I've heaped plenty of praise upon Phantom Blade Zero already, but allow me to add some more: the game's combat is near-perfect, and is easily its highlight. Fluid, dynamic animation, a slew of diverse and compelling weapons, solid progression, and satisfying action-RPG fundamentals combine to make Phantom Blade Zero's combat sandbox especially rewarding and expressive, even if it's not necessarily as tough as something like Elden Ring.

But make no mistake, combat isn't the only area where Phantom Blade Zero shines. Among the many pleasant surprises the game has in store are a fantastic soundtrack, striking art design, and a compelling, fascinating science-fantasy world. By blending grounded Asian spirituality concepts with steampunk aesthetics, Lovecraftian horror, and epic high fantasy convention, Phantom Blade Zero manages to be one of the more memorable games I've played this year, lore-wise. If you're a fan of soulslike stories and sprawling, meticulously detailed fantasy worlds a la A Song of Ice and Fire, Phantom Blade Zero is basically perfect for you. By that same token, though, those who bounce off these more opaque stories might struggle with Phantom Blade Zero.

An upcoming dark fantasy action RPG that takes inspiration from Devil May Cry is swiftly climbing up Steam's sales charts days before its release.

The core gameplay loop of Phantom Blade Zero can be roughly defined as follows: enter a new region, fight your way through squads of enemies while collecting loot and resources, encounter a boss, repeat until the region/story chapter is complete.

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