Phantom Blade Zero has 4 difficulty modes, each harder than the previous one (Duh!), but the fourth difficulty has a bit of a gimmick. It has a limit on how many times you can die in the game. I’m going to cover this difficulty and try to help you survive it, that is, if you are up for the challenge.
Table of Contents
What Is 66 Days Mode in Phantom Blade Zero?
Hellwalker and 66 Days are very similar in how the enemies will react to you during the game. So whatever has happened to you in Hellwalker mode will happen to you here. The only difference is that the game’s in-game lore now has real ramifications. In this mode, if you die 66 times, you will run out of time.
How to Unlock 66 Days Mode
Unlocking the mode is pretty straightforward. Finish the game on any of the Pathbreaker or Hellwalker difficulties to unlock this mode.
66 Days vs. Hellwalker and Other Difficulty Settings
While the game advertises the modes as essentially the same, and that is mostly true, there are some small differences between the two.
66 Days mode has a slightly smaller parry window (by 2 frames) compared to Hellwalker. There’s also some extra boss behavior in 66 Days mode that you can’t find in other modes.
How the 66-Death Limit and Permadeath Work
In-game, Soul, the protagonist, is framed for killing his master. Those who hunt Soul explode his heart, and he miraculously survives the ordeal as he gets a mechanical heart. However, in 66 days, he will die. Now, in lower difficulties, this is just a story promise and isn’t an in-game mechanic. However, in 66 Days mode, that changes.
Saving and Checkpoints in Phantom Blade Zero’s 66 Days Mode
The bells are still in the game, and you are able to rest at them. The game now saves automatically at these bells and doesn’t allow you to revert back to your previous saves manually, or even save manually. (You can still manipulate the save files and all that, but it breaks the spirit of the challenge, so I don’t recommend it.)
What Happens When You Run Out of Days?
Doing actions in this game doesn’t cost you time; dying to enemies will. Every time you die in the game, the counter counts down by 1. Reach zero and lose your save file and all the progression of that run.
Best Weapons and Builds for 66 Days Mode
While the game is still early, there are some famous weapons and builds across the community that I’m going to mention here.
The two main weapons that many critics liked were the Jagged Steel, which you get early into the game, and the Outlaw Warblade. Jagged Steel is popular due to its bleed effect, and Outlaw Warblade is a fan favorite because of its unique life-steal mechanics. Light attacks regenerate your health while heavy attacks cost health to deal damage. It’s a tightrope weapon for those who like a bit of risk and reward.
Personally tho, I picked the Jagged Steel and ran with it for so long that I didn’t find it necessary to go through the risk with the Outlaw Warblade.
Note: Neither of these weapons works on phantoms, puppets, and golden bodies. So have a backup weapon of choice for these situations. I personally went with White Serpent and Crimson Viper.
Guard Break and Sha-Chi Management
For those of us who played Sekiro, Sha-Chi might seem very similar at first, but it’s actually more of a stamina bar than a posture bar. Think of Sha-Chi as a bar that is used for stronger attacks, normal parries, and blocks. The moment it runs dry, you are guard-broken, and the enemy can deal MASSIVE damage to you in this case. This is a deadly mistake to make in the 66 Days mode, so avoid it at all costs.
One way to avoid getting guard broken is to switch weapons in the fight. You can switch to your second main weapon by pressing 1. This interaction fully refills your Sha-Chi bar and allows you to seamlessly continue your combos. Every time you switch, a switch attack happens to not give the enemy an opening for a sudden attack.
The enemies also have a Sha-Chi bar that can be depleted, and when done so, their guards also break. This allows Soul to execute the enemy. That should be your main concern for many enemies. Instead of trying to fully deplete their health, try to open the execution window and take care of them faster. This can be done by damaging the enemy, perfect parries, and perfect dodges. If you want to know how to perform a perfect parry, read our article about parry in Phantom Blade Zero
Tips for Surviving 66 Days Mode
This Mode is very similar to Hellwalker, but the limited nature of it, increases the stakes of this mode. So, to survive this mode, I’m going to give you some tips on how to survive this mode.
Upgrade as Much as Possible
Never enter a fight unprepared. Each pointless death that could have been avoided by a simple upgrade could come back and haunt you later on when fighting harder bosses. Don’t be careless.
Blue is Parry, Red is Dodge
The game always tests your reflexes and adaptability by stringing in different combos. Whenever you see a blue light, prepare to do a perfect parry or at least a parry; don’t turtle up against the enemies. If you see red, try to do a perfect dodge. Both of these “Perfect” variants of the moves deal more Sha-Chi damage to the enemy and also position Soul behind the enemy, allowing you to punish with a devastating combo.
66 Days Mode FAQ
Is There a Real-Time Limit?
No, the time only moves when you die.
Can You Change Difficulty During a 66 Days Run?
You can’t.
Do You Need 66 Days for Platinum?
No, every achievement is obtainable in the three previous difficulties. You don’t need to beat 66 Days to plat the game.
Can You Play 66 Days Mode From the Start?
No, you need to beat Hellwalker or Pathbreaker first. Or you can mod the game. A mod for this purpose already exists on Nexus.
Phantom Blade Zero
