Is Phantom Blade Zero the most stylish action game of the year?

Phantom Blade Zero, developed by Beijing studio S-Game, releases October 29, 2026 on PS5 and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), after being delayed from an original September 9 date to avoid a big day-one patch. No Xbox Series or Switch 2 version has been announced so far. The game isn't out yet, but previews have been piling up since this year's showcase events, and one observation keeps coming back: this might be one of the most stylish action games of the year.

A real action-cinema team behind the camera

This isn't just marketing talk. Action direction comes from Kenji Tanigaki, the choreographer behind the Rurouni Kenshin films, with Yang Liu as combat director and Donnie Yen as creative consultant, whose stunt team helped with motion capture. The studio consulted real masters from traditional schools (Shaolin, Mount Emei, Guangdong lion dance troupes), and some weapon prototypes were replicated by actual sword-forging masters. The studio calls its aesthetic "kungfupunk," blending wuxia with steampunk/cyberpunk elements, backed by a score mixing traditional erhu with electronic sounds.

What the previews say about combat

Console Creatures sums up the general impression: "the game's visual style is as confident as the game's slick action combat." A carriage combat sequence cited across several previews keeps coming up as a highlight: "Where has this been in gaming?" the same outlet writes, comparing the experience to a peak of controlled excess rather than the punishing rigor of a Souls game. The game features a resource called Sha-Chi (similar to a stamina gauge): blocking and attacking both drain it, while swapping weapons restores it, forcing a constant balance between offense and defense.

Soulslike or not? Opinions already differ

Some previewers (TechRadar) insist Phantom Blade Zero isn't a soulslike, comparing it instead to kung-fu films like Jackie Chan's Drunken Master. GamesRadar agrees, noting the focus leans toward chaining combos rather than dodging and parrying, making for a more forgiving result. Gamingtrend, by contrast, sees a blend of God of War's brutality and Dark Souls' precision. The common thread: everyone agrees it's noticeably less punishing than an actual Souls game.

The potential weak spot: the story

The lead character, Soul, is praised for a deep voice that "carries considerable weight" (Console Creatures), though some of the supporting English dialogue is judged a bit flat. Several previews also note the story, which jumps between multiple time periods, is at times hard to follow based on just a few hours of play.

Important: these are previews, not reviews

None of the outlets cited have published a full review yet: all these impressions come from a few hours of hands-on time at press events, ahead of the October 29 release. The real verdict will come with the finished game.

Sources

• Console Creatures: Phantom Blade Zero Preview, When Style Meets Substance
• GamesRadar: Phantom Blade Zero is the action RPG I wanted Dark Souls and Bloodborne to be
• Wikipedia: Phantom Blade Zero

The bottom line

Phantom Blade Zero releases October 29, 2026 on PS5 and PC. Based on every preview available so far, it's a serious contender for the year's most stylish action game, carried by a real Hong Kong action-cinema team and confident art direction, though the story and long-term balance still need confirming once the finished game is out.