Phantom Blade Zero Scores 88 On Metacritic Ahead Of October 29 Release
The high marks land on the combat system and boss design, while the same review that praises them docks the game for a story walled off by unreadable kanji and unstable performance, so the consensus is enthusiasm with a localization asterisk, not a clean sweep.
Key Facts
- Phantom Blade Zero holds a Metacritic metascore of 88 as of October 26, with the PC version at 88 from 27 reviews and the PS5 version at 88 from 26 reviews.
- Phantom Blade Zero releases on October 29 for PS5 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.
- Phantom Blade Zero stars Soul, a swordsman with 66 days to live, and includes more than 30 main weapons and 25 sub-weapons called Phantom Edges.
- Donnie Yen is credited as creative consultant on Phantom Blade Zero and supervised its martial arts.
- The standard edition of Phantom Blade Zero costs 8,580 yen and the Digital Deluxe Edition costs 9,980 yen, with a physical edition planned for 2027.
Reporting from 2 sources: Denfaminicogamer, Game Spark.
Phantom Blade Zero, S-GAME's kung-fu punk action adventure, holds a Metacritic metascore of 88 as of October 26, ahead of its October 29 release on PS5 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. The PC version stood at 88 across 27 reviews and the PS5 version at 88 across 26 reviews in one count. The game casts the player as Soul, a swordsman framed for his lord's murder who has 66 days to live after a wound to the heart, fighting through a wulin of shadowy sects with more than 30 main weapons and 25 sub-weapons called Phantom Edges. Donnie Yen is credited as creative consultant and supervised the martial arts. The standard edition is priced at 8,580 yen, with a Digital Deluxe Edition at 9,980 yen. A physical edition is planned for 2027.
The spread of scores is wide. screenactu put it at 98 and wrote that "this game's combat system should be taught in every game design school." TheGamer gave it 100, calling the boss fights "among the best in the history of the medium" and praising music that fuses traditional Chinese music with modern genres. IGN scored it 90, noting that "even after 50 hours of play there was never a single moment that felt boring," while still flagging invisible walls and technical glitches. GamesRadar+ also gave 90, pointing to hidden secret bosses and weapons tucked inside the world.
Game*Spark's own review landed at 9. Its writer describes the parry timing as strict, with red aura attacks leaving a narrow window to dodge, and says the second-phase retry system dulls the satisfaction of a kill compared with other high-difficulty games. Four difficulty options are available: 初陣者 for beginners, 窮地を切り抜けし者 for balance, 逆天者 for high difficulty, and 六十六日, a second-playthrough mode where 66 deaths end the run. Only 六十六日 locks in; the others can be changed mid-game.
Weapons come with their own progression. Killing a boss grants the weapon it carried, usable as a main or sub arm, and leveling a weapon with experience and field materials unlocks new moves. Spent experience and materials can be reset and reacquired, so a new weapon can be upgraded immediately. Enemies do not respawn, and death costs no experience.
Written with AI by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited. See our editorial policy.
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