As one of the most influential and historical professional gaming media in the world, Game Informer has always led the industry's weather vane for 34 years.Recently, Game Informer started its trip to China for the first time in order to explore the 3A martial arts action game "Shadow Blade Zero" created by Beiling Tour (S-GAME).
Senior reporter Wesley LeBlanc has arrived in Beijing and Shanghai after a 25-hour long journey. He has in-depth trials of the Demo version of "Shadow Blade Zero", and personally participated in the S-PARTY event in Shougang Park and visited the game's motion capture studio, and felt the unique charm of "Kung Fu Punk" in the game up close: from the precise motion capture guided by martial arts masters, the combat system that combines the refreshing feeling of high-speed combat and excellent level design, to the shocking visual scene condensed by thousands of red lines, all show its pure Chinese martial arts culture charm.
During the journey, whether it is the familiarity between customs personnel of the game, the enthusiasm of players to queue up for trial play in the scorching heat, or the S-GAME's insistence on the development concept of "player first", reporters have truly experienced the rapid rise and innovative vitality of China's game industry.At the same time, this immersive experience of culture and food also brought unprecedented shock and touching to Game Informer.
The following is the original text of the article:
One of the biggest benefits of this job is the ability to travel everywhere.I love travel, enjoy experiencing new cultures, exploring strange places, and also like the feeling of being "unfamiliar and fresh, uncomfortable but exciting".When Game Informer received an invitation to travel to Beijing and Shanghai, China, and spent a week in-depth understanding of the upcoming "Kung Fu Punk" action game "Shadow Blade Zero", a work created by Beijing game company S-GAME, I immediately agreed and couldn't wait to express my willingness to participate.
To be honest, although I am indeed very interested in this game, the bigger reason is that I want to go to China and experience the game development atmosphere there for myself.Of course, there is still a chance to eat more than a hundred dumplings along the way.
After trying out the demo for about an hour long (I played it five times because it was really fun), I can be excited to say: Shadow Blade Zero is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated games I will ever look forward to in the future.In addition to games, this journey also gave me a lot of cultural gains. I had countless delicious dishes, especially Shanghai's iconic Shengjian and Xiaolongbao, which were even more icing on the cake.The martial arts movements of "Shadow Blade Zero" are completely based on motion capture technology, presenting extremely smooth and precise animation effects, and even the most experienced action game fans will be shocked.Its respect for martial arts and local culture comes from a wish: not only let Chinese players see it, but also let players around the world who are eager for more Chinese works see what a real Chinese 3A game can look like.Referring to the 2024 "Black Myth: Wukong", the sales volume in three days is 10 million, and the total global sales volume exceeds 25 million. Obviously, players around the world will be attracted by it.
China Customs
From Florida, USA to China, I finally arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport after a 25-hour flight.Customs staff were friendly and enthusiastic, but soon the language barrier appeared.Usually when I was on a business trip, I usually only said "I came to work", but this time it was obviously not enough, so I changed my words and explained: I worked in the world's largest game magazine, and this time I came to Beijing to try a game called "Shadow Blade Zero".
Judging from their expressions, the customs officers obviously didn't understand what I was talking about, so I had to explain further.While I was busy opening the video website and wanted to show them the trailer for "Shadow Blade Zero", I continued to explain.At this time, the staff who handled my procedures called a colleague: "He is here to play games." When this colleague came over, I told him the name of the game.Just as I was about to raise my phone to show him the video, I found a big smile on his face.That's great, he knows "Shadow Blade Zero"!Although I can't speak Chinese, I can clearly feel that he is introducing the game excitedly to that colleague who doesn't play the game.Not long after, I was successfully released.success!
The reason I mentioned the customs episode is because it was the first time I truly felt the enthusiasm of Chinese players for "Shadow Blade Zero".And in the next few days, this enthusiasm was completely ignited on S-PARTY.The event was held in Beijing Shougang Park, which was once the venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics. It was earlier a steel plant built in 1919. It has now become one of the most special landmarks in Beijing.For Shadow Blade Zero, this is the largest public appearance to date, and this location can be said to be the most appropriate one.S-GAME CEO and game producer Soulframe Liang (yes, this is his name) told me that in addition to inviting media, anchors and content creators, this event is also open to 2,000 ordinary players, allowing them to experience the levels under development with their own hands.
"The feeling here is very good." Soulframe (shortly known as S, who he himself likes to call it) told me in an interview: "It's not just a crazy atmosphere, but a complete 'kung fu punk'. You can see industrial buildings and these artificial visual elements, such as red silk threads, mixed together." These "red lines" are also key elements in the final boss battle in the trial, and players have to fight against a terrifying puppet-like enemy.Inside this industrial factory, thousands of red lines hang down from the ceiling, contrasting with hundreds of PCs and PS5s. Even in the high temperature of 35℃ and 90% humidity, a large number of viewers still line up to try it out.The red line is not only part of the scene layout, but also symbolizes the shocking effect that S-GAME wants to bring, and also has the strong support of PlayStation and NVIDIA cooperation.The whole picture is like a visual feast.
The atmosphere in the entire Shougang Park was high: some people tried and fell in love with this game like me; and thousands of potential fans who got it for the first time couldn't wait outside.What surprised me the most were the players who were still lined up in the hot steel jungle.Shougang Park covers an area of 8.63 square kilometers, and is as depressing and dull as a concrete jungle.You know, this game has no release date so far, and I estimate that it will be until 2026 as soon as possible.However, there are still frame drops, bugs and various obvious flaws in the trial version.In other words, this is exactly the kind of content that Western 3A studios will definitely package layer by layer and will never be rashly disclosed.But in China, the situation seems completely different.
When I asked why so many people tried it out at such an early stage, S's answer was very straightforward: "Feedback? It's so important." He said, "This is the habit we developed when we do mobile games. When we do mobile games, you have to constantly test and iterate. Those small details that seem irrelevant to developers may be the key to players. This is the experience we learned from mobile games (Shadow Blade Zero is actually developed based on the S-GAME mobile game "Shadow Blade" series). We found that a lot of experience from mobile games are actually applicable to stand-alone games. You can't keep it closed for three to five years, rely on your intuition, and then throw a result directly to the player."
S particularly emphasizes that in game development, just one year is enough to make a lot of changes, not to mention usually three to five years, or even extending to seven to ten years of 3A cycles."Players' preferences change, so you have to always follow the market. We are doing art, but games are also products. We talk about Chinese culture, kung fu punk, and all kinds of stylized elements. But in the end all these artistic styles, it all has to be based on a basic premise: let players really fall in love with your game."
A New Era for Kung Fu
The level I tried was a separate chapter reduced to an hourly experience, with many doors and roads closed down and I guess they will be open in the final version.The trial was a tutorial from the beginning, with the purpose of teaching the combo and parry mechanisms of "Shadow Blade Zero", but it actually seemed to be showing the game design skills.The motion capture animation used by S-GAME is really amazing.A few days later I visited their mobility capture shed and saw the martial arts masters performing the movements in the demo, and combined reality with martial arts fantasy through Wia.The protagonist in the game - Soul, behind every action, it can be seen that it is the interpretation of a real martial artist.
The core of the battle in "Shadow Blade Zero" is that the two main weapons alternately make combos, and then use the secondary weapons to deal with long-range enemies (of course, the secondary weapons are not limited to long-range attacks), and at the same time seize the right defense opportunity at critical moments.This is not just "makes you feel great", but it really brings the beauty of Chinese martial arts into video games, just like the Kung Fu movies in the 1960s and 1970s once showed.
S grew up in China and later went to the United States to study architecture during his graduate studies.In school, he has always tried to combine traditional Chinese culture with modern industry.For him, just like Hong Kong directors and martial arts stars in the 1960s and 1970s, such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, brought Chinese martial arts to Hollywood movies.S said: "Those kung fu movies are blending traditional Chinese martial arts with Hollywood, right? We want to do the same in the game, too."
It is said that since the project was launched around 2021, S-GAME has visited various parts of the country many times during the development process to study different sects of Chinese martial arts.They use Unreal 5 engine and motion capture technology and work with martial artists from all over the country.S believes that their team has successfully injected "kung fu" into the game, just like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan injected vitality into Hollywood fifty years ago.
On the screen, these efforts translate into smooth and gorgeous movements, with each rocker and key press accompanied by delicate feedback.Under the standard difficulty "breaker", you can pass the level by "brainless continuous fighting", but you will miss the rich combos and diverse gameplay provided by the game."Shadow Blade Zero" Demo provides 8 basic weapons and 5 types of shadow weapons, from daggers, snake swords to axes, bows and arrows, and flying rings.In the highest difficulty "God-defying One" (it takes one pass to unlock), if you don't master the importance of combos and offensive rhythm, it is impossible to pass the level.Whether it is level design, enemy type or boss battles, you are urging you to understand and use the coherence and explosiveness of this offense.The game demo lasts 1 hour, but it has been played 5 times
After completing the tutorial, I chose "Black Blades" which is a pair of weapons that emphasize speed and agility. Combined with L2's ultimate move, I can make a blood-red combo.I also equipped "White Python Red Practice", which have long-range combo capabilities and can even directly execute enemies from a distance.In terms of secondary weapons, I equipped a huge battle axe, and the roar made during the three-combo of power was as shocking as a rocket ignition, and there was also a bow to deal with long-range enemies.Then I officially started the trial and was placed in an ancient Chinese style scene. The enemy attacked from all directions, waving various strange weapons and martial arts moves.
The design of the combat system was obviously influenced by Devil May Cry, with emphasis on the rhythm and combo, while the level structure can be seen borrowing from From Software's "Dark Souls" series.From the first moment I started, I could feel the refreshing and exciting blow of "Devil May Cry", and during the exploration process, the "soul-type" level design was also clearly visible.
I saw a main road ahead, with some small monsters spreading along the way.But on the tower to the right, there is also an annoying archer.I didn't want the arrow to interrupt my combo on the ground, so I climbed up the cliff, rushed to the top of the tower along the ladder, and cleanly dealt with it, blood splattered.Then I locked in an enemy below, jumped, and pressed the triangle key in the air to directly execute the air.Unexpectedly, another execution prompt appeared, allowing me to solve the second threat in the area.
Before I could catch my breath, more enemies flocked to me, including a giant man riding a war horse, who immediately reminded me of the Lu Bu boss battle in "The Dragon of Sleeping: The Fall of the Sky".Here, I must quickly determine when to block the counterattack and when to dodge decisively.Although I suffered a few heavy blows, I finally managed to hold on.The level advancement pace of "Shadow Blade Zero" is much faster than that of the soul game, but in terms of design, its difficulty is not that harsh.
"The soul system is a fixed pattern that we don't want to copy because it is the style created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and From Software." S said."If you're not from Software, you have to do the same thing very carefully. Because players have been deeply influenced by From Software over the past decade, they know what they will encounter and can tolerate the feeling of punishment and torture because they believe there will be rewards after passing. But if you're a new studio and copy the same path, you don't have this 'privileges'. We don't want to make the game a soul system, but we can learn from its excellent level design and aesthetics."
"On the other hand, we want to make this game really fun and smooth. When you play, you don't feel tortured, but you feel like a martial arts master and sword master. You defeat your enemies with gorgeous moves and different weapons, and enjoy the passion and pleasure of becoming a master.
In other words, the gorgeous actions that look "fake-like not like real" in the trailer of "Shadow Blade Zero" are not cut scenes specially cut, but real gameplay... and the effect is very explosive.
Before entering the open area, players will first experience a claustrophobic level design, which immediately reminds people of the sick village of "Dark Souls".It is filled with countless wooden platforms, lifts, chain ferry and hidden trails.This area is both an excellent mobile phone training experience and a test: while the player has to deal with long-range attacks shot from the opposite side of the cliff, he also has to resist waves of quickly approaching enemies.At this moment, I truly felt the "fighting rhythm" of the game and enjoyed it.Shadow Blade Zero will reward skillful operations and constantly urge you to join the battle.If you choose to play slowly, the game will become boring; but if you rush in and fight with all your heart, it will show the best experience.I kept reminding myself in my heart: "Roll up!"
After getting rid of that claustrophobic area and coming to an open area, I cleared out a few waves of enemies, and then encountered the first boss of this level - Wanjun.This behemoth may have been a human being, but now it is wielding a huge bronze hammer to dominate the battlefield.In this battle, I was forced to defend almost the whole time, and I could only seize the opportunity to fight back when I found the flaw and made it stand firm.This is a wonderful battle. Although it is similar to the boss battles in other action games in terms of gameplay, the animation effects displayed in it are impressive.I can't fully express the great improvement of this type of combat game in motion capture in words.
I fought all the way through another cliff area and finally welcomed the next boss - the female swordsman in red, at the top of a Chinese pagoda.This revenge deceased wife in a shabby red robe attacked extremely fiercely. She moved around the top of the pagoda at high speed, constantly approaching the distance between me and her.In the end I defeated her, and then I learned that this battle could be skipped.If she chooses to skip, she will show up in the final boss battle, making that battle even harder.Fortunately I solved her here, because the final boss battle next used almost all my senses and reaction.The trailer for "Sword Year" of "Shadow Blade Zero" released in January this year is actually a complete display of this battle: at first I had to face the Seven-Star Sword Formation: Senior Brother, who manipulated seven puppets to launch an attack at the same time; by the end of this stage, the battle will enter the second stage - "Senior Brother's Desperate Sword Intent".I can't describe how shocking this battle was.When the elder brother is defeated, several of the puppets will climb up to the platform, throw the red line to the battlefield, and turn the powerful elder brother into a puppet to control it.The battlefield instantly burst into flames, the whole picture was dyed red, and music that combines traditional Chinese musical instruments and double-step metal drum beats sounded in my ears, which was extremely shocking.
The enemies I faced at this moment almost never landed, but like the martial arts masters I saw in the Shanghai motion capture shed, they churned at high speed in the field with ropes and spreaders.I was soon killed because I was completely immersed in this visual feast and didn't even bother to deal with the boss seriously.It's so cool.This is a nearly crazy boss battle and the biggest highlight of my experience in Shadow Blade Zero.I used all four weapons, all special skills, and borrowed from the combat experience in Devil May Cry and Dark Souls to predict the Boss' next move and react.Finally, I completed the battle and the whole trial with a smile on my face.The moment the demo ended, I immediately started to try again, and even the difficulty of "The Demonic" was cleared twice.
Oriental China
When ending this trial of "Shadow Blade Zero", a sentence that S said in the interview kept popping up in my mind: In the past ten years, the Chinese game industry has undergone earth-shaking changes.
“We are developing all the technology, experience and skills needed to make games,” he said. “China has undertaken a large number of outsourcing projects for 3A games in Europe and America, and many of these outsourcing teams want to create something that belongs to them. They are eager to make works that are truly rooted in their own culture.”
S said that this is exactly what is happening in Chinese games today.And it is indeed the case.This is our first time in China in the 34-year history of Game Informer.S-GAME is brewing something special. If "Shadow Blade Zero" represents the beginning of China's move towards the global 3A game stage, then I can't even imagine what Chinese games will look like in ten years.But I can't wait to witness it.
