Even though the game uses a widely adopted engine with relatively high system requirements, the developers do not want that to prevent many people from playing it.
The working Phantom Blade Zero, which uses Unreal Engine 5, is expected to become one of the most visually impressive action games of the PlayStation 5/Xbox Series generation, but developer S-Game’s technology choice will not prevent those playing on weaker hardware from enjoying the game. Game director Qiwei “Soulframe” Liang has promised a smooth experience on every platform, even on Steam Deck. Liang stressed that the team is aware of rising gaming-hardware prices caused by the AI boom, and said the final polishing phase will ensure that players have a great experience regardless of where they play.
He said hardware prices are rising this year, and those who want to replace their hardware may postpone upgrades, so the team believes it needs to make the game available to as many players as possible without compromising quality. Considering that even console prices are rising, as every current-generation system is now significantly more expensive than it was at launch, the approach of the Phantom Blade Zero developer will surely be followed by many other studios. Impressive graphical fidelity is certainly a good thing, but if players cannot run games properly without significantly lowering settings, that only hurts a game’s appeal during an extremely complicated period for the game industry. On top of that, this could also pave the way for a future Nintendo Switch 2 port.
Phantom Blade Zero was also one of the games that would have launched in September, but the action game was ultimately delayed to October 29 for further polishing. As Liang also acknowledges, the studio is not worried about the game launching so close to Grand Theft Auto VI, because it is not focused on the competition, only on creating a polished game – and there is solid reason for that confidence.
