Last Updated on Aug 26, 2025 @ 16:49:19 PM.
By now, 2026 has quickly become the year of GTA 6. With the delay shocking no one, and other publishers waiting to see what would happen regarding the crime franchise’s release, it seems a no-brainer that every gamer and their dog would be looking forward to next year with one main game in mind. I am, and now, it’s Phantom Blade 0. That’s not to say I’m not excited for GTA 6, because as thirty-something-year-old male who grew up with the franchise, of course I am, but it is fair to say that after over an hour with the latest preview build at Gamescom 2025, S-Game’s upcoming action role-playing game is nothing short of extraordinary.
S-Game has gone to some serious lengths to make gamers aware that this isn’t another Soulslike, and shouldn’t be compared as such, and while there may be some elements you could attribute to that genre, I think they’re right in what they’re claiming. It’s not a Soulslike, but it is something in between a standard hack-and-slash adventure game and one of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s masterpieces.
Phantom Blade 0 is a Wuxia game, where the focus is on Soul, an elite assassin who has just 66 days to find the perpetrator of his leader’s death. At the end of those 66 days? Well, he himself will die. You’ll be exploring Ancient China, specifically the Phantom World, in an attempt to complete the quest in time, and in doing so, you will come across enemies of all shapes and sizes. Some human, some non-human, and some in between, mutated, broken, and beaten by an invisible illness sweeping the region. Sounds a little like Bloodborne, I’m sure you’re thinking. The comparisons more or less end there, though.
Phantom Blade 0 is a Soulslike in Spirit, Not in Practice
Phantom Blade 0 is quite a feat, to put it mildly. I found myself marvelling at the environments around me, excellently crafted, immersive, and in many moments, absolutely horrific. It must be said that there was some pop-in present during my exploration of the large demo, but nothing overtly immersion-breaking, at least to me. The demo also proceeded to throw me in the deep end with combat starting almost immediately, and with a bare-bones tutorial, it was left to me to figure out the best way to approach things, and thankfully, I’m glad to say that the game is ridiculously intuitive. Combat is fast-paced, perhaps more so than any other action-RPG in recent memory, and it’s always bloody and brutal. Most importantly, despite there being multiple enemies of multiple sizes, there never seemed to be any frame rate drops or stuttering of any kind.
The game doesn’t hold your hand that much, especially where exploration is concerned. It may not be fully open-world, which certainly aids in this design decision, but the maps/areas are massive, and in my exploration of them, I never once wondered where I was going, whether I was lost, or going the wrong way. Between the semi-regular cutscenes, journal entries, and NPC interactions, it’s hard to get lost. Plus, as I was playing, the old adage of ‘if you’re encountering enemies, you’re headed the right way’ kept coming to mind. Plus, I didn’t care even if I was, I was having too much fun.
The demo included two bosses, one of which was the Chief Disciple of the Seven Stars. This boss fight was built up during the entire demo, with one NPC choosing suicide over the prospect of joining his murderous, concave-faced clan, and he’s not someone you should take lightly. However, it is a boss fight that had me reeling. Not in difficulty, but in awe. The whole fight felt like a ballet of destruction and death, as the first phase had me facing off (ha) against the chief and seven of his disciples, who would be brought back to life with frustrating regularity, until I’d managed to dispatch enough of them in quick succession. All this was happening while the Chief pummeled me with his high, fast, and incredibly damaging attacks, which would completely destroy any semblance of momentum I had if I missed a block or two.
Phase Two began once I’d defeated the Chief (or so I thought), before his remaining disciples revived him in a sickening marionette display, and yet I couldn’t take my eyes off the whole ordeal. With a new moveset, the Chief was being propelled around the map (usually after me), by his disciple’s ropes, puppeteering him in and leaving me with the question, “Who’s really in control here?”.
Due to my extensive love for Soulslikes and Souls games, I expected this boss fight to be a test of stubbornness and skill, but it turned out to be much less frustrating and firmly cemented itself into a new category. After beating the first phase of the boss, I died once on the second, and expected the standard restart from the beginning, but it was the opposite. I made my way back to the same location and found the boss waiting for me… in his second and final form. It seems that you won’t be mindlessly repeating easily beaten phases only to be turned to dust by the more difficult ones, something more games need to take note of.
Similarly, while Phantom Blade 0 definitely has other Soulslike elements, ie, a bell to ring to fill your health potions and heal yourself, it doesn’t come with the punishment of reviving long-slain enemies. Between the intuitive combat, the incredible world-building, the minimal HUD, and the unique approach to boss fights, Phantom Blade 0 is shaping up to be a Game of the Year contender for 2026, albeit an outside one, as many have already awarded the title to GTA 6. Oh, and that boss fight is not only one of the most beautiful in any game, but it’s certainly one of the most fun I can remember. It’ll certainly take some beating.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming Coverage, check out our review of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, or the reveal of the latest LEGO Batman game. Otherwise, follow Thumb Wars on X, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to keep up with the latest news, reviews, and interviews.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
