Scores at a glance
The review embargo lifted on October 26, 2026, three days before launch (October 29). Below is what the aggregators showed on the morning of October 26. New reviews keep coming in, so check the current numbers on Metacritic and OpenCritic.
| Aggregator | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metacritic, PC | 88 (Generally Favorable) | 33 | Main page: 97% positive, 3% mixed, 0% negative |
| Metacritic, PS5 | 88 | 25 | One mixed review, none negative |
| Metacritic, user score | none ("tbd") | none | User scores open after launch |
| OpenCritic | 91 ("Mighty") | 29 | 100% of critics recommend (Top Critic Average) |
The review count on Metacritic differed even within one page (31 in the header, 33 on the PC list) because new reviews keep arriving. The score itself stayed at 88 all morning.
Review scores by outlet
| Outlet | Score | In one sentence |
|---|---|---|
| IGN | 9/10 | "Memorable boss fights, compelling combat, and limitless swagger." |
| PCGamesN | 10/10 | "It's a new gold standard for action RPGs." Downside: frame drops on one map. |
| Wccftech | 10/10 | A Game of the Year contender; the story is decent but uneven. |
| DualShockers | 9.5/10 | One of the best action games in years; minor performance issues. |
| CGMagazine | 9.5/10 | Deep combat, and the bosses are the highlight. |
| Push Square | 9/10 | Combat among the best on PS5, the murky narrative is weaker. |
| TheSixthAxis | 9/10 | Not a soulslike but a demanding action game that respects your time. |
| Insider Gaming | 9/10 | "Masterfully crafted action game"; downside: repetitive regular enemies. |
| Game Rant | 9/10 | Strong combat and world, the main story keeps you at a distance. |
| Screen Rant | 9/10 | Great music and combat, weaker lore, map and quest tracking. |
| GAMINGbible | 9/10 | "Some of the best video game combat I've ever played." |
| Noisy Pixel | 8.5/10 | Outstanding combat and bosses, weak story. |
| Checkpoint Gaming | 8/10 | The lead character is less interesting than the supporting cast. |
GameSpot, Eurogamer, PC Gamer and GamesRadar+ had not published a scored review when we checked, and Digital Foundry has not released a technical analysis yet.
Local outlets:
| Country | Outlet | Score | In one sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | GamePro | 90 on Metacritic | The review headline calls the game a "Meisterwerk"; downside: linear world. |
| Switzerland | games.ch | 85% | Fast parrying and strong bosses, downside: high PC requirements. |
| France | screenactu | 9.8/10 | Combat "à montrer dans toutes les écoles de game design". |
| France | Gamekult | 7/10 | The coolest review: a bug blocking the true ending, camera issues. |
| Spain | Areajugones | 9.5/10 | The reviewer hit 100% in 60 hours, a "must play". |
| Spain | 3DJuegos | "Recomendado" | Spectacular, but combat and performance leave mixed feelings. |
| Italy | Everyeye.it | 8.5/10 | Revolutionary animations, downside: a diluted narrative. |
| Brazil | PSX Brasil | 95 on Metacritic | One of the best action games of the generation. |
| Brazil | Combo Infinito | 9.5/10 | Spectacular combat, downside: PC performance. |
| Turkey | Oyungezer | 9/10 | "Aksiyon alanında son yılların en iyisi!" |
| Turkey | Atarita | 84/100 | On PS5 Pro only the Performance mode is really playable. |
| Poland | no review | none | No Polish outlet had published a review by October 26. |
| Russia | no review | none | StopGame and Igromania only have news so far. |
What critics praise
- Combat. Parrying, dodging and fluid kung fu animations are praised by almost everyone (Output Lag counted 19 positive takes on combat out of 19 reviews). The mechanics are covered in our combat system guide.
- Bosses. Varied and multi-phase, the best part of the game for many critics (PCGamesN, Push Square, CGMagazine, Noisy Pixel).
- Weapons and builds. A wide choice of weapons and playstyles (Insider Gaming, Wccftech, DualShockers). Full list: weapons.
- Visuals and music. The "Kungfupunk" style, the animations and the soundtrack (Screen Rant gave the audio 10 out of 10).
- Exploration. Maps with Metroidvania elements (PCGamesN, Game Rant), without needless padding (TheSixthAxis).
What critics criticize
- Story. The most common complaint: the plot is muddled, split across notes and flashbacks, and Soul is not engaging (Push Square, Noisy Pixel, Game Rant, Wccftech, Oyungezer).
- English dub. Wccftech, Noisy Pixel and Atarita recommend the Chinese dub. Both dubs have lip sync (Screen Rant), and you can switch them in the pause menu.
- Repetitive regular enemies (Insider Gaming, Output Lag). Some critics also dislike that enemies do not respawn, while others like exactly that.
- Performance and bugs. Frame drops on PS5 in the rain and during some bosses, enemies getting stuck on invisible walls, a few crashes (Insider Gaming, DualShockers, Noisy Pixel). Details below.
Gamekult described a bug that blocked the reviewer from reaching the true ending. It was reported to the studio on October 21, and the pre-launch patch did not fix it. It is one review, but if the full ending matters to you, check after launch whether S-GAME has fixed it.
Performance on PC, PS5 and Steam Deck
| Hardware | What critics say |
|---|---|
| PC, RTX 4080 (Wccftech) | about 100 FPS in 4K on High with DLSS Quality without ray tracing; about 50 FPS with RT, about 30 FPS with path tracing |
| PC, general | Shader compilation on first launch; PCGamesN saw drops on one map, the studio promised a fix |
| PS5 Pro | Performance mode mostly 60 FPS, drops during some bosses (Push Square); Quality and Balanced modes are weaker (Everyeye.it, Atarita) |
| PS5 | Frame drops, distant objects popping out and one crash (Noisy Pixel) |
| Steam Deck | "Avoid for now": below 30 FPS even on the lowest settings (Output Lag, early test) |
TheSixthAxis mentions that the pre-launch patch added a texture bug that goes away after switching the graphics mode. Requirements and settings: PC requirements and settings.
How long to beat, according to reviews
| Source | Time |
|---|---|
| Push Square | 25-30 hours story, about 45 hours total |
| Everyeye.it | over 25 hours story, the same again in optional content |
| Wccftech | over 30 hours |
| TheSixthAxis, DualShockers, screenactu | about 40 hours |
| Insider Gaming | about 40 hours, 45-50 for 100% |
| Game Rant | about 43 hours |
| Screen Rant | about 50 hours on Hellwalker |
| Combo Infinito | 55 hours with optional content |
| Areajugones | 60 hours for 100% |
Bottom line: the story alone takes 25-40 hours, more than the 25-30 hours the studio talked about. Difficulty levels and the Sixty-Six Days mode are covered in difficulty and length. Reviewers at Screen Rant, Wccftech and Dexerto played on Hellwalker (the hardest) right away, so it looks available from the start, although nobody says so directly.
Soulslike or not: what the reviews say
Most critics (TheSixthAxis, Noisy Pixel, Wccftech, Screen Rant, Push Square, Areajugones) say plainly that it is not a soulslike but an action game with RPG and Metroidvania elements. The most common comparisons are Sekiro (parrying), Black Myth: Wukong, Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden. More: is it a soulslike.
Is Phantom Blade Zero worth it?
You will enjoy it if:
- you like fast parry-based combat and demanding bosses (the most praised part of the game),
- you play on a strong PC or on PS5 Pro in Performance mode,
- you are fine with the available languages (languages).
Better to wait if:
- you mainly care about the story: it is the most criticized element,
- you play on Steam Deck or a weaker PC: early tests show below 30 FPS on the Deck,
- you want to play in Polish or Turkish: neither is supported and no such version has been announced,
- you want certainty about bugs: the first post-launch patch may fix the problems described in reviews.
The Standard Edition costs $59.99 on Steam in the US and PLN 299 in Poland. Launch times, preload and prices: release date, time and preload.
Frequently asked questions
What is Phantom Blade Zero's Metacritic score?
As read on October 26, 2026: 88 on PC (33 reviews) and 88 on PS5 (25 reviews). The user score will appear after launch on October 29.
What did IGN give it (Phantom Blade Zero IGN review)?
9/10. The review is by Travis Northup and praises the bosses and combat.
Are there Polish reviews of Phantom Blade Zero?
By October 26, 2026, no Polish outlet had published a review. There are German, French, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian and Turkish ones, listed above.
Is Phantom Blade Zero better than Black Myth: Wukong?
Reviews compare the two, but there is no single verdict. Dexerto writes that the bosses here are more forgiving than in Wukong. Full comparison: Phantom Blade Zero vs Black Myth: Wukong.
Is it worth buying at launch?
If combat matters most to you, the reviews agree: yes. If you care most about the story, your language or Steam Deck, wait for the first patches and player reviews.
