Phantom Blade Zero by S-Game has been available for PC and PlayStation 5 since October 29, 2026. The action RPG sends you as the assassin Soul into a dark wuxia world that the studio itself calls "kung fu punk". I slashed my way through the bosses and can say: the fights are among the best the genre currently has to offer.
Table of contents
Rating and verdict
Phantom Blade Zero thrilled me above all in combat. The interplay of parries, dodges, combos and special techniques feels fast, precise and incredibly powerful. Each of the roughly 30 weapons plays differently, and the boss fights are challenging but fair. If you like Sekiro or Ninja Gaiden, you will have fun here for a long time.
Outside of combat, the game is weaker. The story about Soul has interesting ideas but is told erratically, and the English dub feels stiff. On top of that there are performance issues on weaker PCs. Players on Steam see it similarly: 86 percent positive reviews, with lots of praise for the action and criticism of the story. For action fans, Phantom Blade Zero is still a must-buy.
What we liked
✅ Outstanding, fast combat system
✅ Challenging, varied boss fights
✅ Around 30 weapons with their own feel
✅ Atmospheric kung fu punk world
What bothered us
❌ Story erratic and emotionally flat
❌ Stiff English dub
❌ Performance issues on weaker PCs
❌ Not suitable for the Steam Deck
Rating: 84 %
How we rate
- 90–100Legendary
- 8480–89Very good
- 70–79Good
- 60–69Okay
- 50–59Mediocre
- < 50Weak
At PlayInsider we rate every game individually and always against the expectations of its genre. We judge the story of an action game or adventure by its narrative quality. In a simulation or management game, on the other hand, what counts is what the genre typically offers. This keeps our ratings fair and comparable within a genre.
Story: 66 days to live
You play Soul, an assassin of the organization "The Order". After being framed for the murder of its leader and fatally wounded, he is saved by a mysterious healer. However, he only has 66 days left to uncover the truth and take revenge on those responsible.
The premise is strong, the execution uneven. Many characters only appear briefly, and connections only become clear late. The Chinese voice-over fits the atmosphere much better than the English one, German text is available.
Phantom Blade Zero review: Gameplay
The heart of the game is the combat system. Soul combines light and heavy attacks, parries at the right moment, dodges with phantom steps and unleashes powerful special techniques. Unlike many soulslikes, the pace is very high, and with practice you can literally dance through groups of enemies.
Around 30 weapons, from swords and spears to twin blades, provide variety, plus ranged tools and a skill tree. The bosses are the highlight: each has its own patterns that you need to learn. The main story takes about 25 to 30 hours, with side content 40 to 50 hours.
Graphics and sound
Visually, Phantom Blade Zero is impressive. Rainy alleys, ruined temples and foggy mountains create a dense, dark mood, and the combat animations are first-class. Hit sounds are powerful, and the soundtrack mixes traditional Chinese instruments with modern sounds.
Tech and system requirements
On current mid-range and high-end PCs, Phantom Blade Zero runs smoothly. On older systems, players report stutters and frame drops, and on the Steam Deck the game is barely playable. You can find the exact system requirements in the table below this text.
What players say on Steam
On Steam, Phantom Blade Zero is rated "Very Positive": 86 percent of more than 32,000 reviews are positive (as of October 31, 2026). Players especially praise the combat system, the bosses and the variety of weapons. Criticism focuses on the story, the English dub and performance on weaker machines.
Who is Phantom Blade Zero for?
If you love fast, demanding action, you can hardly ignore Phantom Blade Zero. For 59.99 euros you get an extensive game with an outstanding combat system. If you are mainly looking for a gripping story or have a weak PC, you should take a closer look first.
Official trailer
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System requirements (PC)
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10/11 (64-Bit) | Windows 10/11 (64-Bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Intel Core i5-10600K / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X |
| graphics card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6 GB / AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8 GB | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB / AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| storage | SSD erforderlich (keine Größenangabe) | SSD erforderlich (keine Größenangabe) |
