Preview Impressions of Phantom Brave: The Forgotten Hero

Back in 2004, the original Phantom Brave made its debut on the PS2. If you’re a Nintendo enthusiast, you might recall the remastered edition for the Wii, Phantom Brave: We Meet Again, which came out in 2009. Moreover, it made its appearance in Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 1 on the Switch.

For those who’ve experienced any of these editions, the excitement for the Switch launch of Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero on January 30th is palpable. And if you haven’t yet delved into this series, this installment is something to anticipate, especially if you’re a fan of strategy RPGs or enjoy the vibrant storytelling and visual style reminiscent of Disgaea.

Last week, I got the chance to participate in an online preview and Q&A session with NIS America and development team member Kento Jobana, courtesy of Pure Nintendo. It was my first real encounter with the Phantom Brave series, and here’s a quick rundown of my takeaways, neatly summed up for you:

Dive In Without Hesitation:
Even if you’ve never embarked on a Phantom Brave adventure before, fear not. The Lost Hero offers a fresh and independent story, despite featuring characters from the original.

The Journey Unfolds:
You’ll follow Marona, a young explorer navigating the waters of Ivoire, helping those in distress. But when a ghostly fleet starts causing chaos, Marona must rally a team to fight back.

Signature Style:
Like many Nippon Ichi titles, expect a blend of humor mixed with underlying serious themes.

Play Your Way:
Customization is key here — perhaps a bit overwhelming for newcomers, but very rewarding. The game allows you to select a difficulty level tailored to your experience. Whether you prefer a more relaxed journey through the narrative or a challenging ride that requires mastery of the game’s mechanics, the choice is yours. Just remember, once you pick a difficulty, it’s set.

Deep Customization:
With 51 distinct character types to create, you’ll decide the shops and items available, with choices like chefs unlocking juice bars or anglers enabling treasure hunting. Need a particular character for a stage? Craft a new unit and power it up quickly using “juice points,” but use them wisely!

Unique Roles:
The game introduces some non-traditional character roles like musicians and chefs with distinctive skills, adding intriguing layers to the gameplay.

Beyond Characters:
Ships can be built for bonuses and dungeons for exploration and leveling. While I haven’t seen the full extent of these customization options, they seem promising.

When it comes to the gameplay mechanics, combat takes a turn-based approach on an isometric grid that alters in size depending on the level. Characters move freely within a shrinking circle, and Marona has the ability to “confine” characters to objects within that area. This means you’re strategically planning movement not just for attack, but to utilize the environment creatively. Each character has limited actions before vanishing, and they can also occupy “gadgets” unless an enemy controls them first.

As for the Switch’s handling of the game, I haven’t had a chance to see it run on Nintendo hardware yet. However, given the nature of the turn-based battles and the clear presentation of menus, it seems well-suited for handheld play.

Being new to Phantom Brave, the preview packed quite a bit to absorb. I expect more insights as we get closer to the release on January 30th. Fortunately, there’s a demo coming, giving you a chance to explore everything firsthand.

For more info, check out nisamerica.com/phantombrave-the-lost-hero/. Don’t miss the opportunity to grab the Limited and Deluxe Edition physical releases, which are already available for pre-order.