Phantom Dust is a bit of an oddity, as the game originally came out on the old Xbox. No, not the 360 - the old-school Duke! In 2017, it was remastered and released onto modern consoles, and it more than holds its own against the new giants in the field. The gameplay is a strange blend between spell-mixing deckbuilding and real time combat, with players constructing their arsenals before the battle then entering an arena to aim and fire their desired cards at their opponent.
The control scheme definitely takes some getting used to, but the tutorials do their job and can be accessed again at any time through a mission replay system. Moving feels fluid and most arenas even feature destructible pieces to make the space feel alive and add some variety to your matches. There are tonnes of differing strategies that will have a chance to shine during the story mode, which is pretty lengthy for a free game, clocking in at about 15 hours or so, depending on your skill level.
Not only does Phantom Dust feature an excellent single player campaign, it also has a highly functional online multiplayer system, allowing you to challenge operatives from all over the world and show off your perfect deck. There’s even the option to play splitscreen, so it’s a brilliant pick to play with friends at home too. Players wanting to jump straight into multiplayer may need to shell out some cash though - cards for your online decks can either be unlocked with in game credits gained in the single player mode or bought in one big chunk for real cash. Still, given the need to learn the ropes, I’d recommend the story to new players regardless, so it will work itself out for all but the most hardcore multiplayer fans.
Pros:
• Unbelievable depth and amount of content
• Multiplayer is a ton of fun with the right friends (or strangers!)
• Destructible arena elements are a lovely touch
Cons:
• Controls are tricky to learn and even harder to master
• Graphics are definitely upscaled compared to the original, but it’s still not the prettiest game in the world
