// PC GAMER — GAMING
I've spent over 50 hours in Phantom Blade Zero—here are my top 20 tips to conquer the Wulin
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Phantom Blade Zero is a masterful martial arts action game, but even those who played Black Myth Wukong will likely be surprised by how much it diverges from typical soulslikes or even Sekiro's structure. You don't lose Remnant Echoes (souls) when you die, and enemies don't respawn when you rest, to name just a couple of big departures.
It's not a particularly tough game unless you play on max difficulty, and if, like me, you complete all the side content, you'll likely find yourself steamrolling in the late game. Still, for fans of souls and Sekiro-style action games, it'll take a little adjustment to work out how to approach Phantom Blade Zero differently.
Attack power, Sha-Chi (stamina) and HP are increased by collectibles you find or get by defeating enemy encounters. Specifically: Blackstone, Sha-Chi Amber, and Memory Flowers.
Investigating objects or notes rewards Remnant Dust (souls) in Phantom Blade Zero, but can also reveal new sidequests.
Your regular attacks (X on controller) don't consume stamina, but they will deal damage and chip down a boss's Sha-Chi, so be aggressive.
Besides granting HP and story fragments, collecting all Memory Flowers before a region boss often gives them an extra phase or sometimes a unique reward, such as a weapon. You'll be introduced to these in the Crimson Forest.
When an attack flashes red, hit the right bumper on controller. When it flashes blue, hit the left. Or if you're struggling to react or remember, just hit both.
You'll first experience these stamina-draining attacks fighting Peng Meng, where the boss emits a smoky black aura. Dodge these instead of blocking to retain your Sha-Chi.
Your Sha-Chi combos (Y on controller) cost stamina, but deal more damage—use these after you parry a red or blue attack, or when you've broken your opponent's Sha-Chi, meaning they can't block for a while.