Back when Phantom Blade Zero was announced during a PS Showcase, many pondered whether it was even real. Well, this gameplay demo – and the fact we’ve actually played it – puts any concerns to rest: this is a legit project, running pretty steadily on PS5, and it looks decent. Yes, it’s another Soulslike coming out of China, but it has flashy character action elements that straddle the lines between Devil May Cry and Elden Ring.

In this stage demo captured by Gematsu, which gets underway at around the 17 minutes mark, you’ll see the hatted protagonist take on all kinds of fearsome foes. Enemies have a lot of health and you do need to play somewhat defensively, but once there’s an opening you’re able to unleash on your opponents with a flurry of combos. The animations are decent, and we quite like the moody atmosphere, even if we are yearning for something a little more vibrant these days.

Developer S-GAME hasn’t attached a release date to the title just yet, but we’d probably expect it in 2025. Is this a game that you’re personally looking forward to?

[source youtube.com]