Review scores: 25 critics compared
Facts checked 2026-10-28
Phantom Blade Zero sits at 88 on Metacritic and 91 on OpenCritic. Praise centres on combat and bosses; the recurring criticisms are story pacing, difficulty spikes and technical polish.
Phantom Blade Zero reviews landed on 26 October 2026, three days before launch. The aggregate is strong: 88 on Metacritic across PS5 and PC, and 91 on OpenCritic with every tracked critic recommending it.
The spread is wide enough to be useful. Most outlets land between 85 and 95, a handful go higher, and one high-profile review sits at 3/5. Reading the outliers tells you more than the average.
The aggregate
| Source | Score | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Metacritic (PS5) | 88 | From 33 critics at launch |
| Metacritic (PC) | 88 | Same average, separate page |
| OpenCritic | 91 | 100% of critics recommend |
| IGN | 9/10 | "One of the best action games I've played in a long time" |
| Push Square | 9/10 | "One of the generation's greatest action experiences" |
| Wccftech | 10/10 | Called it a GOTY 2026 contender |
| GamesRadar+ | 9/10 | "Combat that looks as good as it feels" |
| Eurogamer | 3/5 | The outlier; scored 60 on Metacritic |
The 25 scored reviews
| Outlet | Score |
|---|---|
| TheGamer | 100 |
| Indigo GEEK | 95 |
| PSX Brasil | 95 |
| INVEN | 92 |
| MeuPlayStation | 92 |
| XGN | 92 |
| Insider Gaming | 90 |
| GamePro Germany | 90 |
| Oyungezer | 90 |
| Push Square | 90 |
| TheSixthAxis | 90 |
| GAMINGbible | 90 |
| RPGamer | 90 |
| Gameblog.fr | 90 |
| GamingBolt | 90 |
| Press Start Australia | 90 |
| GamersRD | 87 |
| Critical Hits | 85 |
| Atomix | 85 |
| Multiplayer.it | 85 |
| Noisy Pixel | 85 |
| Omelete | 80 |
| Shacknews | 80 |
| Checkpoint Gaming | 80 |
| Creative Bloq | 70 |
What the positive reviews agree on
Combat feel. Every high score leads with the same point: the parry-and-swap loop is unusually smooth, and it holds up over dozens of hours. IGN's reviewer put 50 hours in and said it never got old.
Boss design. The bosses are treated as the game's argument for itself — readable, theatrical, and built around the colour-tell grammar rather than damage sponges.
Weapon variety. Thirty blades with distinct movesets is the kind of claim reviews usually find exaggerated. Here they did not.
What the mixed reviews say
Three criticisms repeat:
- Story pacing. The timeline jumps in the opening hours and the mystical vocabulary lands faster than the explanations. Several reviewers found the first two hours exhausting for that reason.
- Difficulty spikes. A few bosses jump harder than the curve around them, and the easier modes can flatten the challenge too far for some tastes.
- Technical polish. Performance issues were noted by some reviewers, not all, and mostly in the busiest regions.
None of those criticisms touch the combat, which is why the aggregate stays at 88 despite a 60 in the mix.
Should the score change your decision?
If you want an action game with a strong combat system and do not need the story to carry it, the reviews are unambiguous. If you need a clean narrative or a Soulslike structure, the mixed reviews are describing exactly the problems you would have.
The systems themselves are covered on this site: start with combat basics and sha-chi, and decide from the mechanics rather than the number.
FAQ
Why is OpenCritic higher than Metacritic?
Different outlet pools and weighting. OpenCritic's tracked set at launch leaned toward outlets that scored it 90-plus; Metacritic includes the 60 and the 70.
Is the PC version scored separately?
Yes, but the averages matched at launch: 88 on both platforms.
Are reviews based on the final build?
Yes. The embargo lifted on 26 October, three days before release, and reviewers played the launch build including its pre-release patch.
Do reviews mention the 66 Days mode?
Rarely, because it unlocks after completion. Most reviews assess the base difficulties, which is worth knowing when you read a difficulty complaint.
