Phantom Blade Zero preview: IGN sees stylish combat but notes PC hitches
GG Brief Editorial Desk · AI-assisted, source attributed
IGN's Travis Northup reported after about six hours with Phantom Blade Zero that the game delivers very stylish, smooth sword-based action and numerous boss fights, but he encountered framerate hitches on a beefy PC. The preview said combat felt like "the most smooth and satisfying action since Sekiro," and praised level exploration with secrets. IGN highlighted the quantity and quality of boss encounters observed during the playtime. The preview, published Oct 9, 2026, did not confirm final launch performance or provide a release date.
- What happened: IGN's Travis Northup played roughly six hours of Phantom Blade Zero and reported highly stylish, parry-focused combat, a surprising number of secrets while exploring levels, many boss fights that so far are "fantastic," and framerate hitches on a beefy PC.
- Why it matters: IGN's preview singled out the combat's smoothness and satisfaction—calling it comparable to Sekiro—which the article presented as what helps the game stand out among recent sword-wielding action titles.
- Context: The game is being developed by S-GAME and the IGN preview was published on Oct 9, 2026; the observations come from that hands-on session.
- What next: IGN described the PC framerate issues as "a yellow flag this close to launch," but the preview does not confirm how the game will perform at release or provide a release date.
What changed
IGN's hands-on preview after approximately six hours of play reported that Phantom Blade Zero presents notably stylish, parry-heavy melee combat, expanded exploration with secrets in stages, and a large number of boss fights that the writer described as fantastic. The preview also recorded framerate hitches on a beefy PC during that playtime.
Before and after
IGN directly compared the feel of Phantom Blade Zero's combat to Sekiro, calling it "the most smooth and satisfying action since Sekiro," framing the game's combat as a distinguishing feature among similar modern action games.
Timeline
- IGN preview published Oct 9, 2026, based on about six hours of playtime.
Limits
- The preview reports observed framerate hitches on a beefy PC and labels that a "yellow flag" ahead of launch; it does not confirm final launch performance or list a release date.