Phantom Brigade is a turn-based tactics video game originally developed by Tetragon Works, but currently being developed by Brace Yourself Games after they acquired the indie studio.[2] Initially in early access on Epic Games Store since November 2020, the full game was released on February 28, 2023.[3] The premise of the game is that the player commands a squad of mechs who obtained a secret prototype weapon that lets them see briefly into the future. The game plays out in a semi-real-time manner with turns being separated into segments of a few seconds each. The player can predict what happens during these turns and set up moves that then play out in real time.
| Phantom Brigade | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Brace Yourself Games |
| Engine | Unity[1] |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release | February 28, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | Turn-based tactics |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Development
editThe game was first announced at PAX West 2017.[2]
The game's developers decided that the game would not be fully turn-based and play out in real time, in order to "capture that energy you get in a mech anime [...] but have that actually be the gameplay", according to the game's creative lead and designer, Adelaide Jenkins. She stated that while she found games like Front Mission 4 to be "hype" in their cutscenes, the gameplay was "very much traditional turn-based". The game features procedural damage for both the environment and mechs (based on direction).[4]
Reception
editLuke Plunkett of Kotaku compared the game to a hybrid of XCOM and MechWarrior Tactics, saying that it "looks amazing" and that he was "excited to see how this giant mechanical ballet looks after a few more months".[5] Mike Williams of USgamer stated that he initially compared the game to Front Mission due to its turn-based gameplay, a comparison that the developers agreed with. Saying that "god dammit, I want more mech strategy games", he called Phantom Brigade the highlight of the PAX West 2019 show.[4] Alex Connolly of Wargamer.com called the game "what we've all been pining for since Square Enix dropped the ball by a) not officially releasing Front Mission 5: Scars of the War in the West and b) allowing Front Mission Evolved to be, well, Front Mission Evolved".[6]
References
edit- ^ "Made with Unity Monthly: February 2023 roundup". Unity Technologies. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ a b Wood, Austin (2018-09-03). "Crypt of the Necrodancer dev acquires mech strategy game Phantom Brigade". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
- ^ "PHANTOM BRIGADE IS COMING TO STEAM!". Brace Yourself Games. 2023-02-02. Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
- ^ a b Williams, Mike (2019-09-18). "Phantom Brigade Is a Fantastic New Spin on the Front Mission Formula". USgamer. Archived from the original on 2020-11-21. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
- ^ "Phantom Brigade, A New Turn-Based Tactics Game, Rules". Kotaku. 23 November 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-12-16. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
- ^ Connolly, Alex (2016-04-09). "Forefront of Mechanised Indie Missions - Phantom Brigade". Wargamer. Retrieved 2020-12-29.[permanent dead link]