Phantom Blade Tips And Tricks For New Players We Wish We Knew Before Starting

Introduction

Phantom Blade Zero is finally out, and it was worth the wait; you can read why in my review here. Whether you’re new to the action genre or a dedicated student of the blade (or blades, rather, there are 55 weapons in Phantom Blade Zero), this action debut from Beijing-based developer S-Game does a lot. I’ve spent more than 50 hours playing the game and have a pretty good grip on its systems and mechanics. So I’m going to share the Phantom Blade Zero tips and tricks I wish I’d known before starting. 

You can find my tips and tricks below, but if you discover any that aren’t on this list, please share them in the comments at the bottom of this article!

Phantom Blade Zero Tips And Tricks

Phantom Blade Zero Tips And Tricks

1. Switch main weapons often: Sha-Chi is a magical, force-like energy that runs through Phantom Blade Zero’s underground martial realm, Wulin. It’s shown on the bottom left of your screen as a yellowish bar under your HP. It’s not quite stamina, as sprinting and using standard attack buttons don’t deplete it. However, your more powerful Sha-Chi attacks (Triangle/Y) do deplete the Sha-Chi, as does blocking enemy attacks with L1/LB. Your enemy can also break your Sha-Chi with multiple and/or powerful attacks. When your Sha-Chi is low or depleted, switch to your second main weapon, as it will come out with a stylish attack AND a full Sha-Chi bar. Your other weapon will then have a cooldown (that can be decreased as you level up), but when that cooldown is over, you can switch to the other main weapon with a full Sha-Chi bar once more – it’s this rotation that will keep you from ever being left open and helpless with an empty Sha-Chi bar. 
2. Try every weapon: Phantom Blade Zero has 30 main weapons and 25 Phantom Edge weapons, which are limited-use (requiring you to build up charges to use). You’ll earn some by completing main quests and defeating bosses throughout, but many are optional finds that require you to stray from the golden path. No matter how you find a weapon, you must try every single one you find. I can’t tell you how many weapons I found, started using, and quickly said, “Oh yup, this is going to be my new main,” only to discover another new weapon that replaced it. There are so many cool weapons and the next weapon you find could be your new favorite weapon. 
3. Don’t hoard upgrade materials: I know, I know. We all hoard materials, potions, and this and that because we might need them later. But I’m telling you: Do not hoard your materials in Phantom Blade Zero. Developer S-Game wants you to upgrade all of your weapons and discover ones you like, dislike, love, and hate. As you upgrade weapons, new combo abilities and perks are added, making them feel even more unique and powerful. You will discover so many upgrade materials – seriously, like so many. You’ll also find plenty of revert items that let you extract every resource poured into a weapon, so you can use those materials on a different weapon. For the most part, though, many of the weapons use their own unique materials that maybe one or two other weapons will use so you can safely upgrade without worrying about sacrificing an upgrade for a different weapon. 

4.  Explore everywhere: Phantom Blade Zero has an incredible map, one of my all-time favorites. It is both visually engaging and an excellent tool for your playthrough. You can follow the golden path, marked by golden objective markers, but doing so will rob you of plenty of engaging side content. Stray from the golden path to explore caves, hidden alleys, buildings, underground tunnels, and more. Following the story-critical purple side quests, the white side quests, and the white collectible markers will take you to new places to explore. However, there’s even more to find that none of the objective markers will guide you to, so always look for a path to stray down. 
5. Complete every quest with a purple icon: The golden objective markers are for the main quests. Obviously, you need to do those. You’ll also stumble upon quests with purple objective markers. While these are technically optional side quests, I highly recommend completing them all. They might as well be main quests because the only way to get the “perfect” ending (the only one that will be satisfactory, to be honest) is to complete every purple quest before heading toward the game’s finale. S-Game says skipping the purple quests means missing “roughly one-third of the game’s content and reaching its most basic ending.” 
6. The game has a “last chance” warning before the finale: Enjoy the game at your own pace and don’t stress about completing this or that in the lead-up to the finale because when you reach the final area, the game will make it very clear you’re heading toward the ending, with a clear “this is your last chance to clean up and complete side content” type of message. When you see that, make sure you’ve completed every purple quest. 
7. Focus your efforts on individual boss phases: Phantom Blade Zero is definitively not a Soulslike, despite clear nods and inspirations to the formula. Still, its bosses will remind you most of a Soulslike because they can be wild and challenging. Many of them are single-phase bosses – take down that health bar and the fight is over. However, some of them have multiple phases (usually just two). Focus on completing the first phase; use all your medicines, abilities, and everything else to take it down, because even if you die in the second phase, the first phase will remain complete. When you die and respawn at the bonfire-like Phantom Bell, return to the boss to start the second phase. 

8.  Track down every Memory Flower: Memory Flowers are optional collectibles that really shouldn’t be. They’re pretty easy to spot while exploring: a single tall, glowing blue flower standing among a circle of smaller blue flowers. Interact with them, and you get to listen to an interesting story vignette. Most of these flowers are part of a set of one, two, three, or more. When you complete a set, you will gain HP. Smaller sets grant a 3% HP boost, while the largest Memory Flower sets grant a 10% HP boost. Interacting with these Memory Flowers is completely optional BUT interacting with them and completing sets is the only way you can gain additional HP in the game. So, like, make sure you find them. 
9. If you hear coins jingling, you’re near a treasure master: The game hints at this in the second biome, but a mysterious man collects treasures across Wulin. After you talk to him, he will ask you to find three specific treasures (in green-glowing treasure chests) in each region and reward you with an interesting accessory or something else. However, you can’t pick up this scavenger-hunt quest in each region until you find the man. The best way to track him down is to listen for coins jingling. If you hear that sound, look around. You should see a sword or three stuck into the environment around you, with a chain of golden coins hanging from it. If you see this, it means the man is nearby. 
10. The game has search-action/Metroidvania elements: the aforementioned Phantom Edge weapons are great for combat, but a handful also double as tools for exploration. Some can destroy floors beneath you to reveal hidden tunnels; others can unlock secret staircases, while another lets you grapple to places previously out of reach. As you explore, you will come across areas you don’t yet have the Phantom Edge to reach. Make a mental note of this place (the map will also mark it with the tool you need), and return later when you have what you need. Sometimes it opens a path to a chest; other times it leads to completely new areas ripe with secrets, treasures, enemies, secret bosses, and more. 

Region-Specific Tips And Tricks – SPOILERS

Region-Specific Tips And Tricks – SPOILERS

S-Game shared some recommendations for Phantom Blade Zero’s various biomes in the review process, and I found them quite helpful, so I figured I’d pass along that information to you. Consider the tips and tricks below spoilers for the game’s various regions. 

Weeping Creek Valley

• When you reach the massive Sha-Chi tower (it looks like it belongs in Final Fantasy VII’s Midgar), heading up will take you through its various story-oriented paths. However, be sure to head back down near the entrance at some point. A hidden boss here drops a great weapon after you defeat them. 
• After you defeat a boss named The Hunt, return to the Sha-Chi tower by fast-traveling to the Phantom Bell at the top. Here, you can use the newly acquired Hunter’s Chain Sickle to reach the previously unreachable area above and obtain a key that opens up a large portion of the Weeping Creek Valley map. 
• After opening up that large portion of the Weeping Creek Valley, keep an eye out for the Crane Phantom Bell. These specific bells unlock new cutscenes and yield critical story information about Soul’s journey. 
• In that newly opened area, you will also discover the first Long Pillar. There are five of these in the game and you must complete each pillar to get the perfect ending. These are some of the most difficult boss fights in the game, so don’t sweat it if you need to return to them later when you feel more powerful. 

Crimson Forest

• Treasure master Quick Hand Zhang, whom I alluded to in the spoiler-free tips and tricks above, will task you with finding three Relics in the Crimson Forest. Find them and give them to him to receive a special Phantom Edge weapon. Remember: The Relics he wants are only found in green-glowing treasure chests. 
• Keep an eye out for a special Banyan tree with a human-like face. Interact with it to start a three-phase challenge trial that ends with a boss fight (it’s a boss you’ve already defeated, but tougher, with some new moves). Completing this trial (and the other five Human-Faced Banyan trials) will earn you a Banyan Heart. You need this item to unlock specific nodes on Soul’s upgrade tree. 
• In the Mirrorwood of the Crimson Forest, be sure to collect all of Inasis’ Memory Flowers. Doing so will increase your HP and make the Crimson Forest chapter-ending boss less difficult. 

Village of Lu

• Search out and collect all five of Mu Xiaokui’s ribbons. This is technically a side quest, but finding all five of them will add another phase to the Village of Lu chapter-ending boss. Completing this phase rewards you with an awesome weapon. 
• Collect all six of the Firefly Memory Flowers. This unlocks a hidden boss in the Village of Lu and begins an important side quest called Secrets at the Heart of the Lake. You must complete Secrets at the Heart of the Lake in order to get the perfect ending. 
• A powerful acolyte boss is hidden in a scarecrow in the north of the Village of Lu. Defeat this boss to get the Blazing Mask, which is needed to later unlock a late-game area (that you must complete to get the perfect ending). 
• When you reach the Puppet Testing Grounds in the final stretch of the Village of Lu, be sure to explore the entire area so you don’t miss a magical portal. Interact with it to encounter the Three-Eyed Puppet. This will help you defeat the Three-Eyed Puppet later and unlock the perfect ending. 
• Most of the enemies in the Village of Lu are puppets, so they have no flesh or blood to tear through. As a result, any weapon with a bleed effect is less effective here. Use weapons with high guard-break stats and shield-breaking power. 
• At the end of the Village of Lu chapter, return to Young Master Lan and Old Man Gen to continue their side quests. 

Pangzhen

• Pangzhen is by far the largest and most sprawling region in the game. Take your time – it can be overwhelming. 
• Before fighting the boss Blaze, be sure to explore the city and find an accessory that reduces fire damage. You’ll be thankful you did. 
• Similarly, be sure to find an accessory that reduces lightning damage before facing Chang Hong. 
• And finally, before facing Flame, the Lion Dance Grandmaster, search out an aquatic miniboss and defeat them to obtain Youloong’s Deluge. This Phantom Edge lets you spray water, dampening the Lion Dance Grandmaster and making his fiery attacks less effective. 
• Beside the Lion Dance Hall in Pangzhen’s backstreets, you can find the second scarecrow acolyte boss. Defeat them to obtain Leiting’s Thunder Mask, another perfect ending-critical item. 
• Many of the routes in Pangzhen are blocked by thorns. By the end of this chapter, you will have the Flaming Mane, which lets you burn through thorns. This opens up new parts of Pangzhen, so backtrack and explore them. 
• The side quests involving Young Master Lan and Old Man Gen continue in Pangzhen, so keep an eye out for them. 
• After completing all story-critical content in Pangzhen, you can technically head towards the finale but I highly recommend not doing that. There are more optional (technically) areas to explore that you really shouldn’t miss. 

The Mandate’s Encampment

• This area is technically optional. Don’t skip it. 
• After defeating Gu Wanyue in Pangzhen, head into the well to find a key to the Mandate’s Encampment. Then, head back to the Village of Lu to reach the Mandate’s Encampment (bottom-left area of this region). 
• An optional boss is in the top-right corner of the Mandate’s Encampment map. Defeat this boss to get the Soft Snake Sword, one of the game’s most fun weapons. 
• Explore every nook, cranny, alley, and building in the Mandate’s Encampment. Lots of story secrets are hidden within. 
• After defeating the Mandate’s Encampment chapter-ending boss, head through the magical portal and interact with the Three-Eyed Puppet a second time (the first time is near the end of the Village of Lu). 

Meigu Lake

• Meigu Lake introduces a Sha-Chi-powered boat that lets you explore the islands in Meigu Lake. It feels a lot like exploring Midgard in God of War (2018). You’ll find lots of secret areas and treasures while boating around, including a Human-Faced Banyan tree, a Long Pillar, the third scarecrow hiding another acolyte boss, a Quick Hand Zhang hideout, and another Sha-Chi tower to explore. 
• There are three locations on Meigu Lake critical to getting Phantom Blade Zero’s perfect ending: 
  1. Collapsed Theater: Collect all six surrounding Memory Flowers, visit the island, defeat the boss here, and obtain the Illusory Pipa Strings. 
  2. Archway: Near the north of Meigu Lake, a massive archway stands. After obtaining the Illusory Pipa Phantom Edge weapon, head here for a secret area. 
  3. To the west is a large expanse of floating ice: Head there to find a special mirror. After you collect all four acolyte masks, return here (there’s a Phantom Bell nearby for fast travel) to unlock a late-game optional area that’s critical for the perfect ending. 

Mountain Of Imprisonment

• The Mountain of Imprisonment is another technically optional area, but it really shouldn’t be. 
• You need the three missing components of the Illusory Pipa to reach the Mountain of Imprisonment: 
  1. You can get one piece by defeating a hidden boss in the Village of Lu.
  2. You can obtain the second piece by defeating the chapter-ending boss in the Mandate’s Encampment.
  3. You obtain the third piece by defeating the hidden boss at the Collapsed Theater in Meigu Lake. 
  4. Once you have all three pieces, return to Myst at the Pangzhen tavern; she can restore the Illusory Pipa. 
• After defeating the chapter-ending boss of the Mountain of Imprisonment, continue exploring downward to meet an important character. 
  • Here, the third and final Third-Eye Puppet portal sits. Head in and interact with the puppet once more. 
• After defeating the chapter-ending boss here, return to the Crimson Manor beneath the Sha-Chi tower in the Weeping Creek Valley. Use the Puppet’s Tongue item you should now have to open the gate and explore the Crimson Manor. 
• At the base of Crimson Manor, a hidden boss awaits. Defeat it to obtain the final acolyte mask and the important item called the Crystal Puppet Eye [Yang].

The last few regions of Phantom Blade Zero are for you to discover. You have everything you need. Remember these tips and tricks – good luck!

Those are all the tips and tricks we have for you! If you have any you think we should add, let us know in the comments below! If you haven’t already, please read my Phantom Blade Zero review to learn why you won’t want to miss this action game.