On September 9, Liang Qiwei, founder of S-Games, released a lengthy article detailing the difficulty mechanics, weapon progression system, and behind-the-scenes stories of motion capture for "Phantom Blade Zero."
This day was originally the scheduled launch date, leaving 50 days until the official release on October 29. He revealed that the first playthrough offers three difficulty levels: "Initiate," "Breaker," and "Defier," with the remaining days serving only narrative purposes. "Initiate" allows players without action game experience to enjoy the game easily, creating a "complex simplicity" through enemy AI and fluid animations. The "Sixty-Six Days" mode must be selected in New Game Plus, featuring independent saves that auto-save upon touching bells, with no manual saving option. Running out of days leads to the "Bitter End" ending, which is permanently recorded. This mode is unrelated to achievements; all achievements can be earned in the first playthrough, allowing players to obtain the Platinum Trophy in their first run.
Regarding weapons, Liang Qiwei stated that each weapon has its own progression system, with level 1 and level 30 potentially requiring vastly different controls and combat strategies. Weapons have counter relationships, allowing players to choose specific counters, rely on a single weapon for Everythinggj, or even clear the game using the weakest wooden sword. Since many weapons are dropped by bosses, late-game boss weapons have little use in the first playthrough, but the team completed them all anyway, as they can only be fully experienced in New Game Plus.
Regarding motion capture casting, Yucheng, who plays "Hun," is a veteran player from the "Rain Blood" era. The casting for Zuo Shang once hit a bottleneck; after rejecting no fewer than 20 candidates, Zhang Xince, a Gen Z student from Shanghai University's Film Academy, proactively reached out and showcased his high-level Qingyu character in "Phantom Blade 3," ultimately securing the role. He delivered an outstanding performance portraying the morbid, frail, and ruthless nature of the white-haired form. During the 2025 Shougang demo event, the two facial capture actors even blended in with players to clear the demo.
Additionally, Donnie Yen had directed the CG opening for "Onimusha 3" twenty years ago, deepening the team's respect and trust in him. Some content not requiring motion capture was filmed at the former Asia Television headquarters in Hong Kong—the very location where Donnie Yen filmed "Fist of Fury" over 30 years ago. Liang Qiwei finally revealed that players will face the Demon Abyss multiple times in the game, but the only way to win the final battle might be to forget Everythinggj.