Phantom Blade Zero new game plus and second runs

How Phantom Blade Zero new game plus unlocks

Phantom Blade Zero unlocks New Game Plus after you complete the game once on Gamechanger difficulty. The fan wiki calls the unlocked setting Hellwalker, so the requirement has two parts: finish the game, and do so on Gamechanger. Completing the main game is also the unlock condition described by Beebom, while the more specific difficulty requirement comes from the fan wiki. Treat Gamechanger completion as the condition to satisfy before looking for the second run.

Phantom Blade Zero is a single-player game developed by S-GAME Studio, according to its Steam store page. In that context, New Game Plus is a mode for continuing your own playthrough after finishing the game. The descriptions focus on completing the game and then replaying with carried-over gear, with Hellwalker as the unlocked difficulty.

Steps for a Phantom Blade Zero second playthrough

A Phantom Blade Zero second playthrough starts with completing the game on Gamechanger, then using the newly unlocked Hellwalker difficulty for the replay. The unlock sequence and the difficulty name are documented, but no menu path is given. Look for the New Game Plus or difficulty option after completion; no specific menu labels or button sequence are stated.

• Complete the game once on Gamechanger difficulty.
• After completing it, check for the New Game Plus unlock and Hellwalker difficulty.
• Begin the replay using Hellwalker if you want the tougher enemy encounters and new attack patterns.
• Keep in mind that quests, maps, key items, and remaining days reset for the new run.

What carries over and what resets

New Game Plus carries over equipment, progression items, ability training, and archives, while quests, maps, key items, and remaining days reset. Wikily lists these carryover and reset categories, and Beebom describes the replay as keeping your gear. The categories tell you what to expect at a broad level: equipment and listed progression records continue, while the named run-specific progress starts over.

What Hellwalker changes

Hellwalker makes enemies tougher and introduces new attack patterns. Beebom adds that bosses gain new moves and improved AI, so the change affects enemy encounters as well as the general difficulty setting. These are the stated changes for the second run; the descriptions do not give numerical enemy stats or a list of every altered boss move. Read Hellwalker as a harder replay with revised enemy behavior.

What rewards and gear mean in NG+

The stated New Game Plus benefit is access to a replay with carried-over equipment and progression categories, alongside Hellwalker difficulty. The iTechGuides article says New Game Plus lets players use late-game weapons earlier, which describes a practical effect of retaining gear while replaying. That same article says exact inventory carryover rules have not been specified, so the listed categories should not be turned into a claim about every individual item. The reliable takeaway is the broad equipment carryover, not a promise about a particular weapon or inventory slot.

Common mistakes before starting again

The main starting mistake is assuming that any first completion unlocks Hellwalker, because the fan wiki gives Gamechanger difficulty as the completion requirement. Check that condition before finishing the first run if Hellwalker is the reason you want New Game Plus. Another mistake is expecting quests, maps, key items, or remaining days to continue; each of those categories resets. The carryover list supports planning around categories, while the reset list is a direct warning that run progress does not all persist.

• Do not treat completing the game on a difficulty other than Gamechanger as the stated Hellwalker unlock condition.
• Do not expect quests or maps to remain completed in the new run.
• Do not expect key items or remaining days to carry over.
• Do not assume every specific gear item follows the same rule just because equipment is a carryover category.

Our take on a second run

The clearest reason to start Phantom Blade Zero new game plus is the combination of carried-over equipment and Hellwalker’s tougher encounters. A player who wants to revisit the game with existing gear can do so, while the named difficulty adds tougher enemies and new attack patterns. At the same time, the reset list means the replay begins without the previous run’s quests, maps, key items, or remaining days. Those two pieces define the choice: gear and listed progression categories persist, while the listed run progress resets.

The most useful preparation is to meet the stated unlock condition and remember the reset categories. Gamechanger is the required first completion difficulty, Hellwalker is the unlocked difficulty, and the broad carryover and reset categories are listed. No menu route or item-by-item inventory ruling is given, so use the named categories as the guide. That keeps expectations focused on the documented mechanic instead of assumptions about a particular piece of equipment.

Frequently asked questions