Phantom Blade Zero Director Says Its 30 Weapons Won’t Be Perfectly Balanced, Encouraging Players to Experiment With Different Combat Strategies

Phantom Blade Zero is taking a different approach to weapon balance by allowing some weapons to be stronger than others. Rather than making every weapon equally effective in every situation, developer S-Game wants players to experiment with different combat options and discover solutions to challenging encounters.

In an interview with PCGamesN, conducted during a visit to S-Game’s studio in Beijing, game director Soulframe discussed the challenges of balancing the action RPG’s 30 weapons. He explained that the game’s single-player structure gives the developers more freedom to prioritize variety over strict competitive balance.

“It’s hard, especially for 30 different weapons,”

Soulframe said.

“But the good thing is our game is a single-player game, and we don’t have to make everything 100% balanced, so there are stronger ones and weaker ones.”

PHANTOM BLADE ZERO USES WEAPONS TO SOLVE COMBAT CHALLENGES

Instead of designing weapons that perform similarly across all encounters, S-Game intends to make equipment an important part of combat strategy. Different enemies present different challenges, encouraging players to change their approach rather than rely on a single preferred weapon throughout the game.

Soulframe described weapons as “the key to solving the problem,” explaining that certain enemies can be easier to defeat with specific equipment. For example, shield-wielding enemies may require players to use an axe or the large flower blade to overcome their defenses.

This approach makes weapon selection an active part of gameplay. Each weapon can influence the player’s damage output, movement, and ability to respond to enemy attacks, giving combat encounters different solutions.

The game’s weapon system also affects how players approach boss fights. During a preview discussed by PCGamesN, a weapon that reduced the impact of a boss’s main attack made the encounter considerably easier. Players could still attempt the fight with other equipment, but choosing the right weapon offered a tactical advantage.

Soulframe said the team hopes players will explore the available arsenal and use different weapons to defeat bosses. This design encourages experimentation without forcing players to follow a single prescribed strategy.

S-Game is also being deliberate about when players unlock weapons, helping introduce new combat options throughout the experience. The developer plans to include more unusual weapons that have yet to be revealed, giving players additional reasons to experiment as they progress.

By allowing some weapons to excel in particular situations, Phantom Blade Zero aims to make combat feel adaptable rather than perfectly symmetrical. Its single-player focus gives S-Game room to create stronger and weaker options while making weapon choice a meaningful part of overcoming enemies.