There are few thrills in gaming quite like finally overcoming an opponent who has spent the last several attempts making you look like a complete amateur. That moment when their attacks finally make sense, and you turn a brutal beatdown into a masterclass of your own is exactly why I love action games. Phantom Blade Zero understands that feeling better than most, delivering some of the most exhilarating swordplay I’ve experienced in a long time. Every duel is an opportunity to sharpen your skills, and the sheer spectacle of its martial arts combat makes mastering the Wulin an absolute treat.
Blending martial arts fantasy with some Souls-like elements and Metroidvania-inspired exploration, Phantom Blade Zero delivers an adventure steeped in the mystique of the Wulin, where dangerous warriors and hidden paths await around every corner. Its wealth of combat options makes experimentation a joy, while its world offers plenty of incentive to stray from the beaten path. Some frustrating design choices keep the experience from reaching its full potential, but after finishing my first playthrough on Hellwalker mode with 197 deaths (yes, the game tells you this at the end), I walked away with a massive grin and a newfound appreciation for the art of the fight.
Rating: 4.5/5
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Exceptionally fluid, hard-hitting combat that makes every duel feel like a martial arts spectacle | Frustrating map and lack of a compass to help keep bearings |
| Extensive weapon variety with transformative upgrades that encourage experimentation | Lack of respawning enemies makes backtracking tedious and boring at times |
| A relentless lineup of spectacular bosses that makes mastering combat incredibly rewarding | Occasional invisible walls that hinder exploration, even where you wouldn’t think there would be any |
| Stunning environments and breathtaking combat animations that bring the Wulin to life | Story lacks emotional depth and a compelling sense of urgency |
| Heavily rewarding exploration filled with hidden upgrades, secrets, and optional encounters |
Phantom Blade Zero’s Combat Is an Absolute Artform
There’s a difference between a combat system that functions as intended and one that makes you actively look forward to the next group of enemies standing between you and your destination. Phantom Blade Zero belongs firmly in the latter category. Its combat is immediately enjoyable, yet there’s enough depth beneath the spectacular animations to keep you experimenting long after you’ve mastered the fundamentals.
Dodging and perfectly timed parries form the foundation of its swordplay, allowing you to evade dangerous attacks, throw opponents off balance, and capitalize on the openings that follow. What makes these mechanics so satisfying is how naturally they complement the game’s martial arts identity. Blades collide in showers of sparks and fighters weave around one another, crafting unique exchanges that can resemble carefully choreographed duels in which both combatants are searching for the smallest of openings.
I particularly love how defensive play feels aggressive. Parrying isn’t merely a way to avoid damage; it’s an opportunity to seize control of a fight and punish an opponent for overcommitting. Once the timing clicks, encounters develop a wonderful rhythm, and opponents who initially seemed impossibly fast become readable challenges rather than overwhelming threats. There’s a special satisfaction in watching a boss wind up an attack that once terrified you, casually meeting it with a perfect parry, and immediately reminding the poor sod why you came back.
The learning curve can be demanding, especially when unfamiliar enemies and increasingly elaborate attack patterns enter the picture. However, improvement feels earned because you’re learning to recognize openings and anticipate attacks rather than simply watching your damage numbers climb. Combined with an enormous arsenal that lets you approach encounters in different ways, the result is combat that remains entertaining throughout the adventure. I was regularly looking forward to the next fight, which is about the highest compliment I can give an action game.
An Incredible Arsenal Makes Build Variety a Major Highlight
Phantom Blade Zero, surprisingly, offers considerable build variety without relying on the traditional character attributes found in many Souls-likes or RPGs. You can equip two Main Weapons, two Phantom Edges, and six accessories, allowing you to shape your fighting style around your preferred weapons, unlocked abilities, and equipment bonuses.
Main Weapons are often acquired through bosses and other encounters, and their differences go well beyond superficial changes to damage or attack speed. Switching weapons can feel like learning an entirely different fighting style, making experimentation worthwhile even after you’ve settled into a comfortable loadout. I love when an action game gives me a compelling reason to change my approach instead of simply handing me a bigger sword and calling it progression.
Upgrades make this system particularly exciting, as reaching specific thresholds unlocks new abilities that can fundamentally change how a weapon functions. One of my favorite examples was a sword that excelled at blocking but disabled my ability to parry, a fundamental defensive option, forcing me to reconsider my usual approach. In exchange, though, it allowed me to shrug off attacks that would normally be quick to stagger me, and further upgrades unlocked ranged blade attacks that I could unleash freely, giving the weapon an offensive option that remained useful throughout my entire playthrough. That sword served a fundamental part of combat strategy, and its all because I liked the base moveset that I decided to invest further into it.
Phantom Edges provide another layer of customization on top of your Main Weapons. Often acquired from fallen foes, these weapons tend to be more powerful than Main Weapons, but their use is limited by a resource earned through combat and other activities. Upgrading them improves their effectiveness and unlocks additional abilities, making them valuable tools to deploy when a fight calls for something extra. I won’t spoil the more interesting examples, but their variety provides plenty of reasons to keep experimenting.
Accessories round out the system, with six slots available for bonuses that range from increased health and Shai-Chi, effectively stamina, and the resource used for many martial arts abilities, to effects capable of defining an entire build. Players familiar with Elden Ring will recognize the appeal of assembling equipment around particular strengths, while some combinations reminded me of the experimentation encouraged by Remnant 2.
There’s one frustrating catch: weapon upgrades require Dust and specific materials, and those materials can be difficult to accumulate early on. Different weapon categories use different resources, making it challenging to upgrade multiple weapons of the same type simultaneously. Fortunately, spent materials can be recovered for free or at a relatively low cost, depending on the weapon’s level, and resources become more plentiful as you progress. There’s enough material to fully upgrade several weapons to max, particularly if you diversify across weapon categories. I’d have preferred more freedom to experiment more early on, but the arsenal remains one of the game’s greatest strengths.
Exploration Is Essential to Becoming Stronger
The Wulin is a dangerous place, and its certain more than a pretty backdrop for sword fights. Drawing inspiration from Dark Souls 3 and Metroidvanias, Phantom Blade Zero features a relatively linear journey filled with winding routes, branching paths, and locations that become accessible only after acquiring specific abilities. Its environments range from lush forests to atmospheric urban ruins, and there’s a satisfying sense of discovery in finding out what lies beyond the main path.
Exploration is also critically essential to power progression. Weapon materials are scattered throughout the world and increases to your health and Shai-Chi capacity can be found among hidden collectibles. Rushing through the main objectives risks you missing meaningful improvements that could make later encounters considerably easier to deal with. In that respect, I’d argue exploration matters more here than in many other Souls-likes: getting stronger requires you to investigate the world rather than simply defeat enemies and collect currency. Finding a hidden upgrade that turns a previously miserable encounter into a manageable one feels fantastic, particularly when you know you earned that advantage by poking around instead of following a marker.
The Metroidvania elements make this aspect particularly rewarding. Certain paths remain blocked until you acquire the appropriate Phantom Edge, effectively turning specific weapons into keys that unlock previously inaccessible areas. If you’ve ever played an older Pokémon game and needed HM Cut to remove a tree, you’ll understand the idea. You discover an obstacle, remember its location, and return once you’ve acquired the necessary ability.
Unfortunately, the game generally doesn’t respawn ordinary enemies after you’ve defeated them, aside from a few specific exceptions. Consequently, returning to previously explored areas can leave you sprinting through long stretches of empty terrain. It’s a strange decision in a game that regularly encourages backtracking, especially when other Souls-likes use those journeys to provide additional combat encounters and opportunities to gather resources.
The first time you uncover a shortcut or finally reach a previously inaccessible area, the payoff feels great. The third time you’re jogging through an empty stretch of wilderness because the map sent you in the wrong direction, that enthusiasm starts to evaporate. The exploration itself is worthwhile, but revisiting familiar locations can feel unnecessarily dull when there’s nothing left to fight.
A Relentless Boss Gauntlet Makes Every Victory Satisfying
I played Phantom Blade Zero on Hellwalker mode, and the early encounters demanded patience as I learned enemy attack patterns and adjusted to the timing of its combat. What surprised me, however, was how much easier the game became as I progressed. Despite increasingly elaborate enemies and imposing bosses, I grew more confident in recognizing openings and making effective use of my arsenal.
I still finished with 197 deaths, so this isn’t a game that never pushes back. Plenty of encounters demanded repeated attempts, and I had to learn from my mistakes rather than expect every fight to go my way. Yet the gradual shift from struggling to survive to confidently reading an opponent made the experience satisfying. There was a clear progress to my ability to read my opponent(s), and I was becoming a better player. Those deaths weren’t wasted attempts. Each one taught me something, whether it was recognizing a delayed strike or finally figuring out when an opponent was leaving themselves wide open.
The bosses are a major reason why. There are a tremendous number of them here, and the game seems perfectly happy to throw another major encounter at you just when you think you might have a moment to breathe. There were so many points when I’d turn a corner or enter an unfamiliar area only to find myself facing an opponent with a full boss health bar, transforming an ordinary stretch of exploration into yet another test of my martial skills.
And I mean these fights are truly spectacular, featuring elaborate animations and exaggerated martial arts exchanges that make every clash entertaining to watch. Even when some bosses became less challenging toward the end of my playthrough, their presentation kept me highly invested. Sometimes I wanted a breather. More often, I was grinning at the screen because the game had found yet another excuse to throw me into a high-octane duel.
A Martial Arts Story That Takes a Back Seat to the Action
Martial arts fantasy has an appeal that goes beyond flashy swordplay. More than that, it’s a world of wandering warriors and people whose lives are shaped by strength, honor, survival, and revenge. That distinct fascination with the Wulin is a big part of what drew me to Phantom Blade Zero, and its setting provides a compelling backdrop even when the narrative struggles to match the excitement of its gameplay.
You play as Soul, a martial arts warrior of incredible skill whose life takes a disastrous turn after a series of unfortunate events leaves him with just 66 days to live. With time running out, he must find a way to survive, all the while uncovering a slew of larger conspiracies that put him in the crosshairs of many. Soul has an appealing presence, bringing to mind a blend of Solid Snake’s resourcefulness and Geralt of Rivia’s weathered, battle-hardened demeanor.
The story isn’t bad or uninteresting, and its mysteries occasionally caught my attention in big enough ways for me to sit up in my seat. However, I rarely found myself playing primarily because I needed to know what happened next. More often, I wanted to discover another corner of the Wulin, or find a new weapon, or see which formidable opponent awaited me around that next corner. The narrative gives Soul’s journey direction and reason, but the combat is what makes every step worthwhile. This probably isn’t that surprising to some, but it is worth mentioning.
Honestly, I would have welcomed a deeper emotional investment in Soul’s struggle, especially given the urgency of his situation. The game does attempt to paint Soul’s plight in various ways I won’t spoil, but never did I get the feeling of being… concerned about him. Not really. Rarely does he show any emotion, due to his training, and because of that, you don’t really get a sense of real urgency from him.
The game also features multiple endings influenced by your choices and actions, with exploration playing an important role in the broader journey. I’d recommend taking your time rather than treating the main path as a checklist of objectives. Nevertheless, the story serves its purpose, and the martial arts setting lends the adventure a distinctive identity. I suspect I’ll remember the spectacular fights and extraordinary arsenal long before I remember the finer details of the central conspiracy, but it was still an interesting journey to run through.
Stunning Environments and Visuals Bring the Wulin to Life
Phantom Blade Zero is a visually striking game, with an art direction that brings the Wulin through beautifully crafted environments steeped in martial arts tradition. Each location has its own character, and the areas in the second half of the game were particular highlights, offering some of this adventure’s most memorable scenery. There’s a wonderful contrast between nature reclaiming forgotten places and the imposing architecture of ancient settlements, giving Soul’s journey a strong sense of place. Combat remains a visual treat, too, with sparks flying from clashing swords and fluid animations that make encounters feel like martial arts performances.
Performance was generally solid throughout my playthrough, which I completed primarily on an RTX 3060 Ti. I encountered a few frame drops in particularly effect-heavy areas and experienced exactly one crash, but neither issue became a recurring problem or significantly disrupted my experience. That said, I was informed that a performance and bug-fixing pass had been completed ahead of release, so it’s worth keeping in mind that my experience may not reflect what every player encounters at launch. Hopefully, those final optimizations will help ensure a smoother experience across a wider range of hardware.
Even so, despite those minor hiccups I did run into, the visual presentation does an excellent job of supporting the game’s identity. Its environments invite exploration, while its animations give the combat the spectacle a martial arts adventure deserves.
A Few Odd Design Choices Keep Phantom Blade Zero From Perfection
For all its strengths, Phantom Blade Zero occasionally makes an excellent experience way more aggravating than necessary. The absence of respawning enemies makes backtracking dull, but the map is easily my biggest gripe, and I genuinely think the game might have been better off without it. The trouble is that it fails to communicate the actual layout of the world, particularly when the Metroidvania elements send you back to previously inaccessible locations. Reaching a point of interest can involve navigating an absurd series of winding paths, and the map does very little to explain how those routes connect
This became especially frustrating when I returned to areas after acquiring the Phantom Edge needed to break through an obstacle. I’d check the map, spot a waypoint that appeared practically within arm’s reach, and teleport to it, only to discover that the actual route was nowhere near as straightforward as it looked. What followed was often a tedious trek through entire empty areas as I tried to figure out where the correct path was hiding. Making matters worse, there’s no compass to help you keep your bearings, a baffling omission in a game that regularly asks you to retrace your steps. By the end of my playthrough, I was genuinely questioning whether having a map at all was worth the headache.
Then there’s the occasional immersion breaker that is the numerous oddly placed invisible walls that compounded my frustration. The environments naturally encourage curiosity, yet paths that appear to lead somewhere interesting can abruptly end at invisible barriers. Then, there were areas cleared warded off naturally, only to have an invisible wall block a part of the area that didn’t even need one! At least make the barriers physically there! At least then my brain could reason it out.
None of these flaws ruin the experience, and the game’s many strengths easily outweigh them. Still, a significantly better-designed map and way fewer invisible barriers would have made an already excellent action game even better.
Ultimately, Phantom Blade Zero isn’t perfect, but dang does offer some of the most satisfying combat I’ve experienced in an action game. Developer S-Game has delivered a spectacular adventure that kept me hooked through 197 deaths and roughly 50 hours of gameplay. The Wulin is a world worth getting lost in, even when the map makes you regret it. And when the credits roll, you might find yourself asking the same question I did: when can I go back?
Phantom Blade Zero releases later this month on October 29th for PS5 and PC. ComicBook was provided an advance Steam code for the purposes of this review.
Leave a Reply