The one everybody gets wrong
It is not a soulslike, and S-GAME has said so directly. Their own description rests on three pillars: Devil May Cry's combat, Souls-style level design, and Resident Evil's atmosphere and narrative pacing. Hands-on previews describe a fast character-action game with combos, closer to Ninja Gaiden than to Lordran. If you are coming for a stamina bar and a bonfire loop, adjust the expectation now rather than in the first hour.
Buying it
📅 When and where
29 October 2026, on PlayStation 5 and PC. No Xbox or Switch 2 version has been announced — which is different from one having been delayed.
💵 The editions
Standard at $59.99 and Digital Deluxe at $69.99. The Deluxe adds the Wulin Legend and Blood-Steel Form outfits, a digital art book and the soundtrack.
🎁 Pre-order bonuses
Both editions unlock the Legacy Outfit and the Treasure Basin accessory early. Cosmetics and a convenience item — nothing that changes the game.
⏱️ How long
S-GAME's own estimate is 20 to 30 hours for the main story with roughly another 20 of side content, so 40 to 50 to see everything.
Playing it
👥 Is there co-op?
Not in the campaign, and not confirmed anywhere else. The only source for co-op is a Discord Q&A from the May 2023 reveal, where S-GAME promised endgame multiplayer dungeons, a boss rush and a roguelike abyss. Three years on it has not been shown or repeated, and the Steam page lists single-player only. Treat it as unconfirmed until S-GAME says it again.
🔺 How hard is it?
Four settings by GamingBolt's and Gamereactor's count — Wayfarer, Pathbreaker, Hellwalker and 66 Days, the last being a permadeath variant named after the borrowed heart the story runs on, unlocked after finishing the game once (Push Square; GamingBolt says after finishing on Pathbreaker or Hellwalker). Eurogamer.es and Vandal report three, Vandal's without Pathbreaker, and Eurogamer.es says all three are there from the start. Difficulty is a choice here, not a badge, and S-GAME has made that literal: director Soulframe Liang said on Bilibili in September 2026 that every achievement can be earned on any of the first three difficulties, and that 66 Days is not required for any trophy. The Platinum on Wayfarer is on the table.
⚔️ How many weapons?
30 primary and 25 secondary phantom edges, carried two and two. Upgrades unlock new forms and can be reset for a refund, so committing early is not a trap.
🗺️ Is it open world?
No, and not linear either. Eight hand-painted maps connect into one seamless world — S-GAME's phrasing is that it is neither an open world nor a linear adventure from beginning to end.
The series
🔗 Do I need to have played anything?
No. Phantom Blade Zero is a spin-off of Phantom Blade: Executioners, S-GAME's 2D side-scrolling action RPG, and both sit in the same Phantom World universe — but Zero is built as an entry point, not a sequel.
🏮 What is Kungfupunk?
S-GAME's own label for the mix: Ming-dynasty China crossed with steampunk machinery, body modification, cyberpunk and horror. It is a genre name they made up, and it describes the game better than any existing one.
Still to verify
Cross-checked on 10 September 2026 against Wikipedia, GamingBolt, Game Rant's hands-on impressions and the pre-order coverage of Gfinity, Beebom and Dot Esports, and on 14 September 2026 against Push Square's report of Soulframe Liang's Bilibili post, and re-checked on 1 October 2026 against Eurogamer.es, Vandal and Gamereactor, and on 3 October 2026 against MP1st and Wccftech. What is still unverified is the only thing reading cannot settle — nobody here has played it.