Xbox

Phantom Dust

Compelling story, deeply engaging gameplay, incredible destructible environments, online play...what more could a gamer ask for? Running around the same underground lair over and over talking to everyone can sometimes be a bit of a hassle, as well as having no quick way of changing arsenals after failing a mission, but these seem too much like nit-picking in the face of everything else, especially the $20 price tag. So what are you waiting for? The end of the world?

You have to hand it to Majesco for even bringing this game over from Japan. Phantom Dust was originally slated as a Japan-exclusive title, but for some reason, Majesco eventually decided to bring this niche action/card-battle game to the States. Perhaps Majesco wanted to establish some "street cred" among hardcore gamers. Maybe, in some idealistic, rose-colored reality, Majesco executives realized what a beautifully unique, well-executed game it is, and felt utterly compelled to release it stateside. Regardless, it's here. Phantom Dust is a real-time action card battle game, with a dose of RPG influence (did you get all that?). It's designed by the creator of Panzer Dragoon, Panzer Dragoon Zwei, and the much-sought-after Panzer Dragoon Saga. And it's only $19.99. Xbox owners who are looking for a new, unique gaming experience have little excuse to pass this one up.

Phantom Dust simply is one of the most unique games I've played on the Xbox in quite a while. I'll agree with the Official Xbox Magazine and their quote on the front of the box--Phantom Dust is "unlike any other game on Xbox." I highly recommend that gamers give this game a try; it truly is a display of fun factor that we haven't seen in quite a long time.

Phantom Dust is not a great game because of its depth or great presentation; instead this is a game that excels because it manages to combine action and strategy in a way I never saw coming. No matter whether you're into all out action games or involving strategy games, you'll find something to love in this game. It's not without a few faults, but it's hard to knock a game that takes such a huge risk and does so much right. At $20 it's hard to go wrong, but this game would be worth it at full price ... it's that good.

A few months ago I was playing a Japanese demo of a game on the Official Xbox Magazine demo disk. It seemed pretty interesting, but it was hard to know what was going on due to the fact that I do not know how to read Japanese. Well that game has finally hit the American shores and it goes by the name of Phantom Dust. This game is really interesting and it is worth the time to check it out. Read on to find out why this is the case.

Once in a great while there is a game that releases and feels so intuitive and awe inspiring in several ways. And Phantom Dust is one of them. Published by Majesco and developed by Microsoft, Phantom Dust was originally released in Japan as a Microsoft exclusive. But after seeing the success it achieved in Japan, Microsoft quickly brought it to the States. A good move by Microsoft you might ask? And for a simple price of $20.00, is it worth it? Yes, yes it is indeed. Phantom Dust is clearly on of the best games to hit Xbox this year, and takes its rightful place as one of the best Xbox Live experiences to date.

It fuses post-modern literary themes, the destructive fisticuffs of Dragon Ball Z, and the addictiveness of collectable card games into something that could have resulted in a disheveled mess of inspirations. Instead, Phantom Dust is a triumph, blending these elements into one of the most original gameplay experiences on Xbox.

Majesco is gaining a reputation for publishing offbeat titles that have been unceremoniously dumped by Microsoft. One eccentric castoff, Double Fine's Psychonauts, arrives in a few weeks. First up, however, is Phantom Dust, an action/strategy hybrid developed by Microsoft Game Studios in Japan, published by Microsoft in Asia, and then abandoned by Microsoft for North American release. Though Microsoft must have had its reasons for dropping it, it's hard to imagine what those reasons could have been. Designed by Panzer Dragoon Saga creator Yukio Futatsugi, Phantom Dust is a unique and terrifically successful blend of strategy, tactics, and fast action. And it's only $20!

Japan hasn't shown much interest in Xbox. No amount of Team Ninja-developed games or custom bundles seem to make a dent in the Japanese market for the big MS. It's a lost cause, at least for this current gen. It's curious, then, why Microsoft decided to make Phantom Dust, one of its better first-party titles, a Japan exclusive. Even more curious is that -- as anyone who decides to import PD will discover -- the entire game is offered in both English and Japanese. Microsoft has no plans to bring Phantom Dust to the U.S., despite the fact that it's already been localized, so your only choice is to import the first-party online action title. This leads to an important questions: Is Phantom Dust really worth all the trouble?

Phantom Dust is one of those games that has a bigger story about the game getting to shelves than it does in the actual game. Developed originally as an Asian-only Xbox game, Majesco bought the publishing rights from Microsoft to publish the game in other areas of the world. This third-person action adventure game has fought hard to get to store shelves, and now that it’s upon us, it has an incredible amount of hype and expectation to live up to.

It's no secret that there's a cultural gap existing between Japanese gamers and their U.S. counterparts. In Japan, there are video games that cover just about every concept imaginable. Meanwhile, we Westerners tend to be a little more selective in our gaming. Unfortunately, this means there are a large number of excellent games that never see the light of day on our shores. Thankfully, publishers are finally beginning to recognize what these games have to offer, and we're seeing some great games on store shelves as a result. Phantom Dust is a perfect example of this.

I'm happy to see this game finally gets a U.S. release, because it really does bring something different to the world of Xbox Live. I do quite enjoy the core psychic combat at the heart of this game, but it does grow a little stale after all strategic options have been explored. The story mode is pretty unimpressive (most worthless map system ever!), but multiplayer should offer some thrills from those looking for a different way to get an online fix.

Developed by Microsoft's Japanese division and published in the U.S. by Majesco, Phantom Dust was fated to be an odd duck. Corporate nonsense aside, this game is one that shows a huge amount of potential and delivers only superficially. It seems to shoot itself in the foot whenever it's poised to really take off and achieve something, but there's still some enjoyment to be had here.