Phantom Blade Zero is a fast-paced, action RPG set in a dark, semi-open world inspired by Wuxia martial arts. You play as Soul, an elite assassin working for a shadowy organisation called The Order. After being falsely accused of murdering its leader, Soul is cursed with just 66 days to live – and sets out to uncover the truth before time runs out.

S-Game is the independent Chinese studio behind Phantom Blade Zero, founded in 2011 by Soulframe Liang, and I was lucky enough to get an appointment to try out the first hour and thirty minutes of the game at Gamescom this year! So let’s dive in and see how it was!

Block, Parry, Dodge

You might be forgiven for thinking Phantom Blade Zero is a Soulslike from watching some of the trailers, but I can report it is not. This is a pure character action game. No currency, no levelling, just fast paced, incredibly satisfying combat.

You start off in the tutorial, learning the basic attack combos and the parry and dodge mechanics. You can equip up to four weapons at once: two primary blades and two Phantom Edge tools, which range from cannons and lances to hammers and bows. Each weapon has its own combo set and a unique "Power Surge" move, triggered by building up Sha-Chi, the game's energy resource. Switching weapons mid-combo is seamless, letting you chain attacks with brutal efficiency.

Enemies can be dodged or parried, and I would recommend prioritising the latter, as each enemy has a posture bar that you can wear down in order to stun them for huge damage. Some attacks must be dodged – the enemies will glow red for these and if you time it perfectly you’ll perform a Ghoststep; a teleporting counter that lets you slip behind enemies and strike from unexpected angles. It's designed to reward aggression and timing, not cautious circling. Perfect parries for moves that glow blue have the same effect, doing huge posture build up and allowing you to feel very much like a badass.

I’m a big fan of challenging combat driven games, and Phantom Blade Zero has some of the most satisfying combat I’ve seen in a while. The camera work is tight and deliberate, often pulling in close during combat to emphasise speed and impact. Every dodge, parry, and counter feels like it's ripped straight from a martial arts film, with fluid transitions and slow-motion flourishes that highlight key moments without breaking the pace. In fact studio director Liang has described the game as "like being in a Kung Fu movie", and I’ve got to say after 1hr 19mins I fully agree.

Enemies don’t respawn when you rest or die, and bosses restart from the most current phase you got them to. This helps with the overall flow, the game is challenging, sure, but the idea isn’t to have you bash your head against a brick wall until you power through, it’s a power fantasy and a incredibly effective one at that.

Up, Down and Round

The level design in Phantom Blade Zero draws clear inspiration from older FromSoftware titles like Dark Souls and Sekiro, but it's not trying to be a Soulslike. Instead of sprawling open-world maps, the game opts for a semi-linear structure with tightly interconnected regions. You'll explore a seamless world where each area links naturally to the next, often with multiple paths, hidden shortcuts, and gated sections that require specific keys or quest progress to unlock.

In the Gamescom demo you play through part of the first level, which takes you up through a mountain pass, over a body strewn battlefield and under a guarded gate into an enemy encampment. You don’t level up with currency – you pick up various sets of items that when completed increase your attack or health. There’s also lots of lore items hidden about, so each venture off the main path feels rewarding either via gameplay or story.

There’s a lot of verticality, and special traversal options like climbing specific walls, swinging across huge gaps on a chain or even using secondary weapons’ special moves to break floors and walls. It’s all in line with the cinematic feel of the game – each action feeling spectacular and impactful as you move through each area.

The final boss of the demo is foreshadowed by item pick ups throughout the level, all of which contribute to an attack boost. It’s a great system, seamlessly integrating a gameplay system into the game’s lore and encouraging player exploration.

Visuals and Sound

Phantom Blade Zero is visually stunning. The world design draws from China's Ming Dynasty, but it's twisted through a gothic lens: misty forests, ruined mountain passes, and blood-slicked courtyards all drenched in atmosphere.

The game runs on Unreal Engine 5 and supports cutting-edge tech like DLSS 4 and RTX, which means lighting, reflections, and particle effects are razor-sharp. Combat animations are especially fluid, with parries, dodges, and weapon transitions rendered in a way that feels almost choreographed. There's a real sense of weight and impact to every move, and the camera work pulls in tight to emphasise speed and precision. I played on a PS5 for the purpose of the demo, and it ran super smooth for the whole experience.

Character design leans into theatrical flair – ornate armour, eerie masks, and exaggerated silhouettes that make enemies feel larger than life. Even the UI is minimal, letting the visuals speak for themselves and keeping the focus on immersion.

Combat sounds are razor-sharp and meticulously layered. Sword clashes ring out with metallic precision, dodges and parries have a tactile snap, and Phantom Edge weapons; like cannons and hammers; land with bone-crunching weight. The audio feedback is immediate and satisfying, reinforcing the game's aggressive rhythm and helping players time their moves with instinct rather than just visuals.

Environmental audio plays a subtler role, but it's no less important. Rainfall, wind through ruined temples, and distant echoes all contribute to the game's moody, gothic tone. It's immersive without being overwhelming, letting the world breathe between fights.

The soundtrack leans heavily into orchestral and electronic fusion, with dramatic swells during boss fights and quieter, eerie motifs during exploration. Two out of the three bosses I fought during the demo had particularly satisfying needle drops that really leaned into the “playable kung fu movie” vibe. You cannot fail to feel like a badass playing Phantom Blade Zero – no matter what difficulty option you choose.

Final Thoughts

I finished the Gamescom Demo with just over 11 minutes to spare – netting 8 deaths along the way. Some enemies were particularly tricky (looking at you weird healers), but the fact they don’t respawn means there’s no real frustration in getting a letting stuck at points. The combat is slick, fluid and incredibly satisfying. Boss fights were spectacular, with well telegraphed attacks and blood-pumping music.

As mentioned above; Soulframe Liang wanted Phantom Blade Zero to feel "like being in a Kung Fu movie" and the team over at S-Game certainly achieved that. My main thought after finishing my hands on preview was that I couldn’t wait to play more – I’ll be waiting on the release date for this one with bated breath!