Phantom Blade Zero reviews and embargo status
Updated 2026-10-16. Checked 2026-10-16.
As checked on 16 October 2026, Metacritic displays TBD with no critic or user reviews for Phantom Blade Zero. A public review-embargo time was not verified. Neither fact proves when an embargo lifts.
This site has not tested the release build and assigns no score. The linked articles below are limited pre-release hands-on impressions, not a scored verdict on the finished game.
Previews you can read now
Shacknews and Push Square published positive early impressions, but both describe limited preview sessions. Their views are attributed to their writers; they are not this site's play experience. A preview is not evidence of final PC performance, late-game quality or a Metacritic aggregate.
| Hands-on source and date | Session | Scope and takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Shacknews, Ozzie Mejia, 8 October 2026 | Four to five hours, early PS5 build at a Los Angeles press event | Highlights weapon-switching combat and rejects a conventional Soulslike label; final product subject to change |
| Push Square, Liam Croft, 9 October 2026 | Six hours in Beijing, mostly the opening region | Praises combat and bosses; describes difficulty switching; does not claim to assess every later region |
Questions
When do reviews unlock?
A public embargo date and time were not verified as of 16 October 2026. Release day and preview-publication dates are not substitutes.
What is the Metacritic score?
The checked Metacritic page shows TBD with zero critic and user reviews on 16 October 2026. TBD is not a score of zero.
Is there an IGN review score?
No final IGN review score was verified in this audit. IGN's The Hunt gameplay video is footage, not a scored review.
Keep reading
Sources
- Metacritic — Direct page fetch on 16 October 2026: TBD, zero critic/user reviews; not embargo evidence
- Shacknews — 8 October 2026; four-to-five-hour early PS5 preview; discloses S-GAME-provided transportation
- Push Square: Liam Croft hands-on preview — 9 October 2026; six-hour preview; discloses S-GAME-provided travel and accommodation