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Phantom Blade Zero review

Gaming · Heat 10.0 / 10 · 3 shows · 49m airtime

Phantom Blade Zero, the PS5-exclusive wuxia action game from Beijing studio S-Game, launched on October 30, 2026, with Game Informer's Wesley LeBlanc reviewing it at 9.5/10 and IGN's Travis Northup at 9/10. Within its first few hours it hit 680,000 concurrent Steam players, the year's second-highest new-game count. The discussion covers its 55 weapons, 25 Phantom Edges, non-respawning enemies and mid-boss-phase checkpoints, and much of the argument is about the game's refusal to be a Souls-like. Reporting has also established that Roger Craig Smith replaced the original voice actor for protagonist Sol shortly before review embargo, a recasting that remains unexplained.

How 3 podcasts covered it

  1. Kinda Funny Games Daily, 2026-10-29 (1:00:11 to 1:03:50)
    Puts a number on Phantom Blade Zero's launch
    Runs through the Wee News items and puts a number on Phantom Blade Zero's launch: 680,000 concurrent Steam players in its first few hours, the second-highest new-game count of the year. The rest is a rapid list of small announcements.
    New angle: Phantom Blade Zero hit 680,000 concurrent Steam players within its first few hours, the year's second-highest new-game count.
  2. Game Scoop!, 2026-10-30 (2:13 to 8:11)
    Adds a second outlet's 9 to the record
    Walks through the game's structure - bell save points, no enemy respawns, no currency loss on death, boss-phase checkpoints - and puts a second outlet's score on the record: IGN's Travis Northup gave it a 9. Stays inside the review conversation.
    New angle: IGN's Travis Northup also reviewed Phantom Blade Zero, scoring it a 9 out of 10.
  3. The Game Informer Show, 2026-10-30 (6:11 to 45:20)
    Breaks down the 9.5 review and late voice swap
    LeBlanc walks through his 9.5/10 review of S-Game's wuxia action debut: 55 weapons, 25 Phantom Edges, enemies that stay dead, checkpoints between boss phases, and a last-minute voice swap for protagonist Sol. The hosts frame it as the endpoint of the traditional action formula rather than a Souls-like.
    New angle: Roger Craig Smith replaced the original voice actor for protagonist Sol shortly before review embargo.
Unpacking...