You play as Soul, an elite assassin for an organization called The Order who’s framed for killing its patriarch and hunted by his former comrades. A duel with his blood brother Zuoshang leaves him fatally wounded, and a mysterious healer grants him a tainted heart that gives him only 66 days to live — time he spends unraveling the conspiracy against him. It’s all set in the Phantom World, a Ming-dynasty-inspired setting fused with steampunk, cyberpunk, and horror elements.

Combat pairs two primary blades (each with a power-surge ultimate) with two secondary phantom edges like cannons, lances, or hammers, fueled by a resource called sha-chi that powers heavy attacks and blocks. Enemy attacks are color-coded — brutal moves drain sha-chi, killer moves can’t be blocked or parried — and timed parries or dodges trigger “ghosteps” that reposition Soul behind his target. Side quests can shift the main story toward one of eight different endings, and difficulty options run from Wayfarer up to a permadeath “66 Days” mode for the truly committed.