Phantom Blade Zero is not a Soulslike in the way that matters most during play. It borrows some Soulslike structure: a dark fantasy setting, hard bosses, bonfire-style checkpoints and interconnected routes. Its combat, though, is built around fast, choreographed kung fu, and the hands-on preview MeriStation published on October 9, 2026 reports that its death, resting and progression systems depart from Souls conventions. The label describes the framing of the game. It does not describe how the fighting feels.
What S-Game has said it was aiming for
In a developer-authored PlayStation Blog post from May 24, 2023, S-Game set its kung fu action against slower “strategic action game” design, naming Soulslikes and Monster Hunter as examples of that approach. The studio’s stated goal is cinematic, fast action, and the post frames combat as the center of the design rather than an add-on to exploration.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Stellar Blade - PlayStation 5 | $46.30 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls- PlayStation 5 | $59.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Persona 3 Reload: Standard Edition - PlayStation 5 | $14.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Dolmen - PlayStation 5 | $31.95 | Buy on Amazon |
The same post explains how the moves were made. Action director Kenji Tanigaki supplied reference demonstrations, and the studio built the animation by hand. Soulframe Liang, S-Game founder and CEO, wrote:
“Combat moves in Phantom Blade Zero have to be made with handcrafted animation, because motion capturing can’t do it justice.”
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Stellar Blade - PlayStation 5
- Stunning PS5 visuals: Explore vibrant futuristic environments, and engage with a cast of original friends and foes from the creative minds of the SHIFT UP team, led by renowned artist Kim Hyung Tae.
- Ultra high-speed SSD: Explore new locations, overcome powerful enemies, and encounter jaw-dropping revelations as you advance relentlessly through EVE’s mission with lightning-fast load times.
- Adaptive triggers: Unleash devastating yet graceful acrobatic moves, and interact with the technological remnants of an abandoned Earth using the DualSense wireless controller’s adaptive triggers.
- Haptic feedback: Feel the thrill of combat as your blade slashes its way to victory, with sensations enriched by the DualSense wireless controller’s responsive vibrations.
- Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
That statement is a statement of intent from the developer, not a measurement of how the final game plays. It is still the most direct evidence of what the combat is meant to be.
Where the Soulslike label fits
The label is not baseless. MeriStation’s October 9, 2026 hands-on report describes interconnected zones, shortcuts, locked routes, challenging bosses, dark themes and bonfire-like checkpoints. Those are the features that make the game look like a Soulslike from a trailer or a screenshot, and they are real features of the world layout as the preview describes it.
What the label captures, then, is the shape of the world and the encounter structure. It says little about how a single fight works or how the character grows.
Rank #2
- Assemble your team of legendary Marvel characters in the ultimate 4v4 tag team fighter from PlayStation Studios, Arc System Works and Marvel Games.
- Experiment with team compositions to discover new combos, synergies, and strategies. Blast your way through dynamic stages based on iconic Marvel Universe locales, some featuring interactive stage transitions.
- Fighting is both immersive and intuitive, with a range of unique move sets, combos, and strategies to master. Adjustable controls, both traditional and quick inputs, plus easy chain combos make diving right in a breeze.
- Face off against a friend locally or join the fray with up to 64 players in the online lobby, including standard VS modes. Plus, dive deep on each team with the single player Episode Mode to learn more about team dynamics and lore.
Where it departs, as reported in the preview
The preview, played on normal difficulty, describes several systems that differ from familiar Souls design. These are observations from a pre-release build, not verified claims about the shipped game.
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- Resting: Resting at a checkpoint does not revive defeated enemies.
- Boss fights: After death, a boss fight resumes at a later phase rather than restarting from the beginning.
- Stamina: There is no stamina bar.
- Progression: Players unlock moves with resources found during exploration, rather than leveling conventional attributes through XP or souls.
The table below sets the common Soulslike expectation beside what the preview reports.
| Feature | Common Soulslike expectation | What the October 2026 preview reports |
|---|---|---|
| Death penalty | Lose souls or experience, recoverable at the death location | Souls and experience are not removed on death (normal difficulty) |
| Resting | Resting respawns enemies | Resting does not revive enemies |
| Boss retries | Restart the encounter after death | Resume at a later boss phase after death |
| Stamina | Stamina governs attacks and dodges | No stamina bar |
| Progression | Levels or attributes raised with XP or souls | Moves unlocked with exploration resources |
| Combat pace | Deliberate, weighty combat | Fast combat, consistent with S-Game’s stated aim |
| World structure | Interconnected areas, shortcuts, locked routes | Present, per the preview |
The last row is the one place the two sides overlap. Everything else in the table is where the game moves away from the label.
Rank #3
- Experience the pivotal game of the Persona series faithfully remade with cutting-edge graphics, modernized quality-of-life features, and signature stylish UI.
- Fully immerse yourself in an emotional, gripping journey with new scenes and character interactions, additional voiceover, and a reloaded soundtrack.
- Choose how to meaningfully spend each day through various activities from exploring the Port Island to forging genuine bonds with beloved characters.
- Build and command your optimal team to take down otherworldly Shadows and climb closer to the truth.
The “30% Soulslike” line
MeriStation’s report also says that unnamed people at S-Game described the game as “30% soulslike.” No speaker is named, and no method for arriving at that figure is given. Read it as a qualitative shorthand from the studio side, not as a formal definition of the genre or a measured statistic. It is useful for showing how the developers see the game’s relationship to the genre, but it is not a number to quote as fact.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Difficulty, editions and release
The official release listing gives October 29, 2026 as the release date. S-Game’s June 2 letter explains that the date moved from September 9 to October 29 to allow additional improvements. The official site lists PC and PlayStation as platforms.
The official August 2026 feature article lists three modes, Wayfarer, Hellwalker and Sixty-Six Days, which give players different difficulty and choice options.
Rank #4
- Dolmen is a terrifying new action RPG that combines futuristic Sci-Fi and Cosmic Horror elements
- Dolmen casts players onto a hostile alien world known as Revion Prime - Your job is to bring back samples of a crystal with particularly unique properties - the so-called "Dolmen"
- Experience a rich combat system with various weapons and moves at your disposal
- Energy management is key to victory in Dolmen - Energy is not only used for ranged weapons, but also for activating "Energy Mode"
- Revion Prime offers a wide array of gruesome obstacles that will put your skills to the test
The official listings document two editions:
- Standard: the base game.
- Digital Deluxe: includes the Wulin Legend and Blood-Steel Form outfits, a digital artbook and a digital soundtrack.
Preorder unlocks include an accessory and an outfit that can also be earned through progression in the game. The listings do not establish a physical game edition, a printed artbook, a physical soundtrack or a collectible. Prices and availability differ by region and store, so check your local storefront before buying.
Because the release is still ahead, the preview’s account of combat, death and progression should be read as the reporter’s experience of an early build, not as a final verdict on the game.
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