There’s one point in Phantom Blade Zero where you, playing as the impressive swordsman Soul, walk onto a bridge. A man, stumbling around without a care in the world, starts to speak with you. He’s clearly drunk and eventually pulls his sword free. That man is Hua Qianxiao, and despite being fairly early into the game, the encounter demonstrated how challenging things would be–the first boss was just an appetizer for what the new action RPG would deliver. Despite some heavy hitters this year, it might be a top contender for my Game of the Year, and you could play it for a fraction of the price.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the story is fine—it’s serviceable and drives the narrative—but what makes Phantom Blade Zero one of the top action games of the year is, well, the action. Described by developer S-Game as “kung-fu punk,” Phantom Blade Zero rewards you for being as offensive as you are defensive. This isn’t Elden Ring, where patience is rewarded—in fact, sometimes, it’ll lead to an early death.
Each battle only proves that point further. Using wuxia as a foundation for its more visceral action, Phantom Blade Zero builds on those foundations to create something that feels unique. Sure, the moves feel more floaty than impactful, but the dance between parrying and initiating combos is far more impressive than it looks. Learning when to use your valuable Phantom Edge weapons, knowing that the windup on some leaves you vulnerable, adds strategy to every fight. Meanwhile, the ability to switch your weapons to refill your Sha-Chi—a special type of stamina for specific moves—allows you to flow through combos with a beautiful, deadly set of attacks.
Comparing it to Elden Ring, as I did two paragraphs ago, isn’t exactly fair. It may slice like a soulslike at first glance, but it’s not—it’s a true action game. And while bells (the equivalent of Souls-style bonfires) heal you and restore your medicinal drink, they don’t resurrect the fallen enemies you left in your wake. They’re long gone, and thankfully, Phantom Blade Zero gives you plenty of bells as checkpoints, meaning you don’t need to rush through areas again to get to where you died.
Phantom Blade Zero is well worth the full price. However, if you’re hopeful that you can get it at a fraction of the usual cost, you can try your luck with Fanatical’s Mystery Chest Bundle. Each chest is $1 / £1, and opening one gets you a mystery Steam key. It could be absolutely any game, from indies to old triple-As, or you could be in with a chance of winning a newly released hit, including Phantom Blade Zero.
It may only be a small chance, but it’s well worth trying. And if you decide to buy more, you can get 25 Steam keys for just $17.49 / £17.49, which works out to less than $1 / £1 each. Even if you don’t get Phantom Blade Zero, that’s still plenty of games to add to your library.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. This story was created in collaboration with Fanatical’s deals team.
