启发《Phantom Blade Zero》的5款游戏，使其成为2026年最有前途的游戏之一

Phantom Blade Zero is the latest AAA action game coming to the PS5, bringing a combination of Wuxia story telling and high energy combat that blends into the fantastical for a fluid and over-the-top experience for players to try. There are plenty of reasons to be excited for this game, as every bit of gameplay footage for it shows complex combat systems blending together with dark fantasy visuals, infused with anime style sequences that are meant to be bombastic and memorable. However, this game wouldn’t exist without some other gaming influences, which have helped craft one of 2026’s most anticipated titles.

The rapid fighting of Phantom Blade Zero has been its biggest selling point since it was first revealed, as it borrows a lot from classic Hong Kong martial arts movies in how it presents its action. The game itself describes its setting as “kungfupunk,” or a mix of the golden age of Wuxia with punk fantasy, almost combining steampunk elements with some eastern medieval aesthetics. This is where Phantom Blade Zero creates its unique atmosphere, but that doesn’t take away from how its world and combat are largely evolutions of other great gaming inspirations.

5. Ninja Gaiden

The fast paced combat of Phantom Blade Zero is extremely similar to the Ninja Gaiden games, with Ninja Gaiden 2 being specifically listed by the game’s developers as a personal favorite. When you look into the Ninja Gaiden games, it’s easy to see why, as that series is also known for its hyper-fast hack-and-slash mechanics. The combat of Ninja Gaiden is based on super stylized imaginings of the concept of a ninja with countless skills and martial arts mastery, who can master a variety of styles to overcome waves of varying enemies.

If this sounds familiar to what you’ve seen from Phantom Blade Zero so far, you can start to see where the inspirations are coming from. Based on developer comments, it seems that Phantom Blade Zero could be taking ideas from how Ninja Gaiden structures its combat with some depth, requiring players to input commands with precise timing to unleash certain combos and other moves in the right order. Executing the right attacks at the right time is integral to Ninja Gaiden‘s combat, giving it a depth that prevents the series from becoming a mindless button mashing experience. At the same time, this makes Ninja Gaiden more difficult than other hack-and-slash games too.

Should Phantom Blade Zero take from Ninja Gaiden‘s approach, the combat could be refreshingly deep and worth exploring. At the same time, the increased difficulty could make players more invested in mastering combat, which is a necessity in games like Ninja Gaiden. Beyond just the similarities between Phantom Blade Zero and Ninja Gaiden‘s dark fantasy and cinematic martial arts, the games both share a contrast between atmospheric world building and flashy set pieces meant to elevate a player’s power fantasy. For that reason alone, it makes complete sense why Phantom Blade Zero has those aspects of Ninja Gaiden in its design.

4. Dark Souls/Bloodborne

Other games listed as inspirations for Phantom Blade Zero are ones made by legendary studio FromSoftware, with the original Dark Souls and the spin-off Bloodborne mentioned in particular. Developers for Phantom Blade Zero have been on record to say that one of their main goals with their game’s world is to have it feel alive and interconnected, with areas linking to one another naturally to encourage player exploration. This reflects one of the original Dark Souls‘ biggest strengths, where areas had a dense amount of details players could only find by exploring, including ways to open up shortcuts to safe zones that made the world feel seamlessly linked.

At the same time, Bloodborne was the game in FromSoft’s library that departed the most from their usual style, mainly in regards to the combat. Instead of the slow-paced, deliberately time rolls and attacks of Dark Souls or Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne had players shoot firearms to parry strikes and dash rapidly to avoid damage. Players also could recover health by being aggressive, swapping out a methodical combat approach for something far more fast-paced. Bloodborne‘s distinct combat style can be seen in Phantom Blade Zero to a degree, with that game also opting to prioritize player momentum and mobility over careful, more “traditional” Soulslike combat.

Bloodborne also has been praised endlessly over the years for its immersive atmosphere, a quality shared by many other Souls games as well. Phantom Blade Zero seems to be going for the same goal, where its world feels quite alive and distinct in not just its presentation, but how it adapts to the player over time. One of Bloodborne‘s most infamous moments is how the game transitions from a Victorian dark fantasy filled with bestial monsters to something more akin to Lovecraft cosmic horror. While Phantom Blade Zero may not try to achieve a shift of that kind, having a world players are interested in as they play is a good choice regardless.

3. Sifu

Sifu is another action game that is directly referenced by Phantom Blade Zero‘s development team, mainly due to its approach to highly complex and reactive combat. As one of the more difficult action games made in recent years, Sifu is a title about truly mastering martial arts through a fighting game equivalent list of complicated inputs to adapt to any and all situations you might face. Punches and kicks have to be fluidly paired with precise dodges, which then have to be followed up with precise strikes at the perfect time to gain a true upper hand. Sifu is decidedly difficult as a result, especially when you have to face multiple enemies at once.

The fast-paced nature of Phantom Blade Zero‘s combat could have easily been something closer to the first three God of War games, where there were specific combos, but less complexity than something you’d see in Sifu. The listing of Sifu as an inspiration hints that Phantom Blade Zero will be injecting more nuance into its combat, though in what ways, we can’t be sure quite yet. Perhaps Phantom Blade Zero will allow players to use aspects of the environment to their advantage like in Sifu, or maybe Sifu‘s inspiration will manifest more in the variety of actions players can perform to develop and master their combat skills as they play.

2. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

An almost obvious inspiration for Phantom Blade Zero is Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, a spin-off from the Metal Gear series that remains one of the most inspired action games out there. This title is completely focused on making the grandest combat encounters feel like the pinnacle of action movies, while not sacrificing gameplay depth in the process. The cinematic feel of Metal Gear Rising is present throughout every ridiculous story beat, with bosses standing out this way. Bosses are like a puzzle to solve in Metal Gear Rising, a trait that could be shared in Phantom Blade Zero to craft something special.

Considering how both the protagonist for Metal Gear Rising and Phantom Blade Zero primarily use a sword to slice opponents and parry attacks, it’s no wonder why the former game has a big influence on the latter. Although Metal Gear Rising is way more futuristic, it shares the same exaggerated and almost campy feel Phantom Blade Zero is embracing through its Wuxia roots. The idea of a “spectacle action game” is something both games never shy away from, building a flashy sense of style that hooks players in likely before anything else.

1. Devil May Cry

Whenever a new action game comes out or is about to release, comparisons to Capcom’s Devil May Cry series are inevitable, but Phantom Blade Zero actually has compelling reasons for that connection. Phantom Blade Zero‘s combat is clearly coming from a lot of sources, but it seems to emphasize player fluidity and a lack of errors to slowly build up a constant flow of aggressive dominance against enemies. This is almost Devil May Cry‘s exact formula, minus the presence of a style meter. The fast, combo-driven approach Devil May Cry has comes from how players need to use every tool at their disposal to take down foes, a trait that Phantom Blade Zero certainly shares.

The early footage for Phantom Blade Zero still shows how players can use different weapons and other combat tools to approach combat encounters in whatever way they please. This speaks to Devil May Cry‘s emphasis on switching between weapons and styles often to increase your style meter and earn more points, to not just defeat enemies, but overwhelm them with sheer attack power. Although Phantom Blade Zero likely won’t have a direct reward for players being versatile, its Devil May Cry influence could help players fully understand the combat system at play, making each part of it feel as engaging as possible.

What game do you think has influenced Phantom Blade Zero the most? Let us know in the comments below!