We finally got our hands on Phantom Blade Zero, and it's everything we hoped.

I’ve been in this job for seven years now. During that time, I have never previewed a game more than once. Phantom Blade Zero, though? I previewed it four times, with my latest coming from China earlier this month. I saw great potential in it and was highly optimistic, but previews can be misleading, with developers controlling which segments we get to play.

Any minor fears I might have had, however, have now been washed away. Over the course of a week, I spent 45 hours exploring every nook of the world S-Game created, and I can say with great confidence that it announces the studio to the world with aplomb, as Phantom Blade Zero really does have the sauce.

You play as Soul. A former member of The Order and a man framed for killing his former master and the group’s leader. What unfolds is a huge conspiracy as a villainous clan forces the Transcension on the world around them, turning people into faceless, soulless puppets— literally and metaphorically.

It blends a grounded kung-fu tale, bristling with likable characters, each with their own human motives, with the surreal and supernatural, occasionally sprinkling in a little bit of cyberpunk. With so many moving parts, it could easily get messy, trying to tie three distinct storytelling genres into one, but S-Game sticks the landing. Never was I confused about why something was happening, never did anything feel forced, and the last 30 minutes had me beaming from ear to ear.

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