Phantom Blade 0 Review | So Much Better Than I Could Have Hoped

WACO, Texas (KWTX) –

I’ve seen plenty of action games across my long career playing video games. From soulslikes to ones focused on hand-to-hand combat and everyone of them has had to work very hard to draw me in beyond just what trailers show. So, it’s rare for a game we’ve seen so much of before release to actually live up to the hype. For years, Phantom Blade 0 looked like the ultimate kung-fu action dream: fast, stylish, and effortlessly cool. But could it really play as good as it looked? I wasn’t so sure, especially when most of developer S-Game’s previous work seemed to be mobile titles.

You have to understand: I grew up on Chinese martial arts movies. Not just the obvious stuff like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but films like Drunken Master and Five Deadly Venoms, too. So imagine my delight when I finally jumped into Phantom Blade 0 and discovered it was everything I’d hoped for—and then some.

The combat is some of the most tightly tuned martial arts action I’ve ever played. Every fight feels like a chance to slip into that kung-fu flow state, turning even a routine encounter into a satisfying showdown. In a year packed with excellent action games, this one delivers that kung-fu essence in spades. And if combat doesn’t hook you, the world just might. It’s packed with secrets to uncover and relentless foes to cut down, all wrapped up in gorgeous visuals and a gripping story that kept me enthralled even when things got a little convoluted. Phantom Blade 0 is a stylish, sauced-up thrill ride and an easy recommendation for any action fan.

Phantom Blade 0 sees protagonist Soul, a ex-member of The Order and a man on the run following him being framed for killing his master and leader. S-Games spends a lot of narrative time, weaving an intricate conspiracy wherein the villainous clan on the other side of this conflict forces the Transcension across the Wulin. The Transcension is like a disease that morphs folks into soulless monstrous puppets in every regard, sending them into violent rages and making the world unsafe for regular people. I was initially skeptical of this story, as it felt a little surface level when I first started out. Luckily S-Games does a phenomenal job, blending a kung-fu story with spiritual and supernatural elements that elevate the humanity of the characters. That’s not to say the story is a perfect romp the whole time. A few confusing messy moments ran the risk of derailing the story for me but after reconnecting with its core narrative, S-Game manages to do something memorable. Especially as I reached the climax of Souls journey which had me hyped from the start of the final chapter to its end.

Soul’s tale is obviouslythe main focal point of Phantom Blade’s story, but what makes the world of the Wulin stand out is how lived in and well defined its other characters are. As a world facing down the apocalypse, you’d expect the Wulin to feel hollowed out but instead you find life at every turn. This can take lots of different forms from letters and journals left behind to the life-bar expanding blue flowers scattered across the world. Touching one of these azure plants will let you hear a brief story about someone who lived here once, offering you a chance to experience their memories. It was nice to stop and take in stories from across this world. Phantom Blade 0 also has a solid cast of side characters that are all pretty likeable and have very human motivations. In a vast world of chaos these little reprieves make Soul’s journey feel less lonely.

If I’m being honest though, I was never interested in this game for its plot. Phantom Blade 0 wowed me early on with the sheer gravity of its sauce. I’ve heard plenty of people say this game falls in the soulslike category but that is nonsense. This game is actually fun! No, but seriously, shade aside; Phantom Blade is robbing you of experience or resetting your haters when you die. Combat is also more focused than most soulslike games with combos and flow mattering way more than dodge rolling or min-maxxing certain specs. The combat is phenomenal; Soul’s swordplay is smooth as butter perfected into a sculpture of kung-fu excellence. The painstaking processes S-Game went through to put the oomph into the move sets is made all that more real by the fact that DONNIE YEN helped them do it. Ip Man himself helped make sure combat was authentic! It was great to feel all that translate into tightly tuned battles. Soul’s arsenal is vast with tons of weapons to harness the power of across several categories. From one handed agile balance weapons like the one you begin the game with to heavier guard demolishing two handed weapons, Soul has something that will work for you. Now I can feel some of you staring at your screens thinking, “yeah man, every action game has this kind of thing in it” which would make you a fool. Because Phantom Blade Zero went above and beyond with their weapons, giving each one unique attacks, animations, combos and upgrades making this bag of swords into a deadly array of attack options. S-Game never sacrifices quality over quantity so even though the game is jammed up with blades for days, there is deep nuance to how they move. Slashing through foes works as you’d expect with combos of basic attacks and heavy attacks building Sha Chi which allows you to unleash devastating unique moves. Breaking down enemies’ defenses opens them up finisher moves showcasing how effortlessly awesome Souls marital skill is. Outside of his normal swath of blades Soul can earn are Phantom edge Art weapons which range significantly more. These harder hitting armaments can be anything from a light bow and arrow to a hulking shield, allowing you a ton of customization and adaptation. Where Phantom Blade shines at it’s best is in its intense cinematic and gorgeously crafted boss fights. The big bads of the Wulin can mix up their move sets, often have second stages and between the perfect parriable and perfect dodge able attacks create these intricate dances of death. Boss fights aren’t just set pieces either; the best of them will be bristling in your memory for years to come. I honestly think a couple of them here might be the greatest showdowns I’ve ever faced in a game.

Combat may be the strongest thing Phantom Blade offers, but those fights are backed by one of the year’s absolute most bangingest soundtracks. A fusion of classic Chinese orchestration and cyber infused punk music that creates an irresistible thumping beat to set these battles to. Exploring also benefits from sound design with bells that act as save-points ringing out to alert you to their presence. The Wulin is vast and intertwining; you’ll often come across dark alleyways and forgotten paths on your way toward your true goal. There is a somewhat recursive design to each of the games biomes that make exploring these offshoots worthwhile, allowing you to reconnect with somewhere you have already been. I mean this with all my heart; I loved every second of investigating this world. The drip of its design, the depth of its content and breadth of its secrets easily eclipse any criticisms I may have initially had.

There are cracks in the armor of Phantom Blade Zero, however. Early in my playthrough I attempted to run the game in quality mode and quickly realized the game would fall apart if it wasn’t in performance mode. Likewise, a few boss sequences bugged out blocking my progression, forcing me to quit the game and reset my progress. Luckily the bells of the Wulin are plentiful and after a few hours these issues stopped glaring their ugly heads.

Phantom Blade Zero is easily one of the best games of the year and more so one of the greatest action games I’ve ever played. Its world is full of beautifully detailed choices that make exploring every inch a must. The lore is complex but not so confusing you get completely lost. Its razor-sharp combat, is deep and engaging, delivering on the kung-fu warrior dream I’ve had since I was a kid. Across my entire playtime I never felt the combat’s edge dull, and that is made even more memorable by some of the best boss fights in action gaming. I wasn’t sure S-Game could pull it off, but Phantom Blade Zero combines so much of what works in this genre and bends it to a new creative horizon to incredible effect. A game of the year contender and a game I have to recommend Phantom Blade Zero gets a 9 out of 10 from me. For Hardwired I’m Andrew Hamilton