Phantom Blade Zero Launch Eve: Metacritic 88, Final Trailer and Preload
Published October 28, 2026 · Phantom Blade Zero · 7 min read
📅 Update: The game launched on October 29 — see the launch-day roundup.
Phantom Blade Zero unlocks tomorrow at 10:00 AM Beijing time. Over the past week the review embargo broke, the final trailer landed, preloads opened and a Golden Joystick nomination arrived — here is everything that matters on the eve of launch.
Release and unlock time
- October 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM Beijing time (02:00 UTC) on PS5, PS5 Pro and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, WeGame and TapTap PC.
- China pricing: Standard Edition ¥268, Deluxe Edition ¥328.
- No Xbox version at launch. The PS5 physical release is due in 2027, in standard, deluxe and collector's steelbook editions.
- Preload opened on October 27 at 10:00 Beijing time, simultaneously on PS5 and PC.
| Region | Local time |
|---|---|
| Beijing / Singapore (UTC+8) | Oct 29, 10:00 |
| Tokyo (UTC+9) | Oct 29, 11:00 |
| London (GMT) | Oct 29, 02:00 |
| Central Europe (CET) | Oct 29, 03:00 |
| US West (PDT) | Oct 28, 19:00 |
| US East (EDT) | Oct 28, 22:00 |
Reviews: Metacritic 88, a new high for Chinese single-player
The embargo lifted on October 26, and the verdict is even stronger than the final previews suggested.
- Metacritic: 88 on PC (44 critics), 86 on PS5 (34 critics) after opening at 87.
- OpenCritic: opened at 91 and has settled around 89, with a near-100% recommendation rate.
- Context: above Black Myth: Wukong (81), Nioh 3 (86) and Onimusha: Way of the Sword (85). Outlets describe it as the highest-rated PS5 console exclusive of 2026.
| Outlet | Score |
|---|---|
| PCGamesN | 10/10 |
| Wccftech | 10/10 |
| TheGamer | 5/5 |
| IGN China | 10/10 |
| 3DM | 10/10 |
| DualShockers | 9.5/10 |
| IGN | 9/10 |
| Push Square | 9/10 |
| GamesRadar+ | 4.5/5 |
| GameSpot | 8/10 |
| VGC | 4/5 |
| Eurogamer | 3/5 |
Reports count ten perfect scores in total; former Sony Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida shared TheGamer's 5/5 review.
What critics agree on:
- The combat is the headline. Parries, "killing intent" and Ghost Step counters drew near-universal praise, and 55+ weapons plus distinctive bosses keep every fight from having a single answer.
- Art direction and level design beat expectations. The "kungfupunk" identity and the density of the semi-open maps are judged well above earlier Chinese AAA releases.
- Several outlets call it "one of the best action games ever made" and a 2026 Game of the Year contender.
Where they split:
- Thin story. A predictable revenge plot and flat characters are the most common complaints.
- Linear levels and invisible walls leave less freedom than the marketing implied.
- Technical issues. Frame drops during heavy rain and some boss fights on PS5, plus stutter on PC with ray tracing or path tracing enabled.
- Eurogamer's 3/5 is the lone low score, citing balance and overall polish outside combat.
The final trailer: old moves return
On October 21–22, S-GAME released a 3 minute 10 second final trailer. Beyond the story beats and combat footage, the highlights were:
- 3D remakes of legacy moves: Phantom Kill (绝影「绝杀」) and the Fire Dragon Tornado (炽刃「火龙卷」).
- More screen time for Zuo Shang, whose hair turns from black to white; the trailer opens with him conspiring with "Lord Huang."
- Returning characters Chang Hong and Lei Dang, plus new weapons: a green-flame meteor hammer, a bronze sword, a drunken sword and a long-handled modao.
- Boss fights: Mu Xiaokui's new fist form (with Yu Yao and Tie Gui), Chang Hong's lancer phase, a duel between two ghost messengers and a Lei Dang finale.
- Donnie Yen plays Moyuan, the father of protagonist Soul, and serves as creative consultant; his stunt team handled motion capture.
Producer Liang Qiwei marked the moment with a post saying the road had "not been easy."
Preload and PC requirements: 145GB, but reserve 300GB
- The PC build is about 145GB, but preloading requires at least 300GB free — the compressed preload and the unpacked game briefly coexist, and usage drops back to roughly 145GB after unlock.
- An SSD is required, and the official guidance is to avoid the C: drive.
- PS5 download size: 134.857GB. Digital only; the disc version arrives in 2027.
- Launch support includes ray-traced reflections, shadows and caustics, plus DLSS 4.5 upscaling and multi-frame generation. NVIDIA recommended driver 621.01 — but on launch day S-GAME reversed course and advised rolling back to 617.42; see the launch-day roundup.
Clear space before you preload
Preloading needs 300GB free: the compressed download and the unpacked game briefly coexist, then usage settles at roughly 145GB after unlock. Install on an SSD, and avoid the C: drive.
| Tier | Target | CPU | GPU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | 1080p/30 | i7-8700K or Ryzen 5 3600, 16GB RAM | GTX 1660 6GB or RX 5500 XT 8GB |
| Recommended | 1440p/60 | i5-10600K or Ryzen 5 5600X | RTX 3060 Ti 8GB or RX 6700 XT 12GB |
| Ray tracing | 1080p/60 | — | RTX 5060 8GB |
| Path tracing | 2160p/60 | — | RTX 5080 16GB |
Both the minimum and recommended tiers assume ray tracing is off and upscaling is on.
Golden Joystick Game of the Year nomination
On October 26, the 2026 Golden Joystick Awards (44th edition) announced 12 nominees for Ultimate Game of the Year, and Phantom Blade Zero is the only Chinese single-player AAA title on the list. The field also includes 007 First Light, Crimson Desert, Forza Horizon 6, Resident Evil Requiem and The Blood of Dawnwalker. GTA 6 is absent, and no Sony first-party title made the cut.
- Voting closes: October 30 at 23:59 GMT (October 31, 07:59 Beijing time) at goldenjoysticks.com.
- Ceremony: November 11 at the Troxy in London, streamed worldwide.
- The game launches on October 29, after the usual eligibility cutoff; it was admitted because the jury had already played review builds, which leaves players only about two days to vote.
Why it was allowed in
Golden Joystick nominees are normally expected to be out before voting closes. The jury had already played review builds in full, so an exception was made — which is why the public vote window is only two days long.
Also on launch day: a Lenovo Legion tie-in
On October 29, Lenovo's Legion × Phantom Blade Zero editions open for pre-order, covering the Y9000P Ultimate and the Y7000X.
What to watch on launch day
- The day-one patch and real PC performance — whether the review-build stutter is gone.
- PS5 Pro performance, and whether the 12-month console exclusivity is ever officially confirmed.
- Steam concurrents. Pre-orders topped the global bestseller chart within about an hour; day-one numbers will be another marker for Chinese single-player games.
- Post-launch support. There is still no DLC roadmap.
Sources
- 17173: Metacritic opens at 88
- 17173: IGN scores it 9/10
- 17173: Review score roundup
- 17173: PC requirements and preload
- 17173: Golden Joystick GOTY nominees
- 17173: Final trailer released
- IT之家: Final trailer and October 29 launch
- Beijing News: Final trailer
- Rock Paper Shotgun: the 300GB preload
Related: Phantom Blade Zero lore and combat analysis · Release date and global unlock times · All game updates