《Phantom Blade Zero》试玩：武侠朋克风格与战斗手感出色

2026 is already an all-time year in terms of great game releases, and soon, another exciting title is joining this year’s stacked lineup: Phantom Blade Zero.

It has been three years since Phantom Blade Zero was announced at PlayStation’s May 2023 showcase, and it’s finally set to be released next week. Ahead of its launch, we got a chance to try the game out at S-GAME’s headquarters in Beijing to get a better idea of what to expect. Our hands-on was a meaty one, as we had around 6 hours with the game, meaning we got a lot of time to get a handle on its combat system.

As we mentioned, 2026 is already a stacked year, but Phantom Blade Zero made such an impression on us that we think this has a chance to be one of this year’s best games. That’s thanks in part to its action gameplay, along with the fact that it oozes style.

Wuxia and Kung-Fu Cinema Fans are in for a Treat

In the past couple of years, we’ve seen various wuxia and kung-fu-inspired action games from China. This is a trend that we’re very much behind, as we’re big fans of films in these genres, whether it’s Zhang Yimou’s Hero and House of Flying Daggers, or the various kung-fu classics from Hong Kong Cinema.

When it comes to action and presentation, Phantom Blade Zero very much fits within these genres, as it has some incredible action choreography, both during actual gameplay and cutscenes. Many wuxia films also have more serene moments to balance the action (and to add some extra atmosphere), which Phantom Blade Zero also has, courtesy of the beautiful levels, featuring misty forests and elegant courtyards.

S-GAME’s upcoming title does have some elements that add unique twists to the genre. The game features some things like mechanical prosthetics for the characters, along with other “punk fantasy” additions (think steampunk or cyberpunk) that give the game’s overall aesthetic some extra edge. What’s more, the game features sudden heavy metal riffs or trap metal tracks that are interspersed through traditional Chinese music. This shouldn’t be surprising for gamers who have been following the game’s development, as Phantom Blade Zero has been called a “kungfupunk” experience.

We weren’t sure about this at first, as we’re more used to the classic wuxia look of iconic Chinese films. After our hands-on, though, we can say that this kungfupunk style works well in this game, as it gives it a unique identity that matches its fast-paced action without being “too much.” Of course, it helps that it’s still rooted in authentic Chinese weaponry and martial arts.

For instance, during our HQ visit, we got to see some authentic Chinese steel replicas that were used as references for the game’s weapons. Aside from how beautiful they looked in-game, we found that the attack animations conveyed the weight of these weapons rather convincingly (they were seriously heavy in real life).

As for the kung-fu action, action cinema icon Donnie Yen serves not only as an actor in the game, but he’s also a creative consultant. Even though we haven’t seen all the action in the game yet, from what we’ve seen, the martial arts and weapons choreography does look stylish yet still weighty, as they do in great kung-fu films.

On top of the beautiful art style and choreography, the game’s graphics look excellent. Note that we played the game on a beefy PC, so we hope that the game still looks good on a PS5 or in a more modest gaming PC setup. Also, we can’t say for certain yet how well the game will perform on other rigs. Hopefully its framerate holds up well given how good it looks.

From a presentation standpoint, this game wowed us, but the gameplay side of it impressed us just as much.

Fast-Paced and Complex Combat, Yet Surprisingly Accessible

Since its reveal, many players have wondered if Phantom Blade Zero is a Soulslike; its protagonist is named “Soul,” after all. This isn’t surprising, considering that Soulslike comparisons are made for many action games with a passing resemblance to games like Sekiro or Dark Souls.

In that regard, it’s fair to say that Phantom Blade Zero is far from a Soulslike game in terms of its moment-to-moment mechanics. For instance, enemies don’t respawn when you rest at shrines, and you don’t lose currency (which you must retrieve) upon dying. There’s also the fact that there are four difficulty options to choose from here. There are some similarities to Souls titles, such as the interconnected levels and its challenging boss fights, but for the most part, this game is its own thing.

Combat-wise, this game centers around fast-paced combat with an emphasis on dodging and parrying. For instance, enemies have standard attacks, but there are red-colored attacks that you must dodge, and doing so at the right moment results in a Perfect Dodge. Then, there are blue attacks that you can parry, and doing it perfectly results in a Ghoststep, which moves you behind them for a strong attack. These types of enemy attacks aren’t particularly new, but what Phantom Blade has that makes it stand out is the complexity of moves you can pull off, thanks in large part to the weapons at your disposal.

The game features plenty of weapons, and during gameplay, players can equip two main weapons. Changing weapons on the fly is encouraged, as doing so replenishes your Sha-Chi meter. This meter is an important part of the game, as blocking and doing certain moves will deplete your Sha-Chi. It’s not a stamina meter per se, as regular attacks don’t deplete it, but it’s still important not to let it get depleted. Doing so will leave you vulnerable.

Given that weapons have varied movesets, coupled with the fact that there are plenty of combos that you can execute, the game’s combat system is quite a bit more complex than other action games. For us, there’s a bit of a learning curve to the mechanics, but it should start clicking after some time. This is important, as you can’t just get away with button mashing when you get surrounded by mobs or are facing off against a tough boss (especially on higher difficulties).

Speaking of bosses, we got to face some bosses in our hands-on, and we have to admit that one of them gave us quite a tough fight. Thankfully, we didn’t become frustrated, as the game has a handy option to revive mid-phase. This means if you’re struggling against a boss fight’s second phase, you can simply start from there, so there’s no need to repeat the entire first phase.

These kinds of accessibility options, coupled with the four difficulty options, should be great for players who are unsure if they’d enjoy such a challenging game. On the flip side, from what we’ve experienced, having more difficulty options doesn’t really water down the experience. It seems that for the higher difficulty options, you’ll need to master the complex combat more. This is a good solution to the problem of harder difficulty levels making enemies feel more like annoying damage sponges.

Phantom Blade Zero – Initial Impressions

Six hours with Phantom Blade Zero was a lot for a hands-on preview, but by the end of our session, we still wanted to experience more of what it has to offer. That’s because its mix of “punk” elements with classic Wuxia style is a great combo that perfectly complements its complex and satisfying action.

Hopefully, the rest of the game is just as good as the parts we played. If that’s the case, this game will definitely be one of 2026’s biggest highlights.

Phantom Blade Zero launches on PS5 and PC on October 29, 2026.

The post Phantom Blade Zero Hands-on | Seriously Stylish and Satisfying Action appeared first on UnGeek.