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The story
The Metacritic score for Phantom Blade Zero, a wuxia action game from China’s S-GAME, became a hot topic on the hardware/industry (Geha) board. At the time the thread was started, the score stood at 91, but as more reviews came in it settled down to around 88 (87 for the PS5 version), according to reports. Many posters praised the comparison to Black Myth: Wukong and the rising quality of Chinese console games, while Eurogamer’s 60-point review sparked disagreement over the review criteria itself. Discussion also touched on whether a Switch version would arrive and how to view the wuxia genre itself.
What people said
PS5 is 87, so I guess there are more reviews for the PC version?
Probably because the AI they're using is top-notch.
Black Myth: Wukong
PC 81
PS5 76
Most Chinese console games hover right around the 80 mark, but this one topped that.
I feel the opposite — it coming to Switch would make it feel underwhelming.
Like, 'oh, so it's just a title that can run on low-spec hardware,' you know?
From what I hear, it's less about being Soulslike and more about leveling up and gear combinations having a much bigger effect on difficulty.
Black Myth just blew up in China and still sold 30 million units.
It's a Chinese indie studio, so whether it sells in China is basically everything.
It's Chinese?
Well it's a brand-new Chinese title, so it's no surprise a lot of people haven't heard of it.
those end up being roughly the same number of units sold, lol🤣
People say this, but Steam sales for Japanese games are mostly driven by China too, you know.
Right now the only Japanese studios truly competing at the top level globally are Nintendo, From Software, and Capcom…
I mean, why doesn't Japan ever manage to grow new game makers?
Not just in gaming either — ending up with nothing but old, established companies is a pretty dismal future.
Because there's no money, that's why.
'Phantom Blade Zero achieves its goal of delivering stunningly fluid, cinematic kung-fu-style combat, but balance and quality issues ultimately dull that shine.'
Sounds like it's the same deal as Black Myth again — all flash, no substance, just a good-looking cardboard cutout of a game.
Probably getting that 88 by cherry-picking outlets that only hand out high scores.
When you compare it [to the trailers], it's already looking shady, I tell ya😭
Getting paid and still only turning out something this mediocre — that's a confirmed dud, I tell ya🤣
Hey, check out Re: #62 around the 12-minute mark😭
The gilding's already peeling off, I tell ya🤭
Listening to the review, yeah, the combat really is as shallow as it looks.
They're saying the combat speed is so fast that they just ended up mashing the parry button.
Is it actually better than Onimusha or Ace Combat?
While the review count is still low, the score swings around a lot, so it's not worth referencing at all.
It's better to treat it as a rough guide once the review count climbs to around 100.
Guess I'll buy it on Steam.
Gameplay videos will probably start showing up too, so waiting and seeing seems like the smart move.
Ace Combat 8, Ghost of Yotei, and Horizon 2 all got 3 stars too.
I can already tell I'd regret buying it within a few hours.
I learned my lesson with Black Myth, so this time I'll just sit back and enjoy the screams of the early adopters who take the plunge (being the 'human pillar' who tests the waters first).
It's not pure fantasy, but it's basically China's answer to Marvel superheroes — mostly character-driven stuff.
Like Gu Long's wuxia novels, which sold mainly on character popularity.
Among all of Sony's first-party titles flopping this year, the only good one was a Chinese game that isn't even on Xbox🙄
What a pathetically losing platform this has become😭
Lol, you left out GTA6, the ultra-optimized PS5 exclusive.
Nioh 3, Resident Evil 9, Pragmata, Onimusha, 007, Lego Batman —
all of these have PS5 as the lead platform, so does that sting? lol
Still funny though.
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
Phantom Blade Zero is a new wuxia action game developed by China’s S-GAME, set in a fictional Chinese martial-arts world and built around swordplay as its main selling point. Right after launch, Metacritic scores tend to swing because there are few reviews yet, and as noted in the thread, the initial 91-point tally settled down to around 88 (87 for the PS5 version) as more reviews came in. The game often cited for comparison, Black Myth: Wukong, sold roughly 30 million units worldwide, mainly through Steam, but there’s a view that the bulk of that came from domestic demand within China — a point that’s easy to misread when judging whether a Chinese title is also ‘selling well overseas,’ since the regional breakdown of sales matters. Also, some outlets, such as Eurogamer, use a tough 5-star scale, so a lower score doesn’t necessarily mean lower quality. Opinions in the thread were split between those praising the combat’s exhilaration and visuals, those pointing out issues with balance and a thin story, and those questioning the review criteria themselves.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [Geha]) thread “Phantom Blade Zero, Metascore 91.”
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