Reception and Previews

0:00 Phantom Blade Zero has no reviews or Metascore yet: it launches on Oct 29, 2026, and S-Game has not announced when the review embargo lifts, as of Oct 10, 2026. What exists are previews, and the last wave, published on Oct 8 and 9, 2026 after five to ten hours with near-final builds, is strongly positive about the combat, the animation, the bosses and the music, with doubts about the story, the voice acting and frame rate drops on PC. IGN's Travis Northup sets the tone: he plays "so many sweaty action games" that it takes a lot to impress him, yet it took "about 5 minutes" with the game to see "the most smooth and satisfying action since" Sekiro, and after more than six hours he counts it among his most anticipated games of 2026. The game itself is on Phantom Blade Zero, and the launch on Release Date and Time.

Quick facts

When do the reviews come out?

No date has been given. As of Oct 10, 2026, S-Game has not announced a review embargo and no outlet has published a review. The game unlocks at one moment worldwide: the PlayStation Store lists 2:00 a.m. UTC on Oct 29 (7 p.m. PT on Oct 28); S-Game has not announced a PC hour. Metacritic's page for the game, read Oct 10, 2026, lists the release as Oct 29, 2026 and shows the Metascore as "tbd", with the note that critic reviews are not available yet. S-Game announced on Aug 6, 2026 that development was complete, and IGN China was told that the preview build had all its content in place and was being debugged and optimized; S-Game told IGN that most of its remaining work before launch was optimization.

The October 2026 preview wave

The embargo on hands-on previews lifted on Oct 8 and 9, 2026. S-Game ran near-final PC builds covering Chapter 1 and, for some, most of Chapter 2, at events in Los Angeles and Beijing; a few outlets also drew on gamescom 2026. Every verdict below is the outlet's own.

What previewers praised

0:02 The combat comes first. GameSpot, after six hours in Los Angeles on the hardest difficulty, was "already sold on the game itself": "The boss design is amazing. The soundtrack is killer. The beautiful wide linear environments have great Metroidvania style side distractions", and the motion-captured martial arts combat "did not disappoint". Its video goes on to the detail that struck it most, that Soul can attack and defend at the same moment, which director Soulframe Liang traces to Hong Kong kung fu films where fighters "are all attacking while defending" (Combat). Game Rant called it "the best animation I have ever seen in a video game and the most satisfying action combat I've experienced since Sekiro", and Press Start said it "feels every bit as good to play as it looks in those trailers".

0:27 Fextralife went furthest. After about ten hours over two chapters in Beijing, it says the game "is probably going to be my personal game of the year", with fast parries, deflections and counters that feel "really, really good to play". Bosses were the other shared praise: GameSpot's "amazing" boss design, RPGFan's bosses that are "grand and powerful", Insider Gaming's "The bosses in Phantom Blade Zero are incredible", PCGamesN's "incredible for the most part" (Bosses). So was the music: Fextralife says S-Game "did an absolutely outstanding job with the music", from hard rock to traditional, with its own track for every boss.

1:23 The animation had impressed before the final wave. Digital Foundry, which played the gamescom 2025 PC demo (Sep 11, 2025), praised "very smooth, fluid animations that feel realistic and true to sort of like classic martial arts films", and concluded: "The character animation is indeed top tier". Nearly every move in the game is motion captured by kung fu performers, including Donnie Yen's team (Donnie Yen).

What worried them

10:39 The story and the voices are the main doubts. Fextralife found the voice acting "a bit of a mixed bag", some characters very good and others mediocre or bad, perhaps on purpose as a nod to old kung fu films, and the story "a bit weak" and told "a bit all over the place": "Nobody's going to be playing Phantom Blade Zero for the story." IGN found the opening hours' story "good enough but not especially interesting" so far; Game Rant was "a little more lukewarm about the game's story" and "wasn't blown away" by the skill tree; Inven Global warns that the dialogue's wuxia terms may be hard to follow for newcomers. Not everyone agreed: RPGFan "found Phantom Blade Zero's English dub to be very good", a year after PC Gamer (Aug 8, 2025) wrote that the English voice acting "really didn't" sound natural in its demo. The plot is on Story.

9:47 Performance is the biggest worry. IGN, "on a decently powerful PC", saw "infrequent but fairly severe frame rate drops", and S-Game told it that most of its focus in the weeks before launch was optimization; IGN is curious how the game will run on PS5, "the only console Phantom Blade Zero is debuting on". Fextralife had only a few hitches on RTX 5080 PCs but heard other players at the Beijing event report substantial frame rate problems; Press Start noticed "occasional frame hitches during traversal"; Insider Gaming's build "suffered from some noticeable stuttering", enough that "even a momentary hitch could result in a missed parry". Hardware needs are on PC System Requirements and PS5 and PS5 Pro.

Smaller complaints recur too. RPGFan found ordinary enemies "less like adversaries and more like combo dummies" and admits some fatigue with what it calls "parryslop"; CGMagazine says the game "can feel linear at times"; Press Start calls traversal "the least impressive part"; Game Informer found one sequence "very 'style over substance'", closer "to a series of QTE moments"; and PCGamesN felt "the balance between aesthetics" was "a little bit off".

Earlier previews, 2024 to 2026

The demos drew similar praise for years. PlayStation Blog's Summer Game Fest 2024 hands-on said the game "walks an interesting line between character-action titles and Soulslikes"; TheGamer, at gamescom 2024, called it "more of a character action game with some Sekiro parrying". IGN's Justin Koreis, at Tokyo Game Show 2025, wrote: "even at the default setting that I played at, Phantom Blade 0 is hard, and I loved that about it. It never felt cheap; it just demanded more from me." PC Gamer found the parry "easier to land than a Sekiro parry even on the harder 'Hellwalker' difficulty", and Digital Foundry called it "very much a Soulslike" at its core but faster; S-Game itself says it is neither a Soulslike nor a traditional action game (Difficulty Modes).

6:09 Luke Stephens, after a Los Angeles hands-on (Jun 14, 2026), explains why first-time players are sometimes taken aback: it does not play the way their instincts expect. "But once it clicks with you, bro, it is silky smooth," he says, and he prefers its combat "over like the thousand Souls-like games we've gotten" for its nuance in move sets, spacing and weapon swapping.

Wishlists, pre-orders and charts

S-Game announced on X on Sep 17, 2026: "WE HIT 3 MILLION WISHLISTS across all platforms!" On Steam's own Top Wishlists chart, read Oct 10, 2026, Phantom Blade Zero was sixth, behind Deadlock, Light No Fire, Dear Passengers, Fable and Blight: Survival. GameDiscoverCo estimated in Aug 2026 that it had about 1.62 million Steam wishlists, the most of any 2026 release (an estimate, reported by GamingBolt), and developers told Automaton in Jan 2026 that over half of all wishlists came from outside China.

Pre-orders opened on Aug 11, 2026 at 7 p.m. PT. Within a day the game was No. 1 on Steam's sales chart (Inven Global), and by Aug 19 it was seventh on Steam's global top sellers and seventh among US PlayStation Store pre-orders (GamingBolt); Liang said pre-orders "far exceeded expectations" (KitGuru). Editions and bonuses are on Editions and Pre-order Bonuses. S-Game's own videos drew large audiences: on Oct 10, 2026 the Release Date Announcement Trailer had about 7.7 million views, the 2025 S-Party Demo Walkthrough about 5.9 million, and the State of Play deep dive and the Pre-Order Trailer about 5.3 million each (Trailers).

Awards and nominations

Phantom Blade Zero has no awards yet. It was nominated for Best Audio at the gamescom award 2025, which Resident Evil Requiem won (Insider Gaming, Aug 22, 2025). It was not among The Game Awards 2025 nominees for Most Anticipated Game (007 First Light, Grand Theft Auto 6, Marvel's Wolverine, Resident Evil Requiem and The Witcher 4 were), and it is not among the nominees in any category of the Golden Joystick Awards 2026, announced in Sep 2026, whose public vote closes on Oct 23 and whose winners are named on Nov 11, 2026.

The Black Myth: Wukong context

0:13 Press reads Phantom Blade Zero as part of the wave of Chinese action games that followed Black Myth: Wukong. PC Gamer's documentary of Aug 15, 2025, filmed around S-Game's Beijing event, opens on Game Science's game, which "sold more than 20 million copies in a single month" and "kicked off a chain reaction in the development of big, ambitious Chinese games". In the same film Liang says Black Myth's first trailer "gave us all the confidence to move forward" from mobile games to a game like this (S-Game, Development). Fextralife draws the contrast: Black Myth leaned on Journey to the West, while Phantom Blade Zero's world is fictional and its inspiration is kung fu culture, which it thinks makes the game more accessible. In combat, previewers compare it most often with Sekiro.

Frequently asked questions

When do Phantom Blade Zero reviews come out? S-Game has not announced a review embargo for Phantom Blade Zero as of Oct 10, 2026. The game launches on Oct 29, 2026 (the evening of Oct 28 in the Americas), and no review has been published yet.

Is Phantom Blade Zero good? No one has reviewed the finished game yet, but the Oct 8 to 9, 2026 previews of Phantom Blade Zero were strongly positive: IGN called its action the smoothest since Sekiro and Game Rant praised "the best animation" it had seen, while several outlets doubted the story and saw frame rate drops on PC.

What is Phantom Blade Zero's Metacritic score? Phantom Blade Zero has no Metascore yet: its Metacritic page showed "tbd" and no critic reviews on Oct 10, 2026, ahead of the Oct 29, 2026 launch.

How many wishlists does Phantom Blade Zero have? S-Game announced on Sep 17, 2026 that Phantom Blade Zero had passed 3 million wishlists across all platforms, and it was sixth on Steam's Top Wishlists chart on Oct 10, 2026.

Has Phantom Blade Zero won any awards? Not yet. Phantom Blade Zero was nominated for Best Audio at the gamescom award 2025, and it is not among the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 nominees.

Does Phantom Blade Zero run well on PC? The final build has not been tested yet. In the Oct 2026 previews of Phantom Blade Zero, IGN, Press Start and Insider Gaming saw frame rate drops or stutters on powerful PCs, and S-Game told IGN its remaining work before launch was mostly optimization.

Is Phantom Blade Zero like Black Myth: Wukong? Both are big Chinese action games, and PC Gamer places Phantom Blade Zero in the wave Black Myth: Wukong started, but Phantom Blade Zero is a wuxia story set in a fictional world, and previewers compare its combat more often with Sekiro.

Sources

• Phantom Blade Zero Reviews, Metacritic, read Oct 10, 2026
• Top Wishlists, Steam, read Oct 10, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero on the PlayStation Store, Sony, read Oct 10, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero Final Hands-On Preview, Game Rant, Oct 8, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero Final Preview - Cutting Action Game Competition Into Pieces, CGMagazine, Oct 8, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero Hands-On: The Kung Fu Souls-like I Didn't Know I Wanted, RPGFan, Oct 8, 2026
• 6 Hours with 'Phantom Blade Zero', Inven Global, Oct 8, 2026
• Potentially The Best Ladder Climbing In All Of Video Games, Game Informer, Oct 8, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero Impression, RPGamer, Oct 9, 2026
• After 3 hours, Phantom Blade Zero is a wuxia-flavored, rewarding action-RPG with a fresh Soulslike twist, GamesRadar+, Oct 9, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero is a game we'll be talking about for years to come, PCGamesN, Oct 9, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero Hands-On Preview - This Feels As Good As It Looks, Press Start, Oct 9, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero Preview - This might be the most insane action game I've played all year, TheSixthAxis, Oct 9, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero Preview - This Might Be My Game Of The Year, Insider Gaming, Oct 9, 2026
• 《影之刃零》最终前瞻, IGN China, Oct 9, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero Is A Delightfully Punishing Action-RPG, IGN, Oct 4, 2025
• After flying around the world to play my most anticipated action RPG, I'm convinced Black Myth Wukong was just an opening salvo for big budget Chinese games, PC Gamer, Aug 8, 2025
• 10 Minutes With Phantom Blade Zero Was Enough To Know It'll Be An Absolute Banger, TheGamer, Aug 27, 2024
• A closer look at 12 PS5 titles from Summer Game Fest 2024, PlayStation Blog, Jun 12, 2024
• Phantom Blade Zero is "neither a Soulslike game nor a traditional action game," creator says, suggesting that "maybe it could create a new identity" altogether, GamesRadar+, Jun 24, 2025
• Phantom Blade Zero Crosses 3 Million Wishlists, GamingBolt, Sep 18, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero and The Blood of Dawnwalker Reportedly Top Steam Wishlists for 2026, GamingBolt, Aug 2, 2026
• Over 50% of Phantom Blade Zero's Wishlists come from outside of China, according to developers, Automaton, Jan 27, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero Hits No. 1 on Steam Sales Chart via Pre-orders, Inven Global, Aug 12, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero Pre-orders "Far Exceeded Expectations" in First Week, Says Director, GamingBolt, Aug 19, 2026
• Phantom Blade Zero pre-orders have "far exceeded expectations" according to director, KitGuru, Aug 19, 2026
• Gamescom 2025 Awards: All Award Winners, Insider Gaming, Aug 22, 2025
• All The Game Awards 2025 Nominations, Beebom, Nov 17, 2025
• Golden Joystick Awards 2026: All Nominees, EGW, Sep 25, 2026
• I Played 6 Hours of Phantom Blade Zero and Can't Stop Thinking About It | IGN Preview, IGN, Oct 9, 2026 (video)
• The Secret Combat Detail Phantom Blade 0 Kept From Us, GameSpot, Oct 9, 2026 (video)
• Phantom Blade Zero GAMEPLAY Impressions - I LOVE This GAME!, Fextralife, Oct 9, 2026 (video)
• Phantom Blade Zero Hands-On - First Look - Unreal Engine With A Difference, Digital Foundry, Sep 11, 2025 (video)
• I tried 'Phantom Blade Zero' before launch..., Luke Stephens, Jun 14, 2026 (video)
• Phantom Blade Zero: Are Chinese games about to take over the world?, PC Gamer, Aug 15, 2025 (video)
• Phantom Blade Zero - Pre-Order Teaser, S-Game, Aug 6, 2026 (video description: development complete)