All gameplay footage shown so far for S-Game’s action role-playing game, Phantom Blade Zero, is reportedly from side content.
In his new video, content creator Luke Stephens shared his hands-on impressions from the upcoming action role-playing game at Summer Game Fest 2026. During his session, developer S-Game told him that all gameplay footage publicly shown for Phantom Blade Zero so far is from optional side content rather than the game’s main story campaign.
The content creator described S-Game’s decision to only show side content as unusual, noting that most developers use main story content to market their games. He said the gameplay footage is genuine, having personally played several of the showcased boss fights at multiple events. Additionally, he mentioned that the combat looks and performs much like it does in trailers, dismissing concerns about the footage being heavily scripted or misleading.
While Phantom Blade Zero has often been compared with Soulslike titles, the YouTuber believes the game is much closer to a traditional character-action game. Rather than focusing on RPG-style progression and methodical combat, he described a combat system focused on weapon swapping, combo chains, perfect dodges, and parries.
According to the content creator, the game’s depth comes from mastering its combat mechanics rather than leveling up character stats. Players can equip multiple weapons and seamlessly transition between them during combat, creating lengthy attack strings and specialized loadouts tailored to different encounters. Although he could not discuss content shown behind closed doors, he suggested that what he saw has further elevated his excitement for the game.
Phantom Blade Zero is set for release on October 29, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Windows PC.
