Phantom Blade Zero appears to have been worth the long wait

Phantom Blade Zero has been a long time coming, with the flashy action-adventure title being first announced back in 2023 (though development stretches as far back as 2017). With the game finally set to be released on the 29th of October, critic reviews for Phantom Blade Zero have now gone live – representing the highest rated PlayStation 5 console exclusive of 2026.

With a Metacritic score of 88 and an OpenCritic rating of 90, Phantom Blade Zero is currently one of the highest rated games of the year; sitting alongside the likes of Resident Evil Requiem (OC: 89), Pokemon Pokopia (OC: 90) and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave (OC: 90).

Described by some as a “martial arts masterclass” which “strikes an almost perfect balance between hack-and-slash combat and Souls-like influences” Phantom Blade Zero appears to have succeeded in its most important aspect: combat.

Of course, not all is perfect, with the primary issues said to be its relatively thin narrative alongside some technical issues. Even so, Phantom Blade Zero seems to have made an incredibly strong impression, with its combat in particular having connected with pretty much all who played it – seeing phrases such as “must-play”, “excellent”, “spectacular” and “borders on perfection” being expressed by various reviewers.

From the game’s very first trailer, Phantom Blade Zero appeared to feature combat which was almost too good to be true. Fortunately, it appears as though studio S-Game has managed to meet expectations in this regard and then some. Phantom Blade Zero officially launches on PS5 and PC on the 29th of October.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to Phantom Blade Zero? Are you more or less excited now that reviews have gone live? Let us know down below.