Specialized media outlets that accessed Phantom Blade Zero in closed preview sessions reinforce the game's prominence among highly anticipated action releases this year. According to Push Square, after six hours of gameplay, the title proved to be "one of the most confident and impressive Western debuts from a developer in years," with boss encounters that promise to rank among the year's best experiences.
IGN highlights that the game features "the smoothest and most satisfying action since Sekiro," balancing simple controls with intense parries and stylized wuxia animations. Polygon emphasizes how Phantom Blade Zero "carves out its own space" among sword-slashing action games, while PCGamesN anticipates it being "a game we'll be talking about for years to come".
The preview sessions spanned between three and six hours of gameplay, allowing critics to explore roughly 60% of Chapter 1 (a total of eight chapters) and face bosses including The Hunt, Red Brides, and Gold Mask Master. According to Adrenaline, the studio described the title's philosophy as "Kung Fu Punk," aiming to redefine the action genre.
The game from Chinese developer S-Game remains one of the most anticipated releases for PlayStation 5 and PC, with a launch planned for this year.
