Phantom Blade Zero Creator Defends Indie Spirit Amid AAA Transition

Soulframe, CEO of Beijing-based studio S-Game, describes the challenges of shifting from mobile development to creating Phantom Blade Zero, a high-budget action RPG launching October 28 for PlayStation 5 and PC. The title utilizes Unreal Engine 5 and realistic graphics, marking a significant departure from earlier entries in the series that began as an indie RPGMaker project in 2010.

Despite the ambitious scale and substantial budget comparable to other Chinese AAA titles, Soulframe maintains that the project retains an independent ethos. He notes that the studio lacked prior experience with large-scale 3D games and had to build its pipeline from scratch, relying on outsourcing partners and recruiting recent graduates for critical roles such as the opening sequence and final boss design. This approach reflects a willingness to tackle extreme challenges without adhering to established industry boundaries, which the creator considers the core of their indie spirit.