S-Game’s title keeps finding new ways to pull in attention, and this time it is doing it through the way side quests work.
The official Phantom Blade Zero Twitter account posted a short video interview with Soulframe Liang, founder and creative director of S-Game, in which the developer initially seemed to describe an honor-based system somewhat similar to the one seen in Red Dead Redemption 2. In that game, most player actions, such as helping strangers or killing innocents, fed into a full morality mechanic that affected NPC behavior, prices, loot quality, and even the ending of the story itself. Fans were understandably excited by the idea, especially because very few games have attempted anything similar since then. Phantom Blade Zero, however, later clarified on Twitter that it does not actually feature such a system. What it does have is a structure in which completing side quests in certain ways can genuinely influence the direction of the main story.
“Players who have played many action RPGs or role-playing games already understand main quests and side quests. There is always a main questline, and that usually means facing your own conflicts or dealing with the issues at the center of your own story. That is the main story. But in Phantom Blade Zero’s side quests, you will definitely encounter strangers brought together by chance. These people have stories of their own, and you are only a passerby in theirs. So when you help others, it becomes a little like the butterfly effect. A single flap of the wings.
As you act with honor, you may end up affecting your own main quest as well as your story about love and vengeance. In that process, you begin to realize that as long as you act according to your code, as long as you do the right thing, it creates a larger, more far-reaching impact. I think it is perhaps a very Zen-like interpretation. Who you are depends on every action you take, and as long as you hold on to a core principle in everything you do, these seemingly separate events begin to add up, shaping who you are and changing the direction of your future”, Liang said.
Just to clarify, Phantom Blade Zero doesn’t have an “honor system,” but side quests can influence the direction of the main story. Thanks for all the hype! https://t.co/JI0gWbXZXs
— Phantom Blade Zero (@pbzero_official) April 16, 2026
Phantom Blade Zero is easily one of the most anticipated games of 2026. Its combat appears to strike a delicate balance between Soulslike design and more traditional action RPG structure. The story follows Soul, an elite assassin who serves a mysterious and powerful organization known as the Order. At the start of the game, he is framed for the murder of the Order’s patriarch and severely wounded during the manhunt that follows. He survives, however, and thanks to a temporary cure from a mystical healer, he has 66 days left to live. With time running out, he sets off to uncover the conspiracy that condemned him.
Last week, Liang revealed that the game, currently scheduled for September 9 on PlayStation 5 and PC, is now in the final stage of development. It also appears that support for Nvidia’s DLSS 5 may have been quietly dropped, although that has not yet been officially confirmed.
What exactly is “Wuxia,” and how does Phantom Blade Zero define it?
In a recent interview in China, our Director Soulframe shares how we capture the spirit of wuxia, drawing from authentic kung fu and blending it with motion capture to create distinct fighting styles and… pic.twitter.com/Q2LdJkzveL
— Phantom Blade Zero (@pbzero_official) April 15, 2026
Source: WCCFTech
