Phantom Blade Zero Is Out: Reviews, Verdict and That Steel Case PS5 Edition
Worth the wait?
Phantom Blade Zero is out, and for once a long-delayed game seems to have earned its hype. S-GAME's wuxia-flavoured action game launched on 29 October (Steam listed it a day early) on PC, with a PS5 version alongside it. Early review roundups have it sitting around 88 on Metacritic and 91 on OpenCritic, and every critic in one roundup recommended it. Individual scores range from a perfect 100 down to 60, so it's not universally adored, but it's a strong start. Scores will move as more reviews land.
What critics loved
The combat. VGC, who gave it 80/100, called it among the quickest and most showy in the genre. Boss fights built around a stagger gauge and a counter-and-parry system are the star turn, there are more than 30 primary weapons and over 20 Phantom Edges to play with, and the wuxia setting gets plenty of praise too.
What critics didn't
Story and characters are the weak spot, with some reviewers calling the writing bland. Levels are described as linear and restrictive, and the lowest-scoring review cites bugs, frame-rate drops and unclear quest guidance. A late patch has fixed some of that but not all. Performance seems to vary by platform: one review reports significant frame-rate problems on PS5 Pro even with ray tracing off, another mostly steady 60fps with dips in boss fights, and a PC review calls it relatively smooth. If you're sensitive to that sort of thing, wait for a patch or two.
The bit for collectors: a PS5 disc is coming
Here's why this one is on our radar. S-GAME has announced a physical PS5 release for 2027, in three editions: Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate. The Standard and Deluxe come in regular cases, with the Deluxe getting a red-themed cover, and the Ultimate Edition ships in a collectible steel case. We don't have a date, prices or confirmed contents yet. The digital version is up to 134GB, which is more than a single Blu-ray holds, so how they sort the discs is a fair question. As a rough guide, digital is $59.99 for the standard edition and $69.99 for the Deluxe, and boxed pricing is expected to be similar, but that's an expectation and not a promise. Only PS5 has been announced for physical, so no Xbox disc for now.
Why we care
Physical releases for big new games are getting rarer, so it's good to see a studio committing to a disc, and a steel case edition on top of that. If you collect, keep an eye out for pre-orders. And when it does arrive, a steel case with artwork that good deserves better than being wedged in a stack. We'll be here with a frame when you're ready.
Frame it
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