Recently, the domestic single-player ARPG "Ancient God: Feng Lixi," built on Unreal Engine 5, revealed a wealth of information. Positioned as an epic of Chinese creation mythology, this title is the first installment in a trilogy, scheduled for release in 2028 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam/Epic).
"Ancient God: Feng Lixi" moves beyond the well-known story of Nezha Conquers the Sea, tracing back to the primordial era of creation. Players assume the role of "Lingzhu," the primal life form created by Nuwa from earth, water, and fire, growing from an innocent origin into Nezha. The narrative is set in a chaotic world after Pangu's slumber, marked by ten suns scorching the sky and the collapse of the heavenly pillars. The protagonist bears the mission of mending the heavens, exploring their own origins, and sealing spacetime rifts. The main storyline lasts approximately 25 hours and features multiple endings. The game will recreate famous scenes from ancient myths such as Kuafu Chasing the Sun and Hou Yi Shooting the Suns; players can even climb the body of the giant god Kuafu for a boss battle or ascend the Fusang Divine Tree to complete the sun-shooting storyline.
The combat system integrates design inspirations from multiple classic titles, referencing the high-speed dashes of "Dragon Ball," the epic boss battles of "God of War III," and the fighting logic of "Street Fighter 6." This achieves seamless integrated combat across ground and air, allowing players to instantly close distances, launch enemies into the air, and continue with aerial combos for a satisfying combat rhythm.
The core design philosophy is derived from Bruce Lee's "Be Water" concept, integrating the offensive and defensive principles of Jeet Kune Do, such as parries and counters, into combat. The protagonist can condense hydro-energy to unleash armor-breaking and area-of-effect attacks. A unique Treasure Artifact Fusion system allows players to combine ancient divine weapons like Hou Yi's Bow and the Banana Fan to generate new supernatural abilities.
The development team balances hardcore and beginner-friendly experiences by allowing players to pre-customize combo chains, similar to the Modern Controls in Street Fighter. This enables even novices to execute flashy combos without being forced to memorize complex inputs. The game does not pursue the high-pressure, cautious gameplay typical of Souls-like titles, instead emphasizing the thrill of aggressive offense while retaining a skill-based combat threshold.
On the technical front, the Unreal Engine 5 has been deeply customized to achieve real-time fluid water effects, dynamic day-night cycles, weather systems including thunderstorms and hail, and large-scale environmental destruction. MetaHuman is used for high-fidelity facial capture. The art style draws inspiration from Dunhuang grotto carvings and traditional porcelain curves to create an aesthetic of Eastern primordial chaos.
Producer Young Lau admitted in an interview that the success of "Black MYTH - Steam Edition: Wukong" greatly boosted the team's confidence, proving that Chinese mythological themes can reach a global audience. The project plans a complete trilogy of creation myths, with this game serving merely as the opening chapter. The team has already partnered with PlayStation, though Japanese localization has not yet been officially announced. The Japanese market is a key target, with hopes of fostering cross-cultural player interaction through the game.