When it comes to adorable, turn-based JRPGs, Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is a perfect option for those looking to try something new. It is colorful, addictive, and hums along at an excellent pace thanks to its cute narrative and interesting mechanics.
Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is a follow-up adventure to the original Phantom Brave, which was remastered for PC in 2016. The game was released in Japan and North America in 2004 for the PlayStation 2 and was lost to time before the remaster.
In this new adventure, sporting colorful and bubbly graphics, Marona and Ash see themselves up against a new threat. When Marona finds herself alone after an accident, she’ll need to team up with a new cast of characters to locate Ash and save the day.
Key Details
- Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
- Publisher: NIS America
- Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $59.99
- Review Code Provided: Yes
Fire Emblem-Lite and Perfect For All Ages
Unlike other turn-based JRPGs, Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is a great option for younger gamers new to these types of mechanics. A slew of tutorials introduce every action that can be taken in combat, and the world can be explored using the story markers set down by other characters or enjoyed with more freedom via player exploration.
Additionally, the art style really leans into the sweeter side of an action RPG, removing blood and gore and replacing it with adorable character models and a brightly colored world. It reminds me of Zelda and doesn’t have the grit that turns me away from so many games currently on the market.
The gameplay is also easy to pick up on, which is great for casual players. Though the combining and merging can take some practice to get right.
Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero Rewards Creativity
As Marona looks for Ash and prepares to take on the Shipwreck Fleet responsible for their separation, she ends up joining a crew of pirates. Once she has signed on to help them fight back against the Shipwreck Fleet, the story is primarily in the player’s hands.
You can travel between islands on a gridless map, and use a wide combination of Phantoms, objects, and gadgets to fight against enemies and deal with obstacles.
One of the best elements of Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is creativity. So many JRPGs are on the rails, leaving very little room for player influence, but this story gives players breathing room to experiment and explore, which is perfect for such a lighthearted adventure.
A Bit Hand-Holdy For Seasoned Players
The one element of this game players may find frustrating, especially for older gamers who know the turn-based ropes, is the hand-holding. There are so many tutorials, especially at the beginning of the game, that getting into the story can feel a bit like a slog.
Once through these tutorials, it does get quite a bit better, but battles are never extremely challenging, and most of the puzzles can be solved with fairly little struggle.
If you are a die-hard Fire Emblem fan or are looking for something more challenging, this game might be a bit light and lack the grindy satisfaction of similar games in the genre.
Final Score – 8.5/10
Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is a delightful, light-hearted game that is easy to fall into. It’s a great pick for younger gamers, fans of the Phantom Brave franchise, or anyone looking for a pleasant and gentle story.
While this isn’t going to push the boundaries or skills of Final Fantasy VII fans or Fire Emblem experts, it is a lovely break from the grit and gore and will leave you feeling satisfied and relaxed after picking it up.
It’s just so much fun, and the art style and characters are so cute you won’t be able to stop yourself from falling in love with it.
**Bonus Action was provided with a Nintendo Switch code of Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero for the purpose of this review**
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