I think one of the things that surprised me most in my Phantom Blade Zero 5/5 review is just how deep the game’s exploration goes. Each area is masterfully built, with tons of hidden locations that strike a perfect balance: tucked away enough to feel rewarding, but never impossible to find.
You’ll find this early on in Act One, when you’re tasked with finding the Sha-Chi Tower Base Key. You’ll need a second important item before you can get the key, though— the Hunter’s Chain Sickle. This guide walks you through how to get both.
How To Get Hunter’s Chain Sickle And Sha-Chi Tower Base Key
Another beauty of Phantom Blade Zero is how it marks your maps with areas you can use your Phantom Edges. This is very useful for finding the Sha-Chi Tower Base Key.
After climbing the Sha-Chi Tower, you’ll activate the Valley Sha-Chi Tower Summit Bell and encounter the Friendly Shadow Warden. Chat with him and follow the path around. On your right, not too far along the path and atop a chimney-like structure, is a glowing orange item. You can’t reach it yet, but make a note of the location. This is where the Sha-Chi Tower Base Key awaits you.
A marker will appear on your map, indicating you need the Hunter’s Chain Sickle to climb the chimney and grab the orange item.
It’s hidden in plain sight, but you’ll have to nab the Hunter’s Chain Sickle first. This is the tricky part. Follow the critical path around, cross the bridge, and you’ll be reunited with an old foe: The Hunt. He’s been teasing you for some time now, and it’s time to face him head-on.
How To Defeat The Hunt
This is arguably Phantom Blade Zero’s first big skill check. It’s a two-phase boss that will put everything you’ve learned to the test. Be ready to parry when he flashes blue, dodge when he flashes red, and be aggressive when you can. We recommend Jagged Steel for this fight.
Upgrade it as much as you can; it will proc bleed on The Hunt and chip away huge chunks of his health bar after enough hits.
After The Hunt’s demise, you’ll be gifted the Hunter’s Chain Sickle, a powerful Phantom Edge with a fantastic traversal ability. Activate the new Great Waterfall bell, and fast travel back to the Valley Sha-Chi Tower Summit Bell.
Follow the path back around to where you saw the glowing orange item, and this time, you’ll be hit with the action prompt (R2 on PlayStation controllers). Press this, and the Hunter’s Chain Sickle will zip you up onto the previously inaccessible chimney. Once you pick up the item, you’ll find it’s the Sha-Chi Tower Base Key.
Make your way back to the locked Sha-Chi Tower Base, use the key, and a new area will open up for you. We won’t spoil what’s inside, but it’s worth exploring.
Don’t forget to check out our interview with Soulframe, director of Phantom Blade Zero, while you’re here.
