All bets are off once GTA 6 comes out, but in the weeks leading up to it, you have to let Phantom Blade Zero take up all of your free time.

I played six hours of the game on a trip to Beijing, China (more on that in the future) and found it to be one of the most confident and impressive Western debuts from a developer in years. This is not a studio finding its footing in the action genre; it’s one already primed to lead it. Outstanding combat and boss encounters will make the S-GAME effort one of this year’s greatest experiences.

Most of my preview on the near-final build was taken up by the opening region of the title, which comprises multiple chapters, quests, fights, and surprises. You don’t normally get this amount of time with a game pre-launch — it’s usually a three-hour taster and then you’re done. So, this extended session allowed me the chance to master Phantom Blade Zero’s opening map and learn what makes it tick.

Driving the game to almost certain success is the battle system and the boss fights testing your understanding of its mechanics. Instantly, from the very first sword fight between two duelling masters, I got the sense something special was brewing. With lightning strikes in the background, stylish enemy strikes, and eye-popping summons, the fight gets things off to a flyer.

It then pulls a Metroid Prime after this scene, stripping Soul, the protagonist, of his power and forcing you to start from scratch. The promise and potential of that opening encounter, though, is a tease of what’s to come: while the high-level abilities are gone, the incredible combat feel remains.

The fundamentals are taught in a jungle region that follows a linear structure up a valley. Here, you’ll learn about the game’s blocking and dodging traits and the Sha-Chi gauge governing it all — a stamina bar with a twist.

Basic attacks in Phantom Blade Zero don’t consume stamina. Blocking and dodging do, and a Sha-Chi strike on the triangle button will too, but successfully performing those moves charges up an Essence attack that delivers a high-powered combo to an enemy.

By removing all restrictions to your standard swipes and swings, it lessens the risk of an all-out offensive, as there’ll be a full Sha-Chi bar in reserve to deal with the monster’s reaction. Then, while you’re deflecting and evading its own attacks, you’re powering up an even mightier Essence blow.

A really satisfying loop is created by the system where you’re never far off your next combo, fully charged and ready to go. More elements were introduced as I progressed through the region, like Phantom Edges providing another attack type and both character and weapon upgrades to improve your build. There’s serious depth here, and I’m eager to explore more of it in the full game.

Such an excellent combat system needs towering and impressive foes; S-GAME has pulled out all the stops to provide a vast array of inventive bosses and surprising encounters. The first region teases with two-phase fights and unique appearances, but we jumped ahead in the campaign during my preview to two opponents later on that demonstrated that pursuit of originality.

Under the cover of night, a woman becomes your adversary, but she can also summon snakes from the ground. Then, as seen in last month’s State of Play showcase, there’s the Lion Dance Grandmaster. I played the second phase of this fight and the new mechanics it adds plastered a smile across my face.

With such a large focus on combat and boss encounters — and combined with a quick glance at gameplay — you’d be forgiven for thinking Phantom Blade Zero is another Soulslike.

It’s not.

The combat will absolutely challenge you; it’s far from an easy game. However, you don’t lose anything upon death and the enemies don’t respawn. There are also difficulty options you can switch between in the pause menu, allowing you an easier time on demand. I actually had to do this partway through the preview as jet lag was hitting me hard at the same time a drunken boss was proving impossible to beat.

He was the opener of the second region in the game, so having cracked the first one, I had my head wrapped around the structure of Phantom Blade Zero. I can’t speak to the later zones; it’s possible they could switch things up, but I get the impression it’s a mostly linear journey through its many areas.

I didn’t encounter any shortcuts like in Dark Souls, though there were reasons to backtrack for quest items and objectives. You can open up more of the map by sourcing keys, and those Phantom Edges I mentioned earlier also help you unlock more of the environment. It’s like a linear FromSoftware experience without the shortcuts, at least in the early game — it could open up more as the title progresses.

Phantom Blade Zero’s story should too, and it actually has a strong hook right out the gate. Soul finds himself in a place where he needs a new heart — and he gets one.

That new heart, however, only comes with another 66 days to live.

Soul has his motive for the campaign therefore set: find a cure for his newly dying heart and clear his name.

In the early game, I found the storytelling a touch hard to follow as it jumps between multiple time periods, revealing events in the present, a few days ago, and even years before the campaign’s revelations. Despite that, the initial plot setup proved intriguing enough for me to want to stick with it come the full game.

Even if the narrative were to fall by the wayside, the action of Phantom Blade Zero is destined to make the S-Game endeavour a swordfighting highlight. It’s got all the intensity and creativity of a hardcore action title you’d want in 2026. With fun exploration and inventive boss fights to boot, everything related to playing the game is polished and pristine — it’s got such an incredible game feel.

I could go on, but with the full game only weeks away now, let’s reconvene for our full review soon. For now, Phantom Blade Zero has all the makings of something special. Having done so many previews over the years, it takes a lot to properly impress me pre-launch. S-GAME and Phantom Blade Zero have.

Travel and accommodation for this trip were provided by S-GAME.

Are you excited to play Phantom Blade Zero at the end of the month? Will you be making time to play it before GTA 6? Post your thoughts in the comments below.