Phantom Blade Zero reviews: PC Gamer 90, IGN 9, Eurogamer 3/5, and why they split
Critics agree the kung fu combat is superb. They split over spongy bosses, invisible walls and hand-holding quests. What each review found, and the price.
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Phantom Blade Zero has split critics more than its early buzz suggested. PC Gamer scored S-Game's kung fu action game 90 in a review published on November 5, 2026, and IGN gave it 9/10, but Eurogamer gave it 3 out of 5. All three agree the combat is exceptional. They disagree on how much its boss tuning, level geometry and quest design get in the way.
The game came out on October 28, 2026 in the US and October 29 elsewhere, on PS5 and PC. The standard edition costs $59.99, and there is no demo.
What's confirmed
The scores. PC Gamer's Sean Martin gave it 90 and summed it up as "feel gud, not git gud". IGN's Travis Northup gave it 9/10 after about 50 hours. Eurogamer's Emma Kent gave it 3/5, as summarised by the review round-up site GAME MODE. GAME MODE also reported an OpenCritic Top Critic Average of 88 when it checked on November 2.
What critics loved. Both PC Gamer and IGN praise how quickly the combat feels natural and how many weapons it offers. Sony's store page lists more than 30 main weapons and more than 20 Phantom Edges, the special tools you take from defeated bosses. Breaking an enemy's stamina does not give you a single critical hit. Instead you get a window where they cannot block. Martin found that this rewards aggression. Northup played on the hardest difficulty and beat most major bosses in two or three tries. Both singled out the bosses, the soundtrack and the setpieces.
How it differs from a Soulslike. Enemies do not respawn when you rest at a bell, you keep your currency when you die, and a boss stays in its second phase if you die there. PlayStation's page says there are three difficulties, Wayfarer, Pathbreaker and Hellwalker, plus an unlockable 66 Days mode where every death costs one of Soul's 66 remaining days, and the run ends when they are gone.
What critics criticised. Northup reports poor level geometry and invisible walls. About half of his roughly 200 deaths came from falls or getting stuck, and he once lost about 20 minutes of progress. Eurogamer's Kent found the bosses spongy, even on easier settings and after a large pre-release patch. Martin's main complaint is the opposite of a difficulty problem: the game guides you to its secrets with too many quest markers. Both IGN and Eurogamer mention frame-rate dips. IGN said one map ran consistently badly.
Editions. Pre-orders added a Treasure Basin accessory and a Legacy outfit, both also unlockable in play. The Digital Deluxe Edition adds two outfits, a digital artbook and the soundtrack. It is single-player only, and PC Gamer lists Steam Deck as unsupported. Thai and Vietnamese are among the on-screen languages on PlayStation's listing.
Background
S-Game is a Chinese studio that, as IGN notes, was best known for mobile games before this, and Phantom Blade Zero spent years looking, in IGN's words, almost too good to be true. It arrives in a genre shaped by FromSoftware's Sekiro (2019), whose deflect-and-posture combat clearly influenced it, and by Black Myth: Wukong (2024), which showed Chinese studios could deliver a big-budget action game for a global audience. Martin says he enjoyed Phantom Blade Zero significantly more than Wukong, and found its story easier to follow.
My take: what it means for players
I find the split encouraging, not worrying, because the critics are really arguing about taste. Nobody says the core fighting is weak. If you play action games for the combat and you bounced off the punishment of Souls games, PC Gamer and IGN describe exactly what you want. If spongy bosses and getting stuck on scenery drain your patience quickly, Eurogamer's review is the one to read first.
The design choice I like most is not repeating cleared boss phases. Sekiro taught a whole generation to memorise first phases they had already beaten. Phantom Blade Zero respects your time without making fights feel cheap, and the 66 Days mode keeps a real challenge for players who want it.
My one real concern is the geometry. Invisible walls in a game about acrobatic kung fu are an odd fit, and one IGN example of losing 20 minutes to a bush is the sort of thing a patch should fix. If you are on the fence, waiting for the next update costs you little.
What we don't know yet
- Patch fixes. S-Game has not said in the sources we read when the geometry and frame-rate issues critics reported will be fixed.
- SEA pricing. We have only verified the US price of $59.99.
- Steam Deck. PC Gamer lists it as unsupported, and S-Game has not announced plans to change that.
- Player scores. PlayStation's US listing had no player ratings yet when we checked.
Quick facts
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Release | October 28, 2026 (US), October 29 elsewhere |
| Platforms | PS5 and PC |
| Price | $59.99 (US, standard) |
| PC Gamer | 90 |
| IGN | 9/10 |
| Eurogamer | 3/5 |
| OpenCritic | 88 Top Critic Average (November 2) |
| Developer | S-Game |
FAQ
Is Phantom Blade Zero worth buying?
PC Gamer (90) and IGN (9/10) strongly recommend it for its combat. Eurogamer (3/5) found its bosses spongy, so check that review if long boss fights put you off.
Is Phantom Blade Zero a Soulslike?
Not fully. It borrows rest points and parrying, but enemies do not respawn when you rest, you keep your currency when you die, and bosses keep their phase progress.
How long is Phantom Blade Zero?
IGN and PC Gamer each spent about 50 hours, including side content and, for PC Gamer, the true ending.
Does Phantom Blade Zero work on Steam Deck?
PC Gamer lists it as unsupported on Steam Deck.
More: Phantom Blade Zero on esportz.fun and how to unlock the true ending.
Sources: PlayStation (official game page); PC Gamer; IGN; GAME MODE (citing Eurogamer and OpenCritic).
