The Next Action Adventure Epic

Last year, I previewed Phantom Blade Zero. It was my game of the show at 2024’s iteration of Summer Game Fest. During my time with it, I faced three back-to-back bosses, and I remember leaving feeling very excited, but I also had small concerns.

I wasn’t entirely sure what would be filling the time between bosses and how much it would lean into the Souls-esque vibes. With the bosses I fought and how little else I saw, I was convinced it was set to be another imitator.

What followed has been a year-long campaign from the development team to distance itself from the genre, promising the game is more Devil May Cry and Resident Evil than Dark Souls or Sekiro.

After playing another hour of the game at this year’s Gamescom, I can safely say that the developer’s comments are justified, and that’s not a bad thing — Phantom Blade Zero is shaping up to be great.

Phantom Blade Zero Is Going To Be Killer

Main character from phantom blade zero in front of a castle.

I love me a good Soulslike. Lies of P is one of my favourite games of the last few years, and I have the platinum trophy in Elden Ring, but it feels like the genre is becoming a bit of a crutch. More and more games are implementing the mechanics to get the word into their marketing in a bid to attract more fans. It’s wearing a little thin. I saw a game at this year’s show that called itself a Soulslike simply because it included a bonfire mechanic and nothing else.

Phantom Blade Zero’s decision to distance itself from the term is bold, and while it definitely shares a few similarities, it does more than enough to set itself apart.

My preview with Phantom Blade this time around allowed me to explore more of the game’s world. It’s a pretty linear affair with each location clearly telegraphed, but that helps the game feel more like what the developers were after, a Devil May Cry-esque action-adventure slash-fest.

From the get-go, my inventory was loaded with a range of the game’s different weapons, including dual swords, a katana, a longsword, and a greatsword. I opted for the super-rapid dual swords, with a bow as my secondary weapon, and I was on my way.

phantom blade zero protagonist firing an arrow at a jumping cavelry on a horse.

Phantom Blade Zero is incredibly fast-paced. Your character is quick, as are their attacks, but so are the enemies. The fights are less about meticulously dodging and parrying, although that is important, and more just about chaining together fun combos as you slice through crowds. Many of my encounters were incredibly fluid and generally just a great time.

Each encounter felt varied and balanced, with a good range of enemies, each with unique attacks, but there were a few occasions where things got frustrating. On more than one occasion, I was pinned in a corner by a crowd, unable to get out, and succumbed to my fate. It was a rare occurrence, but still a minor annoyance, one of the few I faced in the game.

Although the general combat didn’t feel too Souls-y aside from the parrying, boss fights leaned a little more into the genre. The main boss I fought this time around was impeccably designed and something even FromSoft would have been proud of. Much of the battle was focused on pattern recognition and parrying, with its second phase far more difficult than the first. It was a challenge, and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Linear Level Design In The Best Way

phantom blade zero protagonist facing the giant coppermaul.

Phantom Blade Zero is a stunning game. The majority of my preview was set in a simple wooded area with bamboo structures, but every environment I strolled through was meticulously crafted and looked really, really good.

There was a level of verticality I didn’t expect from the game, either. Much of the early parts of the preview saw me scaling small outcrops and bamboo scaffolds, each layered with enemies and items. Yes, your route is going to be pretty simple, but you’ll spend plenty of time exploring different levels, rather than being stuck on the ground.

While the loot grind doesn’t seem to be much of a thing in Phantom Blade, there is a definite commitment to building lore. I wasn’t really introduced to any of the game’s story beats, but during my short journey, I must have found a dozen collectible-like items, each determined to tell me more about developer S-Game’s world.

The game feels like the best version of an old Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden title.

The only real comparison I could draw between Phantom Blade Zero’s world and one of FromSoft’s, for those interested, is the Campfire-esque checkpoints, but even then, it’s a stretch. Sure, they’re dotted intermittently around the game’s linear pathway, but they don’t respawn enemies when you visit them, and don’t offer you the ability to level up.

If you’re one of those still expecting to go into Phantom Blade Zero for a Soulslike experience, you’ll need to get those expectations in check, but it’s for the best. The game feels like the best version of an old Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden title, and I honestly couldn’t be more excited.