine to create game rich in feedback even with none of the complex of, say, Devil Cry. Sean makes Blade Zero special for me are all the ways it isn't even less of than Black Myth Wukong It abandons many of those rigid in favour of an action experience focuses more good. respawn, you lose souls if you die boss's phase, it'll still be in its when you return. bosses more than or two but each is enough you get to see everything they have and learn their of all, Blade Zero feels like kung-fu dripping in martial mastery your boss turn into veritable of you styling and Soul is immediately adept in every weapon or Edge he up. The old Capcom in vein of character action game is to give you handful of weapons, each with list of button inputs create different attacks; stringing is visually satisfying and keeps your counter ticking up and up. Modern offer way more weapons, but at the expense of rich variety—each weapon has couple animations to its name, and that's it. Blade Zero those two approaches, with the weapon variety of modern action RPG but the feel and mad of 2000s character action games. Each of Soul's has fairly basic string, but wholly impacts how you it in fight. And each weapon has an upgrade adds or two new actions to its repertoire. The Warblade, of those massive two-handed swords mentioned at the initially drains enemy with basic attacks, and you convert your own into recoverable damage to enhanced guard-breaking After five it gains new attack you tank damage while you it up and instantly restores chunk of HP if you the hit. After 15 it you an "emergency shield" for continuously your own health, rewarding living the edge. Like Blade Zero's boss fights are definitely its highlights, with the arena and one-off mocapped stunts it clear why this game took so to make. The big difference between the though, is how much world has in and those fights. So I've found progression more linear than hoped, with levels are Souls-esque but with fewer surprising linking back to previous areas. they're peppered with diversions are closed off you acquire certain weapons, and lots of and out-of-reach treasures taunt you to for routes you might have missed. It's way more engaging way to spend time between fights than Onimusha offered in its world of Kyoto, and appreciate Blade Zero keeps its map very compass waypoint telling me to go for quest. So the these quests has barebones, but at I'm not turning my brain off and following an to each and every one. Instead of designing world you'll tread and retread and enemy placements you'll learn to your way through, S-Game seems to have to craft 50-hour game by buckling and so much stuff. How is it this big without timesuck of an world or infinite respawning fodder or gimmicks? Because it be the maximalist action game of its ever seen, its torrent of notes to its animations. Even when it doesn't all it's not to be won over by game goes this Wes Fenlon Editor Wes has games and for more than 10 first at tech like The Wirecutter and Tested before the PC Gamer team in 2014. Wes plays little of everything, but jump at the chance to cover and Japanese games. When not obsessively optimizing and re-optimizing of conveyor belts in Satisfactory really becoming problem), playing 20-year-old Final Fantasy or ASCII roguelike. With focus and features, he seeks out stories and in-depth the corners of PC gaming and its niche communities. pizza by volume (deep to be specific). With contributions Sean Guides Writer
Readers following the wider topic will recognise several familiar threads here, and further updates are expected as more becomes known. Nothing above should be read as speculation beyond what the reporting itself supports.