Phantom Blade Zero is near-perfect as it sets the bar high with heavenly combat

Phantom Blade Zero is a near-perfect example of what action games are meant to be; it's stunning, challenging, and ultimately fun.

After previously doing a six hour preview of Phantom Blade Zero, my expectations for the full game were set high, and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint.

I’d wholeheartily recommend Phantom Blade Zero to anyone and I’m going to break down exactly why.

The story of Phantom Blade Zero is relatively simple. You play as Soul, a swordsman who was betrayed by his order and is now being hunted across the country. It’s basically a Chinese spin on the John Wick films. Simple to understand and get behind.

Soul’s quest for vengeance has a time-limit, though. After a fateful encounter Soul narrowly avoids death with the Tainted Heart, a cursed organ that gives him 66 days to live, adding urgency to his primary mission.

Phantom Blade Zero’s story is one every player can get behind, but it’s far from my favourite part of the game, nor why I was so interested in playing it.

Combat in Phantom Blade Zero is a cornucopia of flavour

I’m not exaggerating when I say that Phantom Blade Zero’s combat feels like the apotheosis of style and satisfaction.

S-Game did an amazing job taking real-life martial arts and giving them a superhuman twist - and during my preview, I got to see this process first-hand when visiting its motion-capture studio.

An expansive array of weapons and tools doesn’t simply make the game’s arsenal memorable, but also highly personal. You’re encouraged to sample every single option, and experimenting with their unique abilities and the synergy formed with other weapons provides for near-endless possibilities.

Additional options are unlocked as you level up the gear. New techniques are tied to certain levels, and with the right combination, you can form some pretty broken builds. What was really appreciated, though, was the option to refund upgrade material from one weapon so it can be dumped into another.

There are some restrictions to this. Once a weapon hits a certain level, you need to use a talisman to revert it back. That feels fair to me as it at least encourages you to stick with a weapon for a while before committing to a change.

Phantom Edges were interesting, but I struggled to appreciate them as much as the base weapons; they felt very situational. While I was keen to try out as many weapons as possible, I stuck with the same axe-type Phantom Edge for almost the entire game, as nothing else felt as good and it complimented my play style well.

Combat itself is simple at surface level. You’ll quickly get to grips with dodges, parries, and clashes, but my favourite addition by far is the Ghost Step. Red flashes before an enemy attack should signify danger but in Phantom Blade Zero, it represents opportunity. Successfully dodging sees Soul execute a deliciously disrespectful counter that uses the enemy’s attack against them. It always felt satisfying and could quickly turn the tide if a battle wasn’t going well.

For me, Phantom Blade Zero deeply understands its target audience. While it borrows from the soulslike genre, it’s an action-adventure game at heart, akin to Onimusha: Way of the Sword from earlier this year.

That mutual respect between the game and player is hard to come by nowadays, but I think Phantom Blade Zero is the gold standard for it. Even when the legendary film star Donnie Yen was kicking me to the curb, I couldn’t help but relish in the spectacle of it all. None of the bosses felt like pushovers and yet very few felt like genuine roadblocks to my progress. The balance felt just right.

There are, however, some elements of combat I’m not keen on. Some enemy types like those equipped with shields or heavy armour felt half-baked. They’re not inherently difficult, just annoying to deal with - immovable objects that slow down the pace in a game that excels at high speeds.

Bosses involving more than one foe could also be more frustrating than fun, as the AI will not respect a 1v1 like in other games. In these instances, you’re fighting more with the camera than you are the enemies, so the loss doesn’t feel as deserved.

Some bosses also felt bugged. Combos not landing as intended and too many incoming attacks at once didn’t feel like features designed to test my skill, but the game unintentionally forgetting its own tempo. There was nothing game-breaking in my run, but there were noticeable hiccups nonetheless.

Phantom Blade Zero greatly surprised me with its semi open-world

While it’s not an open-world in the traditional sense, Phantom Blade Zero is separated into several enormous areas. Exploration is imperative as it’s how you’ll find secret bosses, upgrade materials, and side quests to enhance the game’s story.

My favourite part were the blue flowers; these are collectibles that increase your health when you find a full set, whilst also containing echoes of the past. They’ll inform you of stories of people who lived in the area and some even provide key context on upcoming bosses, so they’re worth seeking out.

Side quests were more of a means to an end than anything inherently engaging, however. There were only a handful that truly had me intrigued about how they might end, whereas most failed to grip me. They’re worth doing for the rewards, but don’t expect anything too fancy.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the exploration. It felt like there was plenty to see and it rarely took up too much time. I was regularly hitting main story beats whilst still seeing the majority of an area, though there is some back-tracking involved when you find new Phantom Edges. Aside from combat, they’re also used to open up new paths, so revisiting areas you’ve previously moved on from is highly recommended.

Final thoughts

All in all, Phantom Blade Zero exceeded my expectations. It’s got some teething problems, but I’m hopeful some post-launch patches can iron out any of the existing inconsistencies.

Combat is obviously the game’s strongest aspect and S-Game should be commended on the sheer variety on display here. There was never a dull moment and I’m very impressed with how the game was balanced. It provides a worthy challenge while mitigating the stuff most players will find annoying, and if you’re still struggling, the difficulty can be adjusted.

Pros: Some of the best video game combat I’ve ever played, inspired weapon selection/upgrade system, back-to-back boss bangers, exploration is highly enjoyable and rewarding, soundtrack is fantastic

Cons: Story is fine but nothing to rave about, some combat encounters need further refinement due to either bugs or design flaws

For fans of: Elden Ring, Sekiro, Onimusha

9/10: Exceptional

Phantom Blade Zero will launch on October 28 for PlayStation 5 (version tested) and PC. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.