Phantom Blade Zero started as a humble indie game. Now its creators are taking over the industry
Translated with AI from the Russian original.
The founder of S-Game recalled how a student RPG Maker project, created with no experience or budget, grew into the ambitious action game Phantom Blade Zero.
Phantom Blade Zero has achieved significant sales and become one of the top contenders for Game of the Year. The head of S-Game shared how a humble indie project made in RPG Maker evolved into a major release.
Back during his university years, Soulframe Liang, founder of S-Game, created his first game, Rainblood: Town of Death, with no prior experience or serious financial backing. Developed in RPG Maker, it initially gained popularity in China before receiving an English translation in 2010. It was this project that laid the narrative foundation for the Phantom Blade universe, blending dark fantasy, wuxia martial arts cinema, and ancient Chinese folklore.
S-Game approached the development with meticulous attention to detail. The team recorded thousands of hours of motion capture featuring Chinese martial arts masters and Shaolin monks. Art director Michael Chang personally drew hundreds of character and location designs. Music director Caisheng Bo composed over 10 hours of music, performing almost all instrument parts himself, in addition to overseeing sound design and mixing.
According to Liang, game development demands both skill and genuine obsession with one’s craft. He believes that Phantom Blade Zero should empower players through every strike, block, dodge, and execution.
Making games is not always a rational pursuit. Sometimes it is passion and a touch of madness that give a game its richest flavor.
Liang also emphasized that Phantom Blade Zero is merely the beginning. The studio will keep working toward its dream of crafting the ultimate wuxia action game.
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