Phantom Breaker
Developer(s)5pb.[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)
  • 5pb.
  • Rocket Panda Games (Omnia)
Designer(s)
Artist(s)Hiro Suzuhira
Composer(s)Takeshi Abo
SeriesPhantom Breaker
Platform(s)
Release
  • JP: June 2, 2011
Another Code
  • JP: April 4, 2013
Extra
  • JP: September 19, 2013[1]
Omnia
  • WW: March 15, 2022
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemSega RingEdge 2

Phantom Breaker[lower-alpha 2] is a fighting video game developed and published by 5pb. for the Xbox 360 in June 2011. An arcade version of the game running on Sega's RingEdge 2 arcade board, titled Phantom Breaker: Another Code, was released in April 2013. In addition, an enhanced edition, titled, Phantom Breaker: Extra, was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in September 2013. A beat 'em up spin-off, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds, was released via Xbox Live Arcade.[2]

The latest update, Phantom Breaker: Omnia, was released worldwide in March 2022 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam by Rocket Panda Games.[3]

Gameplay

Phantom Breaker is a 2D fighting game that supports two distinctive fighting styles, the player is able to choose between "Quick" style and "Hard" style. Quick style focuses on quick hits and combos while the other is more about defense.

When the player reaches "Overdrive" mode, their character might get an extra increase in speed or defense. Every attack the player releases can cancel out their enemy's attack and raise their tension gauge; timing it right will maximise the player's gauge to boost their attack power.[4]

Plot

The game's setting takes place in Japan. A mystery organization led by Phantom organised a fighting tournament in Tokyo, whose winner will have their wish granted.

Characters

Before the release of Phantom Breaker: Omnia, the game had a total of 18 playable characters.[5] An additional "female gang member" character was planned, but never made it into the final game.[6]

  • Mikoto Nishina (仁科 美琴, Nishina Mikoto): A 19-year-old college violinist. Her weapon is a large, two-handed sword named Maestro.
  • Mei Orisaka (折坂 芽衣, Orisaka Mei): A 14-year-old idol. Her weapon is a magical wand called Candy.
  • Yuzuha Fujibayashi (藤林 柚葉, Fujibayashi Yuzuha): A high school girl, who is also a ninja-in-training from the Bakufu era. Her weapons are Shoukaku and Zuikaku — a ninja blade and a kunai.
  • Waka Kumon (九紋 稚, Kumon Waka): A descendant of the miko (a family of exorcists that have had some dealings with Phantom in the past). She fights with Kahoutou, her naginata, to stop the duels.
  • Ren Tatewaki (帯刀 蓮, Tatewaki Ren): One of the few males in this contest. He is fighting to cure his little sister of an incurable disease. He fights with a gauntlet named Koutarou.
  • M (影霧, Eimu): She has no memories and fights only to satisfy her lust for battles. Her weapon of choice is a mace made of scrap materials, named Humongous.
  • Itsuki Kōno (神埜 唯月, Kōno Itsuki): She does not know much of the world and has a gentle personality but a strong sense of justice. She beats opponents over the head with her battle hammer, Maggie.
  • Ria Tōjō (東條 莉亜, Tōjō Ria): She finds out that one of the other combatants in Phantom Breaker killed her mother, and she is on a quest for revenge. She fights with two blades called Aldina.
  • Tokiya Kanzaki (神崎 刻夜, Kanzaki Tokiya): The other male main character in this game. He is the CEO of a pharmaceutical company and he is fighting in order to resurrect his parents, who were assassinated fifteen years ago. He uses a long sword named Setsuna.
  • Cocoa (心愛, Kokoa): She got bored with the real world and modified her body into an idealized version, based on a video game she liked. Her occupation is cosplaying. She fights with a giant claw called Kusenia's Claw.
  • Fin (フィン, Fin): A 9-year-old time traveler from the future who is part of the organization "Schrodinger". She is accompanied by a droid named Mauchuu. Her weapons are all-purpose laser guns named JJ Apple.
  • Infinity (インフィニティ, Infiniti): He is not one of the main characters but the bodyguard to the mysterious Phantom. He fights using telekinesis.
  • Sophia Karganova (ソフィア・カルガノワ, Sophia.Karuganowa): A new character added in Phantom Breaker: Extra. Sophia is a Fu-mantion Artifact made by the Russian Science Academy that despises Phantom.
  • Shizuka Saejima (冴嶋 閑, Saejima Shizuka): A new character added in Phantom Breaker: Extra. A former senior official that worked for Phantom who wants to bring Japan back to its militarism dogma.
  • Ende (エンデ, Ende): A new character added in Phantom Breaker: Extra. Ende is from the Schrödinger Space-Time patrol group and brings a giant robot named Nataku into battle.
  • Gaito & Rin (ガイト & リン, Gaito & Rin): Two new characters added in Phantom Breaker: Extra. Gaito & Rin are a team, but Rin, a 6-year-old girl, controls Gaito, an anti-soul that is brimming with power.
  • Rimi Sakihata (咲畑 梨深, Sakihata Rimi): Guest character from Chaos;Head. She is a Gigalomaniac who can turn her delusions into reality. She wields a DI-sword.
  • Kurisu Makise (牧瀬 紅莉栖, Makise Kurisu): Guest character from Steins;Gate. She is a genius who graduated early from an American university and helps out in a circle that develops strange inventions. She uses these strange inventions in gameplay.

Release

Phantom Breaker was initially slated to be launched in April 2011,[7] but was delayed and released in June 2011.[8] The game had been announced for a first quarter 2012 North American release by 7Sixty (a subsidiary of SouthPeak Games)[9] but the release has since been cancelled for unknown reasons.

Phantom Breaker: Another Code

An arcade version of the game running on the RingEdge 2 board titled Phantom Breaker: Another Code (ファントムブレイカー アナザーコード, Fantomu Bureikā: Anazā Codo) was released on April 4, 2013. Version 1.1 was released in June 2013. This version adds Infinity, the game's final boss, as a playable character, rebalanced gameplay, and a new opening movie.[10]

Phantom Breaker: Extra

In May 2013, 5pb. announced a new updated version of Phantom Breaker titled Phantom Breaker: Extra (ファントムブレイカー:エクストラ) which was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 19, 2013. It features rebalanced gameplay, new characters, new techniques, a new "Extra" fighting style, new stages, renewed background effects, and an online spectator mode.[11][12] Unlike the first console release, it is region-free.

Phantom Breaker: Omnia

In 2020, the company Rocket Panda Games announced that it will publish the updated version of the game called Phantom Breaker: Omnia for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. It features all the fighters from Phantom Breaker: Extra in addition to two new characters, a remixed soundtrack, a new fighting style called "Omnia", balance adjustments, and the ability to play though stories of both the original game and Phantom Breaker: Extra. This is first time the game will see a release outside of Japan and feature both Japanese and English voice acting.[13][14] The game was released on March 15, 2022.[14]

Reception

Phantom Breaker received generally negative reviews from critics.[15] Jason Venter of GameSpot gave the game a score of 4.5/10, saying, "Phantom Breaker fights a losing battle to provide you with a reason to play it instead of one of its many qualified peers."[15]

Phantom Breaker: Omnia

Phantom Breaker: Omnia received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[16][17][18]

Notes

  1. ↑ Co-developed with Delta Factory and R.U.N. Phantom Breaker: Omnia co-developed with GameLoop
  2. ↑ ファントムブレイカー (Fantomu Bureikā)

References

  1. ↑ Yip, Spencer (June 25, 2013). "Phantom Breaker: Extra Coming This September". Siliconera. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  2. ↑ Yip, Spencer (May 21, 2013). "Phantom Breaker: Extra Announced For PlayStation 3 And Xbox 360". Siliconera. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  3. ↑ Romano, Sal (October 15, 2020). "Phantom Breaker: Omnia announced for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  4. ↑ Yip, Spencer (November 19, 2010). "The Two Types Of Fighters In Phantom Breaker". Siliconera. Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Characters Page of Phantom Breaker". 5pb. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  6. ↑ Sahdev, Ishaan (February 24, 2012). "Phantom Breaker Was Going To Have A Female Gang Member Character". Siliconera. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  7. ↑ Sahdev, Ishaan (April 1, 2011). "Phantom Breaker Hit With A Delay In Japan". Siliconera. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  8. ↑ Sahdev, Ishaan (April 20, 2011). "Phantom Breaker Breaks Out In June, Here's A Trailer". Siliconera. Archived from the original on March 30, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  9. ↑ Sahdev, Ishaan (January 4, 2012). "Exclusive: Phantom Breaker To Get Special Limited Edition Release". Siliconera. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  10. ↑ Yip, Spencer (May 27, 2013). "Phantom Breaker: Another Code Makes Final Boss Playable". Siliconera. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  11. ↑ Yip, Spencer (June 26, 2013). "Slap Other Fighters With A Giant Robot Hand In Phantom Breaker: Extra". Siliconera. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  12. ↑ Yip, Spencer (July 1, 2013). "Phantom Breaker: Extra Has Spectator Mode For Online Battles". Siliconera. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  13. ↑ Games, Rocket Panda. "Phantom Breaker: Omnia Launches Worldwide Today!". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  14. 1 2 Romano, Sal (December 13, 2021). "Phantom Breaker: Omnia launches March 15, 2022". Gematsu. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  15. 1 2 Venter, Jason (April 24, 2012). "Phantom Breaker Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Phantom Breaker: Omnia for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  17. 1 2 "Phantom Breaker: Omnia for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Phantom Breaker: Omnia for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  19. ↑ Andriessen, CJ (March 14, 2022). "Review: Phantom Breaker: Omnia". Destructoid. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  20. ↑ Denzer, TJ (March 14, 2022). "Phantom Breaker: Omnia review: Clash of the magical girls". Shacknews. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
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