Phantom Blade: Executioners for PlayStation 4

Anime-style ARPG experience

Phantom Blade: Executioners is a free-to-play action and role-playing game (ARPG) from S-GAME. This side-scrolling adventure heavily relies on fast-paced and fluid gameplay. In it, you follow a twisted story of love, revenge, and redemption, with the story being dictated by your choices at key moments. More than challenging combat, it has a branching storyline that leads to different endings.

Its use of anime-style artworks paired with fluid animation makes Phantom Blade: Executioners an exciting game, especially for those looking for a 2D challenge. It’s like an upgraded Salt and Sanctuary or Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights.

Fight through an Eastern fantasy world

The first thing to notice about Phantom Blade: Executioners is its art style. It looks like an anime, more particularly Chinese animation based on their own graphic novels. Watercolor brush strokes dominate the sprawling set designs and symbols found throughout the game. This gives this ARPG a unique aesthetic, like watching a graphic novel in action. It even uses fully animated sequences for cutscenes and skills.

Aside from linear and one-dimensional 2D ARPGs, this one is more story-driven. Certain points in the game will ask you to make a decision, and your choice will dictate the direction of the story. This leads to one of multiple endings. Aside from worrying about your choices, the game also requires you to react quickly and precisely in order to chain combos, with additional attack options unlockable as you progress.

The elements mentioned above create good replayability value, giving incentives for multiple playthroughs. However, although this is mostly a single-player game, it requires constant internet connection. Also, players new to this genre will take time in order to master the combat mechanics and, more importantly, get used to the fast-paced combat that this game constantly demands. Thankfully, the game is optimized well enough that there are minimal lags or issues.

A unique and exciting entry

For fans of adventure games, especially side-scrolling RPGs, Phantom Blade: Executioners is a definite must-try. It has an unusual art style, one that would definitely draw attention to Chinese aesthetics in gaming. More importantly, it is well-optimized and features some seriously fast-paced fighting mechanics. If you’re willing to learn the game and soldier through its challenging moments, it’s worth it.