Last month, I flew halfway around the world to get an inside look at the development of Phantom Blade Zero. Phantom Blade harnesses the gorgeously fluid action of Wuxia, a genre of Chinese fiction that focuses on the adventures of larger-than-life martial artists. It’s a massive undertaking, but a kung fu expert named Master Yang has been working on Phantom Blade’s mocap since 2023, as the game’s lead combat action director. It feels like, to Yang, Phantom Blade is an opportunity to share China’s rich culture and the martial arts that he’s dedicated his life to, with the rest of the world. Yang’s team aims to mocap nearly every action in the game, giving a sense of authenticity to the gam’es kung fu action.