Our Verdict

Phantom Blade Zero has a lot going for it to distinguish itself from other AAA Souls-inspired games emerging from China in recent years, thanks to its painstaking martial-arts mocap combat and unique kung-fu-punk vision, but several frustrating design choices keep it from being a work of a grand master.

For

Incredible art direction

Fluid martial arts animation

Dense and varied locations

Against

Prolonged spongy boss fights

Poor readability and restrictive exploration

Performance, audio and visual glitches

Why you can trust Creative Bloq

Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.…