After 2011, and 2012 passed rumors emerged through various video game related sites that a "Phantom Breaker" spin-off title was scheduled for release on the Xbox 360. It turns out that these rumors were indeed fact, and that a new "Phantom Breaker" was actually on it's way to the US marketplace. Through some research I found out, as most of you likely did that the new "Phantom Breaker", titled "Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds" wasn't going to be the fighter that many of us had hoped for. Instead the new game was going to be a retro styled beat 'em up with fighting game mechanics. The idea sounded off-the-wall to me, but after getting my hands on a review copy I found out otherwise. The game was solid in every aspect, and offered a truly fun experience, the likes of which I haven't seen in a very long time. The new publisher Mages, and developer Division2 have produced a digital product that was definitely worth having regardless of the fact that it isn't the initially scheduled fighting game release.
Phantom Breaker Battlegrounds borrows from the story that the original fighter was based on, but adds it's own unique twist to the tale. Phantom, the game's main villain has devised a scheme to regain his locked powers by giving certain individuals who possess unique abilities a weapon known as F.A. (Fu-Mation Artifacts). In turn he promises them a granted wish should they be the victor in a fighting tournament. This of course is a lie, and is merely a means for Phantom to get what he wants. During the course of the tournament the clash of the given F.A. weapons opens up a portal between the real world, and an alternate world ultimately restoring to Phantom his powers. Waka, a shrine maiden, and Mikoto, a sword master try to foil Phantom's plans, but fail in the attempt. Phantom ends up escaping, and kidnaps Waka's sister Nagi in the process. Afterwards two other skilled girls (Itsuki & Yuzuha) join both Waka, and Mikoto in pursuit of their stolen comrade. It's at this point that the plot intro ends, and the real action begins.
As I mentioned earlier, "Phantom Breaker BG" is a retro style beat 'em up with detailed fighting game mechanics. The art style, or visual presentation can easily be compared the XBLA game release of "Scott Pilgrim vs The World". With that being said though the anime characters, and level designs are way more impressive in this game than they were in the Scott Pilgrim title. The pixelated characters all move in detailed animations that truly bring the in-game interactions to life. The developer of the game ended up choosing to go with what is referred to as a "Chibi (Means "Small Person" in Japan)" style of character design which actually accents the game's overall appearance quite nicely. The "Chibi" term, for those who don't know basically refers to the fact that the character's heads are large, and their bodies are small. The backgrounds of the in-game stages on the other hand are somewhat cartoonish in presentation adding a nice variety to the visual presentation. This combined art style along with the retro style soundtrack comes together to give the game a unique appearance, and sound that is fun.
When you start up "Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds" you'll find that there are a nice variety of game modes to get into. You have an interesting assortment of local game modes that can be played alone as well as some local, and online multiplayer modes that can be played with up to three other players. Among the "Local" modes you'll find the signature "Story Mode" in which the plot is fleshed out through onscreen dialogue. In this mode type you can choose from four different main characters including Mikoto (A sword wielding girl), Waka (An exorcist/shrine maiden), Itsuki (A maid girl with a hammer weapon), or Yuzuha (A female ninja). All of the girls' stories are basically intertwined, and require you to save Nagi, Waka's kidnapped sister. You ultimately have to fight your way through 7 bad guy filled stages that each end in a boss battle. The characters gain experience throughout each stage completion, and in turn can level up attributes (Attack, Defense, Speed) as well as unlock skills (SP Attacks, EX Attacks, Over Drive, Phantom Breaker, ...) via a "Skill Set" tree diagram. There is a limit to the experience points that you can earn for each character, so choosing between attribute enhancements, and skills is balancing act that is meant to suit each individual players' style of play. At lvl.50 the ranking up stops, and your character is stuck with the choices you've made. Definitely choose wisely when assigning attributes, and skills.
The second available mode of "Local" play is "Arcade". Arcade mode is basically the same as "Story Mode" only you do not have the onscreen dialogue. This mode also acts as a leaderboard based mode in which things like your total time, score, and max combo are tallied up, and compared to others who have made the leaderboard listings. As with the "Story Mode", "Arcade" can also be played on four different difficulty settings. You can play the game on "Easy", "Normal", "Hard", or "Nightmare". Initially though the only two difficulty settings available are "Easy", and "Normal". Hard, and Nightmare have to be unlocked through additional playthroughs. In retrospect all of the difficulties are about the same. The only true challenge is the "Nightmare" difficulty.
If you are looking for "Local" co-op then this game also has that feature. The third game mode in the "Local" menu is "Co-op". You, and up to three other friends can play through the game's story/arcade mode, gaining experience for your characters in the process. The Xbox Live version of this mode is similar as well, but pairs you up with up to three online players. In online mode there have been some major bugs, and lag issues, so venture into the online version of this mode at your own risk. Last, but certainly not least is "Battleground Mode". As with "Co-op" this mode can also be played in "Local", and "Online" settings. The huge difference though is that "Battleground" put's you up against the joined players' characters. Instead of the usual bad guys you face each other using the heroines of the game, or the secret unlockable characters that are earned through story mode playthroughs.
Now for the fighting game mechanics ...
Phantom Breaker Battlegrounds uses every known fighting game mechanic, and then some. Things like combos, guard related actions (Guard Burst, Guard Cancel), Special attacks (SP, EX, Over Drive, Phantom Breaker), dashing, throws, throw cancels, and even double jumping play a huge role in this game. At the heart of the fighting you have three different attack buttons (x=weak, y=medium, b=strong), and a button that doubles as your guard, and special attack trigger (a). Combining the three different attack buttons in a string will result in combos that in turn give you additional score points. Combining the three basic attack buttons with special attacks, or EX attacks will result in extended combos for an even higher scoring opportunity. Additional skills such as "Over Drive" which send your chosen character into a hyper frenzy can also be used to defeat enemies, and rack up points. The highest skill of all called the "Phantom Breaker" which unleashes a character specific cutscene activation can also be used to deal major damage, and add to your total score. One thing to keep in mind though is that as you play through "Story Mode" your character will eventually lose her powers. In order to regain them you must complete your playthrough to a certain point.
Each character in the game has two gauges that display their health, and their burst energy. Keeping a watch on these two gauges is a must if you hope to survive for the long haul. When a character receives damage in the game the health gauge will deplete. The same goes for the burst gauge. The difference with the burst gauge though is that it will fill up two times over as you dish out combo based attacks. As you defeat enemies you can pick up the power-ups they leave behind which include score based items (gems & coins), health refill items (food), and burst gems that will also contribute to each gauge's level/status. Some of the previously mentioned special attacks such as the EX, Over Drive, and Phantom Breaker will take up anywhere from 0% - 200% of your burst gauge depending on the strength of the special attack. This is a good thing to keep in mind when dishing out such attacks. Aside from these fighting game mechanics you'll also find other unique features relating to the fighting game genre. Things like the 7 selectable character colors, and unlockable secret characters (M, L, Infinity, Cocoa, Mikoto W) that can be earned by story mode playthroughs all point towards the usual perks of the more well known 2D fighters. Collectively all of the features provided in "Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds" are put together in a manner that doesn't seem forced, or out of place. The fact that there are 30 earnable achievements only sweetens the deal.
Now onto the verdict ...
In the end, with all things weighed I found "Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds" to be an overall solid experience. It combines two of my most beloved gaming genres, beat 'em ups, and fighters which most certainly appeals to me. The retro features, and the combined fighting game mechanics make this game one of the more unique titles to ever grace the XBLA marketplace. The fact that it has leaderboards, and a very addictive score based "Arcade" mode only makes it that more enjoyable. If you prefer to play with friends, or online randoms the game offers that as well. At the current time though I have ran into some serious bugs while playing with an online friend. These bugs shouldn't be taken lightly. The bug I encountered altered my character's maxed out rank (demoting her to lvl.00), and replaced another character's rank at the same time. I had to delete my original save file, and start over as a result. With that being said though I have sent word to the developer detailing the bug, and they are currently in the process of working on a fix. In the meantime the solid local single player, and local co-op are more than enough of a reason to buy this game. If you haven't bought it yet, get it! It's worth all 800 Microsoft points! If you like anime, manga, and fighting games then this purchase should be a no-brainer.
As I mentioned earlier, "Phantom Breaker BG" is a retro style beat 'em up with detailed fighting game mechanics. The art style, or visual presentation can easily be compared the XBLA game release of "Scott Pilgrim vs The World". With that being said though the anime characters, and level designs are way more impressive in this game than they were in the Scott Pilgrim title. The pixelated characters all move in detailed animations that truly bring the in-game interactions to life. The developer of the game ended up choosing to go with what is referred to as a "Chibi (Means "Small Person" in Japan)" style of character design which actually accents the game's overall appearance quite nicely. The "Chibi" term, for those who don't know basically refers to the fact that the character's heads are large, and their bodies are small. The backgrounds of the in-game stages on the other hand are somewhat cartoonish in presentation adding a nice variety to the visual presentation. This combined art style along with the retro style soundtrack comes together to give the game a unique appearance, and sound that is fun.
When you start up "Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds" you'll find that there are a nice variety of game modes to get into. You have an interesting assortment of local game modes that can be played alone as well as some local, and online multiplayer modes that can be played with up to three other players. Among the "Local" modes you'll find the signature "Story Mode" in which the plot is fleshed out through onscreen dialogue. In this mode type you can choose from four different main characters including Mikoto (A sword wielding girl), Waka (An exorcist/shrine maiden), Itsuki (A maid girl with a hammer weapon), or Yuzuha (A female ninja). All of the girls' stories are basically intertwined, and require you to save Nagi, Waka's kidnapped sister. You ultimately have to fight your way through 7 bad guy filled stages that each end in a boss battle. The characters gain experience throughout each stage completion, and in turn can level up attributes (Attack, Defense, Speed) as well as unlock skills (SP Attacks, EX Attacks, Over Drive, Phantom Breaker, ...) via a "Skill Set" tree diagram. There is a limit to the experience points that you can earn for each character, so choosing between attribute enhancements, and skills is balancing act that is meant to suit each individual players' style of play. At lvl.50 the ranking up stops, and your character is stuck with the choices you've made. Definitely choose wisely when assigning attributes, and skills.
The second available mode of "Local" play is "Arcade". Arcade mode is basically the same as "Story Mode" only you do not have the onscreen dialogue. This mode also acts as a leaderboard based mode in which things like your total time, score, and max combo are tallied up, and compared to others who have made the leaderboard listings. As with the "Story Mode", "Arcade" can also be played on four different difficulty settings. You can play the game on "Easy", "Normal", "Hard", or "Nightmare". Initially though the only two difficulty settings available are "Easy", and "Normal". Hard, and Nightmare have to be unlocked through additional playthroughs. In retrospect all of the difficulties are about the same. The only true challenge is the "Nightmare" difficulty.
If you are looking for "Local" co-op then this game also has that feature. The third game mode in the "Local" menu is "Co-op". You, and up to three other friends can play through the game's story/arcade mode, gaining experience for your characters in the process. The Xbox Live version of this mode is similar as well, but pairs you up with up to three online players. In online mode there have been some major bugs, and lag issues, so venture into the online version of this mode at your own risk. Last, but certainly not least is "Battleground Mode". As with "Co-op" this mode can also be played in "Local", and "Online" settings. The huge difference though is that "Battleground" put's you up against the joined players' characters. Instead of the usual bad guys you face each other using the heroines of the game, or the secret unlockable characters that are earned through story mode playthroughs.
Now for the fighting game mechanics ...
Phantom Breaker Battlegrounds uses every known fighting game mechanic, and then some. Things like combos, guard related actions (Guard Burst, Guard Cancel), Special attacks (SP, EX, Over Drive, Phantom Breaker), dashing, throws, throw cancels, and even double jumping play a huge role in this game. At the heart of the fighting you have three different attack buttons (x=weak, y=medium, b=strong), and a button that doubles as your guard, and special attack trigger (a). Combining the three different attack buttons in a string will result in combos that in turn give you additional score points. Combining the three basic attack buttons with special attacks, or EX attacks will result in extended combos for an even higher scoring opportunity. Additional skills such as "Over Drive" which send your chosen character into a hyper frenzy can also be used to defeat enemies, and rack up points. The highest skill of all called the "Phantom Breaker" which unleashes a character specific cutscene activation can also be used to deal major damage, and add to your total score. One thing to keep in mind though is that as you play through "Story Mode" your character will eventually lose her powers. In order to regain them you must complete your playthrough to a certain point.
Each character in the game has two gauges that display their health, and their burst energy. Keeping a watch on these two gauges is a must if you hope to survive for the long haul. When a character receives damage in the game the health gauge will deplete. The same goes for the burst gauge. The difference with the burst gauge though is that it will fill up two times over as you dish out combo based attacks. As you defeat enemies you can pick up the power-ups they leave behind which include score based items (gems & coins), health refill items (food), and burst gems that will also contribute to each gauge's level/status. Some of the previously mentioned special attacks such as the EX, Over Drive, and Phantom Breaker will take up anywhere from 0% - 200% of your burst gauge depending on the strength of the special attack. This is a good thing to keep in mind when dishing out such attacks. Aside from these fighting game mechanics you'll also find other unique features relating to the fighting game genre. Things like the 7 selectable character colors, and unlockable secret characters (M, L, Infinity, Cocoa, Mikoto W) that can be earned by story mode playthroughs all point towards the usual perks of the more well known 2D fighters. Collectively all of the features provided in "Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds" are put together in a manner that doesn't seem forced, or out of place. The fact that there are 30 earnable achievements only sweetens the deal.
Now onto the verdict ...
In the end, with all things weighed I found "Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds" to be an overall solid experience. It combines two of my most beloved gaming genres, beat 'em ups, and fighters which most certainly appeals to me. The retro features, and the combined fighting game mechanics make this game one of the more unique titles to ever grace the XBLA marketplace. The fact that it has leaderboards, and a very addictive score based "Arcade" mode only makes it that more enjoyable. If you prefer to play with friends, or online randoms the game offers that as well. At the current time though I have ran into some serious bugs while playing with an online friend. These bugs shouldn't be taken lightly. The bug I encountered altered my character's maxed out rank (demoting her to lvl.00), and replaced another character's rank at the same time. I had to delete my original save file, and start over as a result. With that being said though I have sent word to the developer detailing the bug, and they are currently in the process of working on a fix. In the meantime the solid local single player, and local co-op are more than enough of a reason to buy this game. If you haven't bought it yet, get it! It's worth all 800 Microsoft points! If you like anime, manga, and fighting games then this purchase should be a no-brainer.
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