The clash of blades pulses through my being. My hulking opponent repeatedly swings a rusty greatsword with menacing purpose, demanding I dodge or parry with perfect timing to avoid calamitous damage. It's a challenge I relish, stepping to this monstrous humanoid and returning strikes when the gaps emerge.

The blows are dramatic and satisfying, and the victory is mine. Phantom Blade Zero is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable action-RPGs I've sampled this year.

Phantom Blade Zero's wuxia influence is immediately present, with characters gracefully leaping to rooftops, twisting beyond the reach of incoming attacks, and delivering jaw-dropping finishing moves.

Developer: In-house
Publisher: S-Game
Platform(s): PC, PS5
Release date: October 29, 2026

Playing on the game's normal difficulty, I'm stunned to find Phantom Blade Zero is fairly forgiving, at least initially. Parry windows are reasonably long, and player character Soul can take a few hits before needing to heal. It's also not too hard to overwhelm average field enemies with combos, although take larger foes for granted at your peril.

Sure, there may be bonfire-esque bells for resting, fast-traveling and so on, but any Soulslike comparisons must be made with the caveat that PBZ is not out to punish unnecessarily.

That's not to say a game needs to be ruthless to be rewarding. The combat here is scintillating, with a variety of weapons and fighting styles available as you progress through the horror-tinged world of Phantom Blade Zero. Whether you want to dual-wield daggers with agile aggression, or swing a large blade with the poise and rhythm of a drunk fighting solely for the love of the game, I'm sure you'll find your ideal method within.

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