Overview – developed by Nippon Ichi Software and published by NIS America, Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is a brand new entry in the vibrant strategy RPG. In this adventure, join Marona, a young girl who has the power to communicate with phantoms, lost souls that wander the ocean world of Ivoire. This title is available on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and the Steam service, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank NIS America for providing the copy of Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own. Please note, this review is for the base game only, as I do not have access to any DLC that is planned for release.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I will be covering the core aspects of the game, with some details about the new mechanics. But I will be keeping it brief in some areas, as I don’t want to spoil the surprises that this game has for players to experience. I have also covered the previous release in the series as part of the NIS Classic collection, which you can find (HERE). Note, assets used provided by NIS America press kits.
Story – Marona is a young girl, gifted with the power of a Chroma, one who can speak with phantoms. These are the spirits of those who have passed on, helping them and others with their problems. Accompanied by her friend, the Phantom Ash, she travels the ocean world of Ivoire, when a fleet of ghost ships attacks and separate them. After this, Marona washes up on Skullrock Island and encounters the Phantom Apricot, starting a whole new adventure.
Gameplay – this title is a strategy RPG, with the narrative taking place across multiple chapters. For this adventure, the player controls Marona, the protagonist and leader of the party, who takes residence on Skullrock Island. This territory belongs to the Argento Pirate Crew, who have been weakened in power, due to the disappearance of their captain. On this island, she meets the phantom of Apricot, the daughter of the missing Argento.
After this encounter, Apricot and Marona join forces, setting out to rebuild their territory, recruit new allies and hopefully locate Apricot’s father. To achieve their goals, the player must lead their party across the various islands of Ivoire, taking on monsters, pirates and other phantoms in battle. Between battle stages, there will be event scenes that push the story forward, with the player returning to the home base after the stage has been cleared.
Speaking of the home base, while at Skullrock Island, the player can access various facilities, including the ability to recruit phantoms. When Marona expands the party with Phantoms, they will be able to be summoned to the island, allowing them to be deployed in battles. Alongside their combat skills, the summoned phantoms will also bring their special skills to the island. These grant access to special facilities that can be used at the island.
These facilities include the standard merchant, skill unlocks for phantoms and a healing area to revive phantoms lost in battle. Then there are the more unique options for players, like the salvage, where players can fish for items and the Gadgets, where special equipment can be created to deploy in battle. Last is the Marina, a special facility operated by Apricot, where the player can create a pirate crew, providing the phantoms with special bonuses.
As the player progresses through the story, new Phantoms will be available to summon, unlocking the different facilities mentioned above. New Phantoms and units will be added to Marona’s party during story sections, further expanding the cast of characters. These units must be summoned to Skullrock Island, as they will not be accessible if they are not part of the island. They will also be unavailable in combat if they are kept in reserve.
The phantoms in Marona’s party will often appear without any equipment, aside from those who join via the story. This means that the player will need to supply them with the items they need, which can be obtained from the Merchant. The equipment will have a level attributed to it, as well as unique stats that will affect the phantom that is holding them. Some objects provide special unique skills, like the watering can has a splash attack.
Moving onto battle, the combat plays out in a rather unique way, making it stand out from other titles within the genre. At the start of a battle stage, the player will see the map, with enemies set out on the battlefield. Marona will be deployed from the start, making the first move at the beginning of the stage. This is where here special powers in battle come into play, as she must use her powers as a Chroma to give Phantoms a physical form.
Through her power of Confine, Marona can select objetcs on the field within range. These can be rocks, plants and even weapons that are on the ground. When Marona Confines a Phantom, they will be given effect boosts based on the object they possess. Phantoms on the field will have a limited number of turns to act called REMOVE, where they will leave upon expiration. A limited number of Phantoms can be Confined, adding to the strategy aspect.
When a Phantom is summoned, they will be added to the turn order, with their speed stat affecting when they can make their move. A unit with a faster speed stat can act sooner, with the slower units getting a lower priority. This system can lead to a back and forth of combat, with enemy and player units making their moves in a rather free-flowing manner. Marona can also use skills to make Phantoms last longer on the field, or be able to act faster.
During a confined Phantoms turn, they will be able to move freely within a set range, shown by a ring around the maximum movement space. They will also be able to use a variety of weapon related skills, which are affected by the item that they are equipped with. The various skills and attacks have their own range of effect, can deal attribute damage or have conditions for use. They may also be affected by class, giving them further flexibility.
As Phantoms and Marona battle the enemies, they will gain experience points, levelling them up when they hit set milestones. The rate for level increase varies from unit to unit, with many hidden factors that affect progression. In order to increase a unit’s level, the player will need to deploy them to the field, where they will gain experience when an enemy is defeated. This means that the support units, like healers can still improve away from combat.
However, confining Phantoms to objects isn’t the only thing that Marona (and the player) can do. In some stages there will be gadgets that appear, as well as Apricot having the ability to summon gadgets herself. These machines can have a phantom possess them through Confire, allowing for them to move and perform limited attacks with them. These include a cannon, which can deal devastating damage and even destroy elements of the stage.
The last of Marona’s special skills to cover is Confriend. This is her ultimate ability, where a Phantom will be able to Possess her for a short amount of time, providing her with enhanced strength for a limited time. During this state, Marona will change her appearance too, taking on aspects of the friend she has fused with, like gaining a pirate hat when fusing with Apricot. To activate this, the Confriend meter must be filled up in battle.
It is important not to be reckless in combat though, as player units can be downed in battle. When this happens, they will stay on the field until they are revived. But enemies can further attack them, destroying them entirely or they can send them off the map (explained further below). If all units are defeated, the battle will be lost and the player can retry or go back to the map. Any units that are completely defeated must be revived at Skullrock Island.
All of the skills and abilities for Marona and the Phantoms are important, as there will be obstacles and effects that will hinder the party in battle. On the battlefield, objects will not only have stat boosting properties but also special protection effects. These effects can make a unit invulnerable, give them increased resistance to damage and more. It is also possible for objects to block off access to parts of the map, with the object skill of “No Entry”.
The only way to get rid of these effects is to destroy the objects. This can be done in two ways, with the main one being to attack them with skills. But if the item has protection on it, then it will often be invulnerable to damage. When this occurs, the player must use a unit to either knock them off the map, or pick them up and throw them. This makes the object go out of bounds, showing a big O.B. icon on screen, destroying the object and the protection it provides.
The out of bounds system is very useful in general, as enemies can also be sent flying and will take damage when they go off the map. This can also affect the player party though, as they may be sent off the map and lose a chunk of health. A unit, either allied or enemy can be sent off the map when downed, which will instantly eliminate them. This will prevent them from being revived on the field, needing to be resurrected at the island if they are an allied unit.
At the end of a battle, the player will earn money (called B.O.R.) and Mana, with a portion of experience points being added to the juice bar (if set up). There is also an M.V.P. award that will be given to a unit, with the challenge being determined at the beginning of the stage. This can be most enemies defeated, lowest movement and most objects destroyed. These awards don’t give much in terms of rewards but are a fun addition to the gameplay loop.
The money, Mana and M.V.P. awards aren’t all that the players receive for clearing a stage, as there are additional item rewards that can be collected. These consist of items that have rarity and level attributed to them, with plants objects and even weapons. Then there are the Skill Scrolls, which will provide units with skills that can give them a boost. These are one time use items, making effective use of them very important for success in battle.
The last thing to discuss is the side quest system. As the player makes their way through the game, the ability to accept requests will be unlocked. These requests will have the player delivering items and battling set enemies, with varied rewards that can be good for rapid progress. There are many side challenges to take on, with more appearing as the story progresses, making for a good way to earn additional resources and items.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to move onto the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – there is an easy to use control system with this game, with inputs that can be picked up quite quickly. There is a free camera that has been added, which gives more control for the player movement, as well as making it easier to judge distance. The player can also refer to an on screen guide, with all core inputs that will stay on screen. This system makes for an accessible experience, as there is also an in-depth control tutorial for players.
Difficulty – there is a fairly moderate escalation of difficulty with this game, with the challenge increasing alongside the player at the medium difficulty. But if the player wants a tougher or more lax experience, there are options for Easy and Hard to modify the challenge. For those who want to make the game even easier for themselves, they can spend a little time to grind, replaying earlier stages to level up and strengthen their party.
Presentation – this game is visually stunning, with vibrant locations and adorable character models for Marona and Apricot. The artwork used for event scenes and character portraits is beautiful, with that anime style charm that NIS games are known for. The visual performance is solid with the game, offering a smooth experience, with only a few blips here and in graphics mode. There is also a performance mode, at the cost of a little visual fidelity.
The sound is a treat for the ears, with wonderfully composed music that builds the atmosphere, giving depth to the world of Ivoire that the player explores. This music also has elements of traditional pirate themed sounds, further enhancing the adventure. The voice work for this entry has both English and Japanese voice over for dialogue, which players can choose between in settings. All of the events are fully voiced, rounding out the experience.
Final Thoughts – I have been a long-time fan of the RPG offerings from Nippon Ichi Software, which you can see from all of the games covered on the site. So I was very happy when I got the chance to cover this game. I was not disappointed with what I got to experience here, as the gameplay is expertly crafted, starting off strong and maintaining the quality throughout. I was fully invested in the narrative too, staying pulled in through all the twists and turns.
I have a deep appreciation for the world of Phantom Brave, as it takes the traditional strategy RPG mechanics and does something new with them. This gives players an experience that mixes fun, deep strategic combat and a story that is worth every second of gameplay. I can easily recommend this game to fans of NIS games, RPG players and those who want to dip their toes into the genre, as it is an excellent and well-rounded adventure.
In the end, I give Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero a final score of 5/5. This is an excellently crafted RPG adventure, with an engaging story, a charming cast of characters and a gameplay loop that is challenging yet fun. It has been many years since the last Phantom Brave release, and this has been well worth the long wait for fans. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Steam version (HERE)
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