Phantom Blade Zero Reviews Just Beat Every Soulslike In 2026

In 2026, the highly-anticipated action game Phantom Blade Zero has emerged as a top contender in the gaming industry, according to recent reviews. Developed by S-Game, the Wuxia-inspired game has earned an impressive 88 score on Metacritic, outpacing other notable titles from the same year, such as Control Resonant, 007 First Light, and Saros. However, Phantom Blade Zero still lags behind the year's best racing games, Star Wars Galactic Racer (also scoring 88) and Forza Horizon 6 (90).

Critics have lauded the game's combat, describing it as one of the best they've experienced in a long time. IGN's Travis Northup gave the game a 9/10, commending its standout combat that remained fresh even after 50 hours of play. Despite minor frustrations like invisible barriers and technical issues, Northup found the majority of his experience with Phantom Blade Zero to be "downright awesome."

GameSpot's Richard Wakeling also praised the game, granting it an 8/10. He highlighted the game's kungfupunk aesthetic and the combat as "so good, you won't care the story makes no sense." Wakeling noted that the game felt like a Chinese martial-arts movie, allowing players to perform moves that defy expectations in third-person action games. However, he criticized the story for being difficult to follow and unforgiving.

VGC's Dave Aubrey scored the game with four stars, praising its unique setting and thrilling martial arts action. He explicitly stated that Phantom Blade Zero is "undeniably stronger" than other games in the genre, such as Black Myth: Wukong, which had been a Game of the Year nominee at the 2024 Game Awards. Aubrey, however, found the narrative and characters to be "bland."

Eurogamer's Emma Kent awarded the game a 3/5, praising the game's animations and beautiful environments. She appreciated the combat's flow when it worked, describing it as "cinematic and satisfying." Kent praised the game's visual storytelling, but she struggled with the pacing between frenetic battles and slow boss fights. She did acknowledge some strengths in the narrative, particularly its visual storytelling, but couldn't go into detail due to review embargo restrictions.

Polygon's Paulo Kawanishi called Phantom Blade Zero the "perfect martial arts game," acknowledging both its strengths and weaknesses. Kawanishi found the narrative confusing, but lauded the game's representation of cinematic martial arts. Despite its visually stunning aesthetics, Kawanishi felt that the game sacrificed interactivity for spectacle in its attempt to portray martial arts in a cinematic manner.