Phantom Blade Zero · Reviews
Phantom Blade Zero reviews: embargo date and scores
The review embargo is reported to lift on 26 October 2026, three days before release; S-GAME has not announced it. No review scores are out: Metacritic and OpenCritic listed no critic reviews on 21 October 2026. Previews call it hard but fair, and mostly not a soulslike. Press-reported TwistedVoxel, 20 October 2026
The launch weeks, 8 to 29 October 2026
- Last previews 8 Oct
- Review embargo 26 Oct reported, no hour Press-reported
- PS5 pre-load 27 Oct 02:00 UTC reported
- Unlock 29 Oct 02:00 UTC
Lit: already happened, announced or on the store pageUnlit: reported only
The short answer, as of 21 October 2026
| Question | Answer | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Review embargo | 26 October 2026, reported | Press-reported |
| Aggregate score | None yet | Press-reported |
| Release | 29 October 2026 | Official |
Phantom Blade Zero review embargo date
S-GAME has not announced a review embargo. Two outlets reported on 20 October 2026 that it lifts on 26 October 2026, three days before release; one of them attributes the date to a forum thread, and neither gives an hour. The official site, the Steam page and the PlayStation Store page carried no embargo date when we checked on 21 October 2026. Press-reported TwistedVoxel, 20 October 2026, citing a ResetEra thread; Playfront, 20 October 2026, no source named. Official site and store pages read 21 October 2026.
An embargo is the earliest moment outlets that received early copies may publish their reviews, so most scores appear within the same hour it lifts. If 26 October holds, reviews land the day before the reported PS5 pre-load and three days before the 29 October unlock; both dates are on our pre-load and download size and release time pages.
Phantom Blade Zero review scores
No outlet has published a review. On 21 October 2026 Metacritic showed its Metascore as “tbd” with no critic reviews, and OpenCritic listed the game under upcoming releases with no score. This section is filled from published reviews on the day they appear: one line per outlet, its score, a sentence from the review in the outlet’s own words, and the platform tested. Press-reported Metacritic and OpenCritic listing pages, read 21 October 2026.
What previews said before launch
The last round of hands-on previews, from near-final builds of four to six hours, was published on 8 and 9 October 2026. Writers who played early builds agree on two things: it is hard but not punishing, and it is closer to an action game than to a soulslike. Press-reported RPGFan, 8 October 2026; CGMagazine, October 2026.
Preview verdicts, oldest first
But Why Tho, October 2024
“is not a Soulslike title, though one can be forgiven for having that thought” Press-reported
IGN, 2025 hands-on
“even at the default setting that I played at, Phantom Blade 0 is hard, and I loved that about it. It never felt cheap; it just demanded more from me.” Press-reported
PC Gamer, August 2025
“And it's really not a Soulslike”; “Even Hellwalker doesn't feel as hard as, say, Nioh” Press-reported
DualShockers, October 2026
Calls it “hard” but not “overly punitive”: “almost every boss demands the exact same core execution: mastering parry timing.” Press-reported
Game Informer, October 2026
“I hesitate to place the game in the Souls-like genre – it seems generally more forgiving – but the level layout recalls that structure” Press-reported
Game Rant, October 2026
Groups it with “Soulslike-adjacent titles, which take heavy inspiration from the genre while also offering distinct mechanics” Press-reported
The soulslike question in full, with the director’s own words, is on Is Phantom Blade Zero a soulslike?
What is not yet known
- The review embargoNot announced by S-GAME; two outlets reported 26 October 2026, no hour.
- Review scoresNone published; Metacritic and OpenCritic show no critic reviews as of 21 October 2026.
- PC performance in reviewsNo review has tested the PC version yet.
Phantom Blade Zero reviews FAQ
When is the Phantom Blade Zero review embargo?
S-GAME has not announced a review embargo. Two outlets reported on 20 October 2026 that it lifts on 26 October 2026, three days before release; one of them attributes the date to a forum thread, and neither gives an hour.
Are there any Phantom Blade Zero review scores yet?
No. On 21 October 2026 Metacritic showed its Metascore as “tbd” with no critic reviews, and OpenCritic listed the game under upcoming releases with no score.
What did the Phantom Blade Zero previews say?
Writers who played early builds agree on two things: it is hard but not punishing, and it is closer to an action game than to a soulslike.