Phantom Blade Zero is packed with action-packed battles and Wuxia storytelling, a genre of Chinese fiction. Its grungy art style and beautiful visuals make Phantom Blade Zero a highly rated game to keep your eyes on this fall. We had the opportunity to demo the game at Summer Game Fest, and it’s worth your time.

Visually Strong

S-GAME, a Beijing-based company founded in 2011, developed the game. Phantom Blade Zero is set in a dark fantasy world that mixes bloody good swordplay action with excellent cinematic presentations. You play as Soul, an elite assassin that serves The Order, a mysterious organization.

The demo dropped us in a stage where you are fending off supernatural enemies. Battles are fast-paced melee combats that are inspired by martial arts, and while playing as Soul, his movements with his weapon and combo attacks feel fluid and entertaining. Soul can carry various weapons such as dual swords, spears, bows, and other styles of weapons. You can pick up new weapons in certain battles to equip; these usually are needed to progress the story, such as breaking weak floors to travel through tunnels. Locking on to enemies is generally accurate, which is beneficial when using your bow to eliminate foes from a distance. You can swap weapons effortlessly, and there’s an opportunity to build up the weapons gauge to unleash powerful attacks.

With the sword fighting game using Unreal Engine 5, the visuals are stunning. The amount of detail on buildings, landscapes, and even the debris exhibits a high level of quality. The designers have paid excellent attention to the details of the character’s attire as it fits the theme of the game. The lighting effects are excellent as well, with rays shining across distant mountains and bouncing off objects. With the game set in a dark fantasy, the game’s colors and tone give it that dreary and grunge look.

Battle-Ready

Once enemies spot you, they will pursue you, and although you can choose to attack openly, remain aware of your surroundings, as additional enemies may become aware of your presence and join the fight, either by shooting arrows from a distance or charging in on horseback. Staying close to objects and taking out a select few as you go is recommended. Boss battles are fun as they come in a cinematic way, expressing how big the battle is that you are about to face.

If you enjoyed games like Nioh 2, Ninja Gaiden III Black, Onimisha, and Ghost of Tsushima, then Phantom Blade Zero is a game for you to pick up. The game offers various difficulty levels, and during the time we spent playing the demo from beginning to end, we wanted to continue playing. Phantom Blade Zero is a game you’ll want to have on your radar when it reaches later this year and it’s shaping up to be a contender of the best action game this year.

Phantom Blade Zero is scheduled to release on October 28, 2026 for the PlayStation 5 and PC Fans can visit the game’s official website for more information and purchasing options. We appreciate S-GAME giving us the opportunity to slice away in their upcoming game at the Summer Game Fest.