Phantom Blade Zero Modders Add a Training Dummy, 1600 Foes Survival Mode, and Roguelite-Style Mode, as S-Game’s First Patch Brings No Major Gameplay Additions

Phantom Blade Zero launched last week on PC and PlayStation 5, and it's a rather polished release that has no glaring issues. However, S-Game has already released the first patch to iron out some kinks and introduce new features. In terms of new gameplay features, however, the development studio has yet to add anything significant, leaving it to modders to fill some of the gaps, making the experience even more…

Unofficial Training Mode

One gripe I had during my first playthrough (which was not enough to move the needle from the 10/10 score the game rightly deserved in my opinion) was how enemies do not respawn, preventing me from trying out and practicing with all of the game's incredible weapons. A training mode would have served as well, but the game also doesn't feature one.

With the DPS Dummy mod, however, Phantom Blade Zero finally gets one in the form of a dummy enemy that blends into the environment near the Outpost fast-travel point. As the mod displays "DPS, total damage, last-hit damage and time to empty the health bar," and automatically restores Soul's health and Sha-Chi when he stops attacking, it is the best unofficial implementation possible of a proper training mode.

New Challenging Encounters

In terms of endgame content, Phantom Blade Zero definitely doesn't disappoint, as the 66-Days mode adds a layer of tension to the experience that forces the player to master the game's combat mechanics, a tension that rises with every New Game+ cycle that increases enemy stats. However, if you're willing to further put your skills to the test without having to replay through the entire game again and again, The HexTower and Phantom Master Ninja are mods you should definitely try out.

"Ring the bell to start HexTower. Pick a route through three acts, fight elites, and build your run with augments and relics. Visit shops and campfires before each act boss. Boss Rush and a Training Camp are also available," reads the official description of the HexTower mod on Nexus Mods. This mod essentially adds something akin to a roguelite mode where players build Soul with additional augments as he takes on several combat challenges. While simple on paper, this idea works wonders thanks to the game's excellent combat design, and the built-in Boss Rush mode leverages the incredible boss design to let players take them on repeatedly and refine their builds to the next level.

While much simpler in execution, the Phantom Master Ninja mod adds even more of a challenge in the form of a survival mode. "Built specifically for hardcore fans of Ninja Gaiden 2 on Master Ninja difficulty, Phantom Master Ninja throws you into relentless survival gauntlets with up to 24 aggressive enemies on screen simultaneously and wave totals from 160 to 1,600 enemies," reads the mod's description on Nexus Mods. "Test your mastery in any region across difficulties ranging from Hellwalker to NG+6. Unless you are a Ninja Dog, prepare for relentless action." The mod also comes with additional settings to tweak the challenge level, which are a definitive plus for those who may not be ready for the relentless vanilla settings.

With weapons having very diverse playstyles, these additional Phantom Blade Zero challenges are the perfect way to delve deeper into one of the best action RPGs of the generation. We still don't know if S-Game plans to add something similar officially down the line, but the game's future still looks bright.

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