Phantom Blade Zero reviews: Metacritic 88 as critics praise combat ahead of Oct. 29 release

Reviews for Phantom Blade Zero, the wuxia-inspired action game from Chinese studio S-Game, landed this week, and they are strong. The game debuted with a Metascore of 88 and an OpenCritic average of 91, putting it among the best-reviewed action games of 2026 just days before launch on PlayStation 5 and PC.

Phantom Blade Zero Metacritic score

Counts were still moving at the time of writing. Output Lag reported that the Metacritic average opened at 91 with the first 20 reviews and settled at 88 within the hour. GamesRadar+ said the 88 places it ahead of Nioh 3 (86) and Onimusha: Way of the Sword (85), and that the 91 on OpenCritic ties it for the second-highest rated game of the year there. Polygon called it the best-rated action game of 2026 so far, ahead of titles like Control Resonant, 007 First Light and Saros.

Phantom Blade Zero release date

Metacritic lists the release date as Oct. 29, 2026, for PS5 and PC, at $59.99. Output Lag reported that the game unlocks Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 10 p.m. Eastern, which is already Oct. 29 in much of the world, so the two dates describe the same launch.

What the reviews say

The combat. This is the point nearly every critic agrees on. Output Lag read 19 reviews and found all 19 praised the fighting: there is no stamina bar, and players parry, counter and chain attacks in a style built to look like a martial arts film. Around 30 weapons are available, and upgrades can be refunded, so switching builds carries no penalty.

The bosses. Multi-phase boss fights with checkpoints between phases were singled out as a high point, Output Lag reported.

The story. Here critics split. In a 9/10 review for IGN quoted by Polygon, Travis Northup called it “one of the best action games I’ve played in a long time” but said its revenge tale “mostly plays it extremely safe.” GameSpot’s Richard Wakeling gave it 8/10 under a headline saying the combat is so good “you won’t care the story makes no sense.” GamesRadar+ gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Polygon’s own review took a more critical view, arguing the game’s cinematic presentation sometimes leaves too little to the player.

What the game is about

Players control Soul, a warrior with only 66 days left to live, according to the Metacritic summary. Polygon describes him as a legendary swordmaster and former member of a group called the Order, who must find a way to survive before an artificial heart stops working. The game is built in Unreal Engine 5 and mixes classic wuxia storytelling with what S-Game calls a “kungfupunk” style.

How long is it?

Reviews put the main story at about 25 to 30 hours and 40 to 50 hours with most side content, according to Output Lag’s roundup. The game has three difficulty settings.

Caveats before you buy

• Several reviews called the English dub stiff and suggested the Chinese audio with subtitles, per Output Lag.
• Some critics noted repetitive regular enemies, invisible barriers and launch-week technical hiccups.
• Output Lag’s headline described the game as “a hard no for Steam Deck.”

FAQ