Recently, Liang Qiwei, Development Director of "Phantom Blade Zero," confirmed that Meigu Lake in the game draws direct inspiration from Chinese wuxia culture and is not a homage to "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker." Players can travel between different islands by boat, exploring the unknown one step at a time.
The sailing experience in Meigu Lake once drew comparisons to crossing the Great Sea of Hyrule and traveling between islands in "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker." When asked about any potential inspirational link between the two, Liang Qiwei stated that while many games have created memorable lake environments, Meigu Lake adopts the imagery of lakes found in wuxia culture.
Liang Qiwei explained that lakes are a representative environment in wuxia works. The term "Jianghu" (literally "rivers and lakes") is often used alongside "Wulin" (martial arts world) to refer to the entire wuxia universe. In his vision, islands can either be connected to the mainland or completely isolated, featuring hidden treasures, strange enemies, and legends shrouded in mystery, providing players with continuous opportunities for discovery.
In actual gameplay, the various islands in Meigu Lake present different atmospheres, with unique configurations of treasures and enemies. More than one island is closely tied to the main storyline. These designs clearly distinguish any visual or gameplay similarities from the scene's true cultural origins.