Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate Review Summary

Fun, enjoyable, and fresh experience: The game is considered fun and enjoyable due to fluid combat, appealing visuals, and a fresh experience compared to previous titles. Tweaks and improvements enhance the gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience for both new and returning players.

Large, diverse character roster: The game features a large roster of playable characters, including those previously offered as paid DLC. Each character offers a distinct playstyle and backstory, adding depth and replayability to the game.

Deep, complex combat mechanics: The game incorporates complex combat mechanics such as combos, counters, and fighting game elements, adding depth to the gameplay. The combat options stand out, offering a more engaging and strategic experience.

Faithful remake of original: The game is a faithful remake of the original Phantom Breaker, successfully recapturing its essence. Reviewers who enjoyed the original and its re-releases appreciate this version.

Full Korean language support: The game offers full Korean language support, including a translated campaign. This caters to a wider audience and enhances accessibility for Korean-speaking players.

Missing essential PC features: The game lacks essential PC features and options. There's no in-game exit function, keyboard layout instructions are missing, and PC-specific options like resolution and framerate controls are absent. This shows a lack of polish for the PC platform.

Broken/non-functional multiplayer: Multiplayer functionality is severely flawed, making it difficult to find and join online matches. Players report issues such as the inability to join games in progress, bugs that prevent readying up, and frequent disconnections. Some reviewers are unable to find any matches at all.

Unfair enemy behavior/placement: Enemy behavior and placement lead to frustrating player experiences. Players can be easily overwhelmed by groups of enemies, stun-locked, and juggled to death. Unclear enemy positions due to obscured lines and shadows exacerbate these issues.

Too similar to previous versions: The game feels too similar to previous versions. There are no noticeable balancing or minor changes, and the game feels easier than previous versions.

Game crashes and bugs: The game suffers from crashes and bugs that disrupt gameplay. Characters disappearing during combat forces players to restart the game, indicating stability issues.

Beat 'em up, fighting game hybrid: The game blends beat 'em up gameplay with fighting game mechanics, drawing inspiration from titles like Mad Stalker and Panzer Bandit. This hybrid approach includes elements like just guard, combo escapes and mid-attacks, offering a more complex and engaging combat system.

Character progression and item system: The game features character progression through leveling, stat improvements, and simplified skill trees. The addition of item drops and equipment, including passive items that provide stat boosts or temporary HP regeneration, enhances character customization and solo play.

Stunlocking leads to death: Being stunlocked mid-air after being hit can lead to repetitive damage and death. This is a significant flaw that severely impacts the gameplay experience.

Restricted character movement: The characters are restricted to moving between near and far planes, limiting movement and combat options. This design choice may feel restrictive to players expecting full 3D movement.

Story mode now voice acted: The story mode now includes voice acting. This addition enhances the narrative experience and character interactions.

Excellent Steam Deck performance: The game was rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5 and runs well on Steam Deck, even in multiplayer. Players report good performance and battery life on the device, indicating a successful port and optimization.

FPS drops during online play: Some players have experienced low FPS dips during online sessions. This suggests potential optimization issues with the game's netcode or server performance, which could negatively impact the multiplayer experience.

Crash log file on launch: The game creates a crash log file upon launch, which may indicate a problem with the game's stability. This could be a minor issue or a more serious problem that prevents players from launching the game.

Locked 60 FPS: The game is locked to 60 FPS. While this may provide a stable experience, some players may prefer an unlocked frame rate to take advantage of higher refresh rate monitors.

Highly recommended, especially for fans: The game is highly recommended, especially for newcomers and fans of the beat 'em up genre. Reviewers highlight its fun gameplay, suitability for both newcomers and returning fans, and its status as a love letter to the Phantom Breaker series. Some suggest it's best enjoyed with friends in cooperative play.

Questionable value for original owners: Several reviews suggest the game may not be worth the full price, especially for those who already own the original. They cite minimal changes and express disappointment, recommending waiting for a discount. One review mentions the price feels a bit high, making a recommendation ambiguous.

Desire for gameplay change list: A reviewer hopes for a comprehensive list of gameplay changes and a fix for the inability to use the level up screen in online mode. This suggests a desire for more transparency and functionality improvements from the developers.

Desire for more similar games: A reviewer expresses a desire for more games of this type to be released in the future. This indicates a positive overall impression and a hope for similar games to be developed.

Unreal Engine remake: The game is a remake using the Unreal Engine, which may bring updated visuals and potentially improved performance compared to the original. It is also a remake of a game previously available on Steam.

EXP saved on disconnect: The game saves EXP even if a disconnect occurs during co-op. This is a positive feature that prevents players from losing progress due to technical issues.

Release date delayed: The game's release date was delayed shortly before launch. This may have impacted player expectations or created concerns about the game's development status.