The director of Phantom Blade Zero revealed that when creating Meigu Lake, the developers were inspired by Chinese folklore and wuxia culture, rather than The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, to which players had compared the location.
Meigu Lake has become one of the most interesting places in Phantom Blade Zero. Players can travel between islands by boat, explore them, find treasures, and battle enemies. Such an adventure is reminiscent of journeying across the Great Sea from The Wind Waker.
However, the director of the game, Soulframe, explained that the source of inspiration was Chinese wuxia culture, a genre of stories about martial arts masters.
While many games have had memorable lake locations, the inspiration for creating Meigu Lake came directly from Chinese wuxia culture. Lakes are one of the most iconic settings in wuxia, and the Chinese term "jianghu", literally meaning "rivers and lakes", is often used alongside the concept of "wulin" to refer to the entire martial arts world.
According to the director, lakes open up many possibilities: mysterious islands, hidden treasures, unusual enemies, and legends shrouded in secrets. All of this makes world exploration more exciting.