Phantom Blade Zero preview: magnificent combat deserving of the hype

I’ll be upfront. I don’t claim to possess any skill within the soulslike genre. I’ve dabbled; I completed Rise of the Ronin earlier this year and have dipped my toes into the waters of Elden Ring but it’s not my go-to realm. With that in mind, I was incredibly daunted to sample Phantom Blade Zero at this year’s Gamescom - especially considering GAMINGbible’s Sam Cawley flew through his demo at Summer Game Fest, our soulslike expert.

No pressure, I thought. What I assumed might be the most embarrassing 45-minutes of my life actually ended up being one of my favourite appointments of the entire trip. That I didn’t see coming. I should clarify something. Phantom Blade Zero developer S-Game claims that the game isn’t actually a soulslike, instead classing it as an action RPG yet still inspired by FromSoftware’s acclaimed Dark Souls series. That being said, it does play and feel like a soulslike but considering the fact that I was actually half decent at it, that might be the indicator that it is an accessible entry point for newcomers to the genre.

In Phantom Blade Zero, you’ll assume the role of an elite assassin known as Soul, serving an organisation called The Order. After Soul is framed for killing The Order’s patriarch, the group leaves him for dead. It’s only via the kindness of a mystic healer that you’re able to survive the ordeal, but the healer’s makeshift cure only lasts for 66 days providing a limited window for Soul to uncover the truth of the plot against him.

Take a look at Phantom Blade Zero in action below.

I wouldn’t exactly know all of that from the demo itself. It was incredibly combat focused so as with some of my other Gamescom experiences, it’s nigh impossible to pass judgement on the game’s narrative or exploration. I sense that those interested in Phantom Blade Zero, however, are mainly interested in that aforementioned combat system of which I am fairly well versed in.

I respect that Elden Ring sits atop a very deserving pedestal but, and I say this as a criticism of my own abilities more so than the game, I’ve always found its combat system a tad too complex, but what’s on offer in Phantom Blade Zero is an entirely different kettle of fish. You’re not bogged down here by builds which is perhaps why S-Game isn’t pitching this as a soulslike.

You’ll have a variety of weapons at your disposal. Typically, you’ll be equipped with two bladed weapons. For me during the demo, this was a slower but powerful long sword, and a quick slicing twin blade set. I’d use these to land my main attacks, accessing a variety of combos via button combinations. With time, I’m imagining it’s relatively easy to settle on your favourite and most effective combos but for a beginner, simple button mashing did the trick for the lower tier enemies.

Parrying and dodging is, unsurprisingly, of utmost importance but this too is accessible. Parrying can, in some games, be hell on earth. Here, much like God of War for example, blockable attacks are marked by blue lights while unblockable attacks are marked by red lights. As is also to be expected, if you do parry an enemy, you open up a window to land a few crucial damaging hits.

Credit / S-Game

Soul is also able to make use of shachi weapons which, if I recall, were accessed via R2. There are reportedly going to be over 20 in the final version of the game. In the demo build I played, I had access to two. A bow and arrow and a metal gauntlet that essentially acted as a flamethrower. Of course, these have limited ammunition and uses but they can be the matter of life or death. To begin with, I attempted to save these until I found myself in a moment of true peril but I actually found using them at the start of the encounter to chip away some big chunks of health actually stood me in better stead. If you auto-lock onto an enemy, you won’t have to worry about aiming the bow, for example, in the middle of a close-knit brawl.

The demo consisted of three enemy encounters each rising in difficulty. In the first instance, I faced off against a group of ruffians and their leader which, once I’d got the hang of the controls, proved to be a clammy yet achievable experience. I then moved onto what I’ll describe as a pretty formidable warrior given that I don’t have much context beyond that. I managed to best the fella in four attempts. That might be good, or it might be pathetic. But the fact that I, a souls noob, bested a boss at all in a Dark Souls-inspired game felt like a massive win.

The final boss was easily the most formidable, wielding some kind of spinning weapon that had the ability to see you off in just a couple of hits. I mentioned that, for the most part, button mashing worked for me in terms of combos. That wasn’t exactly the case in this fight. I’m imagining that this foe falls at a part in the game where you’re expected to have a level of familiarity and mastering over the game’s controls. If you do, I’m sure it’s much easier to counter his attacks. I got about a third of the way through on my first attempt, and halfway on my second before I ran out of time. I’d like to think that with a few more attempts, I would’ve got there. That doesn’t feel like wishful thinking.

Phantom Blade Zero’s combat is exceptionally moreish and I say that as someone who’s typically drawn to narrative and exploration. It has well and truly captured my attention and as such, I sense that Phantom Blade Zero will act as a fantastic entry point for those looking to experience this realm of intensified gaming experiences. I’m intrigued to see exactly how this thrilling combat system runs within the wider context of the game, outside of isolated encounters, but that’s not something I anticipated feeling. Phantom Blade Zero manages to do that very rare thing: it’s challenging yet wholly accessible. A huge win in my book.

Phantom Blade Zero remains without a release window but will launch on PlayStation 5 and PC.