Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds

“In short, a game that despite its Otaku or childish appearance hides a good “me against the neighborhood” that is not just a tribute to the golden age of 2D in 32 bits. It has more depth than it seems, if you like the genre and you have the chance, you should try it. Besides, with all the cooperative gameplay options you are sure to enjoy good times with the company of friends.”

“Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a renewed take on a beat 'em up that probably felt a little outdated back when it launched in 2012, and while the revamped graphics and the engine are both nice, they're not enough to make this feel like a game that's really worth sinking your time into. It's a fun five minutes or so here and there, but it's just not doing enough to really make it an enjoyable time.”

“Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is proving itself to be eternal. Here we are, more than a decade from the game's initial release and it is as addictive and enjoyable as ever. This has truly become a beat 'em up classic and has demonstrated that it can stand the test of time. The Ultimate version is just that-the ultimate version of the game. It looks, sounds, and plays better than ever. Fans of the genre must experience this one and they will find a game that they'll keep in rotation forever.”

“Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate takes the solid foundation of a Beat ‘Em Up and applies 2D Fighter controls to it for a fast, arcade-style action that’s impossible to put down.”

“If you can live with that issue, then Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a solid title. The original game remains a fun beat-'em-up since it tries to do something different from its contemporaries. The additional characters make the game lean heavily toward being goofy, but few will complain when it also means expanded online play for all. For genre fans who want something breezy, this is well worth checking out.”

“Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate offers a ton of beat 'em up fun, especially if you're playing with chums. At the same time, there's no denying how repetitive it gets but the grind can certainly be entertaining, especially with such lovely sights and sounds. 💢”

“One nice element of the game is that the various fighters you have to choose from vary pretty wildly in style so there should be an opportunity to find something to suit most tastes...”

“All taken together, Phantom Breaker offers a couple hours of mindless, mass-bashing fun. It has some of the same charm as old-school beat'em up arcade games like Turtles in Time, but with an Japanese anime theme. It's fun for a time, but it passes quickly, and it's very easy to move on without looking back.”

“[F]or fans of the genre who love beating down countless enemies as cute anime girls and don't shy away from a serious challenge, they can expect to have a good time with Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds.”

“Altogether, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds offers a great mix of insane action and intriguing story, though the combat is definitely the meat of the game. Slick, responsive controls and a variety of characters and abilities keep the game fresh.”

“This spin off of Phantom Breaker packs chibi-pixel art, two tracks of action, four characters, replayability, and some advanced button input potential. The lack of online multiplayer makes me a sad boy.”

“[T]he game, despite some of the shortcomings with its combat, is fun and charming that scratches an itch for people who like levelling up characters to take them through the difficulties, and as for what is available on the platform, you can do much worse than Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds.”

“With a tidal wave of cutesy nostalgia and high-octane action thrown into the mix, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds ends up being a relatively fun beat 'em up.”

“All told, I wouldn't recommend Battle Grounds as a full-on game, but it is a fun time waster. The battles get boring and repetitive too quickly to entertain you for long, and that in turn ends up meaning your time is better spent elsewhere. While the game looks and runs great, the gameplay just lacks too much.”