Pre-loads for S-Game's upcoming action title, Phantom Blade Zero, are now available, requiring players to allocate a substantial 300GB of storage space. This significantly larger requirement is for the pre-load itself, as the game's final installed size is 145GB.
Developer S-Game explained in a Steam blog post that the increased pre-load size is necessary to accommodate temporary files and the complete game files during the unlock process. Players will regain the extra space once the game is fully installed.
While not unusual for games to require additional space for unpacking, the scale of the pre-load for Phantom Blade Zero is noteworthy, especially given its already large final footprint. The game also mandates the use of an SSD, a component that has seen price increases and availability issues in recent times, making the prospect of purchasing additional storage solely for one game less appealing for some.
Despite the demanding storage requirements, anticipation for Phantom Blade Zero remains high. The game is projected to be a significant release, with some estimates suggesting it has already sold over 500,000 copies on Steam.
In a review, Eurogamer noted that while Phantom Blade Zero features fluid and cinematic kung fu-style action, issues such as underwhelming boss fights and a general lack of polish detract from the overall experience.
Phantom Blade Zero is set to launch on October 29 for PC and PlayStation 5.