Phantom Blade Zero Difficulty Explained: "So, Apparently This Game Is Way Too Easy." Is the Hardest Difficulty as Hard as FromSoft / Souls Games?
Steam threads ask "So, apparently this game is way too easy.", "At hardest difficulty, is it as hard as FromSoft / Souls games?" and "Please add achievements for difficulty". Here's what S-GAME has officially said about difficulty. MetaPatchAI didn't play-test anything, and we don't rank it against Souls games.
Suggested path: /gaming/phantom-blade-zero/difficulty/
Steps
- If the game feels too easy, switch to Hellwalker. S-GAME says it brings "more advanced and adaptive enemy intelligence". (PlayStation Blog, Aug 17, 2026)
- Want the hardest challenge? Finish the game once, then start Sixty-Six Days. S-GAME CEO Soulframe Liang says the mode unlocks in New Game Plus. It "has the same difficulty as the Hellwalker mode, but you only have 66 times to die". (RPGamer preview Q&A, Oct 2026)
- If you just want the story, use Wayfarer. "If you'd simply like to enjoy the story, Wayfarer mode is for you." (PlayStation Blog)
What S-GAME says about difficulty
- The modes are meant to let "new players and even the most experienced action game veterans tailor the experience". (PlayStation Blog)
- The first playthrough is deliberately not a pure challenge run: "we don't want people to feel too frustrated in the first run... through the second run, it's pure challenge and pure gameplay." (Soulframe Liang, RPGamer)
- Will Chen says choosing Sixty-Six Days "will start the roguelike style" with 66 lives. (RPGamer)
Press claims (S-GAME hasn't published these)
- [Press: Indiatimes] Pathbreaker is the default mode, and you can switch between the regular modes in the in-game Settings menu. https://www.indiatimes.com/game-guides/phantom-blade-zero-difficulty-modes-explained-wayfarer-pathbreaker-hellwalker-66-days/articleshow/135295573.html
- [Press: Push Square] 66 Days has to be chosen when you start a new game; you can't switch to it mid-game. https://www.pushsquare.com/features/how-difficult-is-phantom-blade-zero
- Director on 66 Days (RPGamer Q&A): Soulframe Liang says it "has the same difficulty as the Hellwalker mode, but you only have 66 times to die."
- "As hard as Souls?" That's opinion. Present it only as attributed review quotes, never as our verdict.
- Difficulty achievements: S-GAME hasn't announced any. The request comes from a player suggestion in a Steam thread.
Confirmed / Not confirmed
Confirmed (S-GAME): Wayfarer, Hellwalker and Sixty-Six Days exist; Sixty-Six Days unlocks in NG+, uses Hellwalker difficulty and gives 66 deaths. Press-sourced only (not S-GAME): Pathbreaker as the default and switching in Settings (Indiatimes), and 66 Days being chosen at a new game (Push Square). Not confirmed: any difficulty achievements, and any official comparison with FromSoftware games.
Sources
- PlayStation Blog (S-GAME), Aug 17, 2026: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/08/17/phantom-blade-zero-state-of-play-dives-deep-into-combat-and-the-wulin-world/
- RPGamer, Phantom Blade Zero Preview Q&A (S-GAME interview quotes), Oct 2026: https://rpgamer.com/2026/10/phantom-blade-zero-preview-qa/
- Press (labeled): https://www.pushsquare.com/features/how-difficult-is-phantom-blade-zero , https://www.indiatimes.com/game-guides/phantom-blade-zero-difficulty-modes-explained-wayfarer-pathbreaker-hellwalker-66-days/articleshow/135295573.html
- Demand: https://steamcommunity.com/app/4115450/discussions/0/562545740485992070/ , https://steamcommunity.com/app/4115450/discussions/0/572679173080090551/ , https://steamcommunity.com/app/4115450/discussions/0/572679173080056002/
More on Phantom Blade Zero
Phantom Blade Zero hub: news, videos and guides →
Up: Gaming