Phantom Blade Zero has spent years looking almost too good to be true, especially coming from a studio best known for its mobile games. After 50 hours of performing picture-perfect kung fu, it is exactly as fun to play as it looks. This effortlessly smooth action game features some of the most satisfying and well-tuned combat, a surprising number of secrets to discover and quests to complete in its beautiful levels, and a never-ending supply of clever encounters full of unbelievably awesome moments. Its convoluted story and occasional performance issues may not live up to that incredible action, but it nails just about everything else.
Phantom Blade Zero plays like something straight out of a wuxia epic. As a martial artist of mysterious origins with only 66 days left alive to exact revenge, you set out on an odyssey across the ruined lands of the Phantom World. The story is not Phantom Blade Zero’s strong suit, as it tries to do a bit too much, shoving in mystical jargon, dozens of characters, and a complex timeline. In the first couple hours alone, so much time is spent toggling between present day, several years ago, several months ago, and several days ago that exposition can feel exhausting before the first real boss fight. That said, there are enough likeable characters along the way, especially the unflappable hero named Soul, that the story is generally forgivable.
Exploration and Combat
You’ll be spending most of your time exploring the world and squaring off against enemies. The precise parry and dodge mechanics feel natural, and the nuanced combat system of weapons, combos, special abilities, and upgrades are rolled out at an extremely smart pace. This game encourages and, in fact, requires you to change up your weapon loadout at regular intervals. Swapping your active melee weapon is one of the ways you can restore your posture meter with a single button press. Enemies, particularly bosses, can instantly drain your posture with certain attacks, so you’ll be swapping between different options with regularity. Conveniently, Phantom Blade Zero makes it extremely easy to reclaim and reallocate points invested in leveling up weapons, so there’s rarely any reason to stick with a set loadout.
Beyond melee weapons, you’ll unlock additional tools like grappling hooks and bows, which have utility both in combat and for exploration, allowing you to reach certain parts of the map or break through impassable barriers. Trinkets offer interesting buffs, and a skill tree provides perks that allow for greater customization. There’s a surprising amount of depth to upgrades and customization options.
Phantom Blade Zero features eight maps, each filled with foes, side quests, chests, and secrets. A surprising amount of content is missable, including a questline where you are trained by Donnie Yen. Unlike many modern games, Phantom Blade Zero uses hand-drawn maps that offer only a vague idea of your location, encouraging organic exploration.
Technical Hiccups and Difficulty
Phantom Blade Zero suffers from some pretty bad geometry. Soul gets caught on surfaces frequently, and invisible borders can make exploration janky. These environmental issues led to numerous deaths during play. Enemies can also get stuck in the environment, making fights feel anticlimactic.
Despite these issues, Phantom Blade Zero's superpower is its ability to make you feel like you are the only person badass enough to withstand its insane flurry of swords against godlike monsters. The melee combat is finely tuned, with every attack telegraphed just enough to give you the time you need to react, aided by an almost imperceptible musical rhythm that grants a certain level of precognition.
Played on its hardest difficulty, the game's tuning consistently feels exactly right. Major boss fights are often cleared in two or three tries, with many cleared in a single attempt. This difficulty is partly achieved by not making players repeat boss fight phases they have already cleared. If you die after clearing a first phase, you will pick back up at the top of the second phase. This design removes potential friction with challenging encounters.
It also allows for more freedom in encounter design, such as moments where a boss uses a one-shot kill move. Because progress is rarely set back significantly, players may feel more lenient toward such mechanics.
Enemy Variety and Performance
Throughout the 50 hours it took to reach credits, players are continually surprised by the creative enemies. While there are some familiar archetypes, they are the exception rather than the rule. Boss fights are consistently interesting, memorable, and numerous, compelling players to seek out each one.
The version of the game played for review had far more consistent performance than anticipated. The framerate was steadier, with only a few moments of noticeable issues during combat. However, one map in particular had consistently terrible framerate, suggesting potential lingering issues that may be addressed in a future patch.
Phantom Blade Zero is one of the best action games in a long time, with standout combat that never grew old across 50 hours of play. It takes place in a sharp, unique world that is captivating despite the constant threat. Its tale of betrayal and revenge plays it safe, and some unfortunate environmental and technical hiccups can cause minor frustrations, but the overwhelming majority of time with this stunning, well-tuned adventure was downright awesome.