Phantom Blade Zero review: S-Game makes its debut in style with one of the year's best action games

Date:
Tue, 27 Oct 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Description:
After 20 hours with S-Game's debut release, it's clear that Phantom Blade
Zero is one of the best action games in recent memory, with thrilling combat, incredible weapon variety, and an absorbing (if sometimes obtuse) atmosphere.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Surprise s are rare in gaming. At first glance, Phantom Blade Zero had all the hallmarks of a solid, if middle-of-the-road, release. Now that Ive sunk
almost 20 hours into this wuxia- and martial arts-inspired roleplaying game (RPG), its clear S-Game has delivered one of the most thrilling action games in a long time.

A blistering opening sets the tone, with bombastic battles, dramatic visuals, and gorgeous cinematics that introduce wandering warrior Soul and the reason hes on a battle-filled journey across the corrupted land of Wulin. The 20+ hour adventure that lies ahead may not deliver everything narratively, but it excels with a stunning world to explore and combat that sings. Review info Platform reviewed: PS5 Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Release date: October 29, 2026 Its clear that so much effort has gone into getting this combat spot on, with detailed weapon designs, satisfying sound effects, and some truly outstanding animations. Every time I saw a new weapon or secondary Phantom Art from the impressive variety in the game in action, I was dazzled by the string of attacks and finishing-move flourishes it offered. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Of course, not all of them were bangers or suited the way I wanted to play, but the better ones stand out way more than the bad, which gave me a lot of tough choices when deciding which two I wanted to upgrade and wield. Even though I stuck with a few favorites throughout the game, I rarely tired of stringing together the intricate combos each one offered.

Having flashy weapons is all well and good, but if you dont have decent dance partners to put them to use against, it can get dull fast. Outside of a few exceptions, fodder enemies are fairly easy to cut your way through, but Phantom Blade Zero doesnt miss a beat with its lineup of tough and inventive boss encounters that will put your skills and weapon choices to the test.
Stop trying to hit me and hit me (Image credit: Future / S-Game) What I appreciated most is that, while these bouts are often a relentless barrage of attacks from either side, combat is actually quite forgiving.

That mainly comes from the option to hold block to deflect most attacks. This will drain your sha-chi (effectively a stamina resource thats also used for certain skills and abilities), but it lasts a lot longer and can be refilled with a quick weapon switch to keep you in the fight longer. Get daily
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You can also choose to try and parry attacks with perfect timing as they
land, meaning you do not lose this resource and drain more from your opponent instead, leaving them open to a lot of attacks while it recharges. (Image credit: Future / S-Game) Mix in attacks with blue flashes that can be parried with perfect timing to deliver a devastating counterattack, and red flash attacks that must be dodged to avoid significant damage, and combat becomes chaotic but not overwhelming. Best bit (Image credit: Future / S-Game) Unlocking a new weapon or Phantom Art and seeing what animations have been cooked up to show it off is one of the most exciting parts of Phantom Blade Zero . The work that has gone into making each piece of equipment unique is impressive, creating an arsenal of gear that is acrobatic, impactful, and continuously satisfying to wield. Thankfully, the game is also generous with resources, so you can try lots of these weapons with ease to find favorites. Key moves you need to watch out for are very readable, while the ability to block almost everything else means you have time to study the opponents
moves, find your own windows to attack, and survive any small slip-ups
rather than being repeatedly punished for imperfect play.

Thats not to say Phantom Blade Zero is without any degree of challenge. A
good handful of bosses did flatten me repeatedly, including several dramatic fights that are hiding away off the main path or in side quests, so exploration can be very rewarding if you like to test yourself.

When facing these enemies, I was especially thankful that theres no need to trudge back to collect your resources on death if you just want to move on. With the games much less punishing difficulty curve, this change of pace is a blessing if youre not in the mood for yet another Souls-like. Memory problems (Image credit: Future / S-Game) Some of that genres obtuseness is kept in the narrative, however. A lot of the games story is told in bits and pieces, mainly through flashbacks, Souls memories, and memory flowers found in the world that reveal the stories of the people in the places you travel through.

It makes for some fascinating moments of discovery and some genuinely
engaging asides when they come together, but breaking things up this way, especially with multiple story strands in play at once, can make it harder to follow exactly whats going on all the time. It can kill the pacing at times, too, as sometimes you stop-and-start to listen to multiple of these audio-logs-as-flowers one after the other.

The problem is only emphasised in a game thats packed with proper nouns, making it exhausting to keep track of the who, what, where, and when as you ping between different perspectives and time periods.

At least its easy to get swept up in the aura and atmosphere of it all. And when you get back into combat, unsheathing a sword that gets more powerful as you get more drunk, sending enemies flying with a giant tower shield, or chopping some poor soul in half with a two-handed claymore, any niggles fall away. The action at the core is so good and an awesome achievement from the debut developers. Should you play Phantom Blade Zero? (Image credit: Future / S-Game) Play it if

You want to experience some of the best action combat in gaming Phantom
Blade Zero is up there with the genre greats when it comes to action combat, delivering on variety with a satisfying arsenal of weapons and abilities, and execution when it comes to animations and sound design.

You enjoy the wuxia genre Phantom Blade Zero draws from a lot of the iconography and tropes of wuxia in both its story and combat, so if you're a fan, or just want to experience it, then this is a great place to start. Dont play it if

You want a comfortable and easy-to-follow story It is rarely too complicated to follow, but the way the story is presented in Phantom Blade Zero , along with the barrage of proper nouns you have to contend with from minute one, means you might struggle to stay engaged with it at all times.

You want a more traditional Souls-like experience While it can be argued
that there is some crossover, Phantom Blade Zero is more action-focused and draws very little inspiration from the Souls-like genre, so don't go in expecting an experience similar to the likes of Dark Souls or Elden Ring . Accessibility features There are limited accessibility features in Phantom Blade Zero . You can choose to play the game with English VO or with the traditional Chinese VO with subtitles in many languages. Subtitles can be in normal or large, although a very large option would likely be useful for
some. There are three controller presets, but no option to remap specific buttons. You can also adjust the intensity of camera shaking, turn off motion blur, and reduce the level of violence. How I reviewed Phantom Blade Zero I played Phantom Blade Zero for around 20 hours, taking my time to complete a handful of side quests while making significant progress on the main story and I'm absolutely going to stick with it to the end.

Again, I played on a PlayStation 5 Pro on a Samsung S90C OLED TV and Samsung HW-Q930C soundbar while using a DualSense Wireless Controller . I did play briefly using the PlayStation Portal , and found it was a perfectly fine way to run the game, too.

Phantom Blade Zero has the option to play in Quality, Balanced, or Performance mode. I stuck with Balanced mode for my playthrough, which did a good job of running the game at 40 frames per second (fps) in dynamic 4K with ray tracing, as I experienced very few and very minor stutters. Performance mode targeting 60fps is likely a better option, though, if you prefer smoothness throughout.

First reviewed October 2026. S-Game Phantom Blade Zero: Price Comparison No price information Check Amazon We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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