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Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99Subscribe now Gamescom 2025 schedule Battlefield 6 Horror Special New Games for 2025 Recommended reading Action Games "Many people are making games for money, but we make money for games": CEO says all the studio's releases were stepping stones to the "end goal" of its big kung fu action RPG Action RPGs Phantom Blade Zero is "neither a Soulslike game nor a traditional action game," creator says, suggesting that "maybe it could create a new identity" altogether Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead says "prejudice against turn-based RPGs isn't completely gone," even if fellow JRPGs like Persona and Dragon Quest sell millions of copies It's not just Final Fantasy and Persona – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is also inspired by my favorite JRPG gem Shadow Hearts, confirming a theory I've been sitting on for weeks Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director is more pleased about his French JRPG's acceptance in Japan than he is about its "acclaim in any other country" Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 star says the French JRPG hasn't brought back turn-based combat as bangers like Octopath Traveler have been here all along: "I'm glad that people are discovering it again" Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 10 dev reminds players obsessed with retro-style PS1 graphics in modern games that, back in my day, those graphics were a problem Action RPGs Phantom Blade Zero Phantom Blade Zero director says playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 "reminded me of Final Fantasy 10" and "I'd love to bring back some vibes from the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 era" Ashley Bardhan 12 August 2025 Soulframe Liang misses the good ol' PlayStation days When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: S-Game) Despite what our constant state of war and suffering might suggest, the human race is united by many things – like understanding that the tie dye-stained years when Sony was selling the PS1 and PS2 were cool as hell. Director behind the to-be-released, mystical assassin RPG Phantom Blade Zero – and CEO of its developer S-game – Qiwei "Soulframe" Liang tells PC Gamer in a new interview that he yearns to make something that perfectly reflects those sparkling late '90s days. According to him, he'd be in good company. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has already done it. "When I played Expedition 33," Liang says, "it reminded me of Final Fantasy 10, because I lived in that era." I also think that, beyond their shared turn-based combat, 2001's Final Fantasy 10 and Expedition 33 both efficiently balance the multilayered joy, goofiness, and sadness of their ensemble cast, making for an especially dreamy fantasy. You may like "Many people are making games for money, but we make money for games": CEO says all the studio's releases were stepping stones to the "end goal" of its big kung fu action RPG Phantom Blade Zero is "neither a Soulslike game nor a traditional action game," creator says, suggesting that "maybe it could create a new identity" altogether Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead says "prejudice against turn-based RPGs isn't completely gone," even if fellow JRPGs like Persona and Dragon Quest sell millions of copies This might be, in part, what Liang is referring to when he says to PC Gamer, "I always say I'd love to bring back some vibes from the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 era, when games were not so big but were created by creative creators." "These kinds of games are really rare nowadays," he muses, though they arrive in the shape of "something like Expedition 33." For Phantom Blade Zero, Liang says his studio wishes "our game will also be something that can express our ideas and is well polished. It may not be the biggest game in the industry. Doesn't have to be. But I wish it can present our very honest heart." Phantom Blade Zero is "neither a Soulslike game nor a traditional action game," creator says, suggesting that "maybe it could create a new identity" altogether. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. See more PS5 News PlayStation Ashley Bardhan Senior Writer Ashley is a Senior Writer at GamesRadar+. She's been a staff writer at Kotaku and Inverse, too, and she's written freelance pieces about horror and women in games for sites like Rolling Stone, Vulture, IGN, and Polygon. When she's not covering gaming news, she's usually working on expanding her doll collection while watching Saw movies one through 11. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. "Many people are making games for money, but we make money for games": CEO says all the studio's releases were stepping stones to the "end goal" of its big kung fu action RPG Phantom Blade Zero is "neither a Soulslike game nor a traditional action game," creator says, suggesting that "maybe it could create a new identity" altogether Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead says "prejudice against turn-based RPGs isn't completely gone," even if fellow JRPGs like Persona and Dragon Quest sell millions of copies It's not just Final Fantasy and Persona – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is also inspired by my favorite JRPG gem Shadow Hearts, confirming a theory I've been sitting on for weeks Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director is more pleased about his French JRPG's acceptance in Japan than he is about its "acclaim in any other country" Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 star says the French JRPG hasn't brought back turn-based combat as bangers like Octopath Traveler have been here all along: "I'm glad that people are discovering it again" Latest in Action RPGs Elden Ring streamer says to hell with challenge runs, plays the open-world game alongside Street Fighter 6 while DJing at a club instead Monster Hunter Wilds update expands endgame content as Capcom addresses negative Steam reviews regarding optimization and commits "to delivering a more enjoyable and satisfying gaming experience" Elden Ring does it again: Bandai Namco lights a cigar with digital profits up ¥7 billion partly thanks to 5 million+ Nightreign players, and doubles down on Sony collaboration A bruised Capcom escapes "Overwhelmingly Negative" Steam hell as Monster Hunter Wilds' recent user reviews climb to 20% positive Elden Ring Nightreign duos mode should have been the perfect update, but it's lacking both the challenge and the chaos that make the base game so good Former Gears of War boss becomes former Diablo boss as Rod Fergusson leaves Microsoft a third time, "sword in hand," after 5 years overseeing the ARPG series: "I'm proud of what we've built" Latest in News Assassin's Creed has gone a bit off the rails, but Ubisoft says it hasn't forgotten about the whole Assassins versus Templars thing, with a "deep dive" on the conflict coming "in the near future" Mare of Easttown creator's new show starring Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo gets a sappily sentimental trailer that's also chock full of drugs and guns Blizzard narrative team votes in favor of union one week after Call of Duty workers did the same, pushing back against mass layoffs at Microsoft that saw 9,000 jobs lost in favor of AI Fans have discovered that one of Weapons' funniest gags is actually a moving tribute to director Zach Cregger's late creative partner and close friend Mass Effect 5 devs should use Dragon Age: The Veilguard as a "scapegoat" so they can "get what they need" from EA, says former BioWare exec Evil otome game that tracks my period adds rail shooter where you murder Pokemon-style pets for love, and everyone's a lot more shirtless than you'd think GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS Madden 26 review: "The finest entry in a decade by some margin" I'm convinced that this is still one of the best team board games around, and it deserves to be on your shelf Is This Seat Taken? review: "I can't believe organizing seating charts can be this charming" Legend in the Mist review: "Incredible flourishes on press-your-luck mechanics to incentivise tough decisions" Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound review: "Absolutely proves Ninja Gaiden deserved to be revived – I've never been happier to be right" Weapons review: "A twisted fairytale that bests Barbarian" The Fantastic Four: First Steps review: "An occasionally thrilling heroic adventure that sits safely within a B-tier MCU range" Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU" Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber" M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion" Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots" Alien: Earth review: "Arguably the franchise's strongest outing since James Cameron's Aliens" King of the Hill season 14 review: "Hank Hill himself has evolved into a much more open and accepting person" Eyes of Wakanda review: "A creative premise shortchanged by the runtime and Marvel bloat" Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever" GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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