Phantom Blade Zero review
Phantom Blade Zero impresses most when its combat recreates the fluid, inventive choreography of martial arts cinema. Its striking animations, dramatic boss encounters and detailed landscapes make it a visually ambitious action game, though the reviewer says the experience does not sustain that level of quality throughout.
Players control Soul, an outcast warrior in the Wulin, a fantasy martial underworld, on a revenge mission while facing a limited lifespan and otherworldly threats. The story is difficult to follow, with a flood of character names and lore delivered through lengthy collectible texts. Combat draws on Soulslike conventions: players dodge red attacks and parry blue ones to break bosses’ guard, making the game a demanding fit for anyone who dislikes that style.
In short
- Combat delivers inventive, cinematic martial arts action.
- The story and lore can be hard to follow.
- Bosses rely on precise dodging and parrying.
Explained simply
Phantom Blade Zero is an action game set in the Wulin, a fictional world of martial artists and supernatural dangers. Players take the role of Soul, an outcast warrior pursuing revenge while facing a limited time to live.
The game’s fights use a demanding pattern of dodging and parrying, especially in battles against powerful enemies. Its story also introduces many characters and details about the world, some of them through texts players can collect as they explore.
Art Culture Entertainment Film