The Free Spin-Off to One of PS5's Most Hyped Games Is Out Now

You surely remember Phantom Blade Zero, don’t you? The game was famously announced during a State of Play broadcast, and in many ways, looks too good to be true. Well, while that ambitious escapade’s still a little way away, developer S-GAME has released its free-to-play side-scrolling spin-off, Phantom Blade Executioners, on PS5.

Available to download now, the title is described as a “fast-paced action game” and promises a “rich storyline of kung-fu adventures”. The blurb adds: “Just like in a good kung-fu movie, you will often find yourself facing multiple opponents who just wouldn’t give a break. Dodge, parry, leap out of harm’s way, create an opening to deliver a torrent of lethal blows.”

It continues: “Build up an expansive arsenal of kung-fu moves and choreograph them into sequences that perfectly fit your own play style with the Combo Chain system, which is introduced to cut the need for excessive button-mashing or memorizing super long move lists. Explore and find your own niche!”

There are numerous microtransactions attached to this title on the PS Store, and as you can probably predict, it’s monetised by a gacha system. But we’re quite fond of the overall art style, and the gameplay looks flashy – albeit without much substance from what we’ve seen so far. We’ll definitely take a look at this title over the coming days, especially considering its connections to the much larger Phantom Blade Zero.