Phantom Blade Zero's wuxia pitch works, even if the flaws are real

Can a game feel new while wearing so many Souls-like clothes? Phantom Blade Zero might pull it off, though not for the reason its studio keeps repeating.

The facts first. The game launches October 29 on PS5 and PC. The critical summary on Metacritic says it achieves its goal of "wonderfully fluid and cinematic kung fu-style combat," but that balance and quality issues "ultimately dim its shine." A review that leaked before release, per Notebookcheck, noted repetitive combat, and some previews raised concerns about unstable frame rates during intense fights.

The "not a Souls-like" line is the weakest part of the pitch

S-GAME insists this isn't a Souls-like. It prefers the label "kung-fu punk." Fair enough, but ActuGaming, after four hours at Gamescom on PC, said the similarities jumped out more than the differences. It cited bell-style checkpoints, semi-open level design with shortcuts, and aggressive bosses. Its shorthand for the feel was somewhere between Sekiro and Onimusha: Way of the Sword, only more frenetic and more airborne.

We think the studio is protesting too much. The term "Souls-like" has become a catch-all, and avoiding it is understandable marketing. But the game doesn't need to escape the lineage. It needs to be the best version of one idea: parry, dodge, punish, at speed.

Players aren't tired of the genre, just of sameness

The thesis that audiences are fed up with Souls clones is only half right. The skeleton can stay if the skin is different, and in our view that is exactly what wuxia offers. It sets the animation language, the swordplay rhythm and the sense of cinema. ActuGaming noted that duels sometimes feel like watching a cutscene you happen to control. That is a hook no grim-fantasy knockoff can easily borrow.

The depth helps too. Coverage of the State of Play cites more than 30 main weapons, 25 Phantom Edges and several difficulty levels. Those are pitch-deck numbers until players live with them, but difficulty options matter. ActuGaming points out that the game lets you drop to easier modes if a boss gets too painful.

The flaws are real, and "ambition" shouldn't excuse them

Here we'd push back on the idea that technical problems are simply the price of a non-Western studio's ambition. That framing is generous and a little patronizing. Players won't grade on geography. Gamekult's review is blunt: it says playing is first about accepting failure, and that the game gives you every reason to hurl your DualSense through the window. It cites a quest that refuses to validate and can softlock you before the true ending. ActuGaming also found readability trouble in a cart boss fight and more questionable hitboxes against big creatures.

Still, the same Gamekult text calls the game an implacable demonstration of artistic mastery, from its visuals to its eclectic soundtrack. Read next to the Metacritic summary, it points to a pattern we find telling: in this genre, feel seems to count for more than polish.

Our verdict

Will it stand out? Probably yes, as long as launch patches deal with the softlock and frame-rate issues. We'd call it a strong buy for anyone who likes fast sword combat and wants something that looks and moves differently. If you're allergic to parry-focused action, or you need a smooth launch, wait a few weeks for fixes. The leaked review is not the final word, and more critical takes will land around release.

But as proof that a distinct flavor can revive a worn-out formula, it's already persuasive.