Starting Phantom Blade Zero on PC? Make a cuppa first. In Mortismal Gaming's first impressions, the creator says the game's shader compilation took 15 to 20 minutes on first launch. That's the kind of useful detail a score never tells you.
The 10-minute video is a look at the game ahead of a full review, so it isn't a verdict. It's more valuable than that if you're about to play: a quick map of what the opening asks of you and which systems are worth knowing about.
Everything here comes from Mortismal's video. Xarmo hasn't played the game for this piece, and these are one creator's early impressions, not final conclusions.
The wait, and why it's a one-off
The shader discussion starts at 2:39. Mortismal says the game is built on Unreal Engine 5 and calls the wait excessively long.
So plan for it. Launch the game before you actually want to play, not five minutes before you need to go out.
Pick your difficulty with the checkpoints in mind
The difficulty options come up at 3:31. Mortismal runs through modes called Wayfarer, Pathbreaker and Hellwalker, plus an unlockable 66 Days mode.
The big one for nervous players is how bosses work. Mortismal says multi-phase bosses checkpoint their phases when you die, and welcomes that at 4:18 as something that sets the game apart from Souls-likes. That matches a wider point in the video: Mortismal sees this as a traditional action game, not a Souls-like, and describes the combat as fluid, fast and flashy.
The opening has a cheeky trap too. Mortismal finds it unintentionally funny that a tutorial you can't fail is followed by an early boss you can't realistically beat. Don't panic if that fight flattens you. It comes straight after an introductory chase sequence, and Mortismal treats it as a bit of a joke rather than a warning about what follows. Think of it as the game showing off, then move on.
The parts that follow get a warmer reception. Mortismal says the overall experience feels smooth and that the visual presentation is striking, which is a good sign this early in a game built around speed. If that holds up, the long first launch is a fair trade.
What to look at in your first few hours
The rest of the video is a good checklist:
- Progression: skill trees, stat increases and weapon upgrades, with around 30 base weapons according to Mortismal.
- Maps: connected hub areas, bell rest points and fast travel. Mortismal also likes using weapon abilities to clear obstacles while exploring.
- Combat: parrying, blocking, red and blue attack cues, and guard breaks.
- Phantom Edges: heavy secondary weapons, plus ranged bow attacks. Here Mortismal leaves a question open about how deep the combat really goes.
That open question is the one to carry into your own first hours. With this many weapons on offer, try a few before you settle on one.
The story setup stays simple. Soul, the hero, is framed for his master's murder and has 66 days to live. That's all you need going in.
Our take: if you're buying this on PC, the shader wait is the only real speed bump in this video, and the checkpoints make the tough bosses less scary. Wait for Mortismal's full review if you want the final call, but this is a smart ten minutes before your first session.
From the creators
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