I've been waiting for the complete version of this game for quite some time, and finally found some time to play it.
Phantom Bridage is a strategy game with giant robots with an unique hybrid structure, merging turns and real time into an original and somewhat clunky game.
The main idea revolves around a piece of technology that allows to let you, as the commander of a small group of rebels trying to save your country, to see five seconds into the future and plan your actions accordingly. Each of these 5-seconds slot is a turn, but the actions you plan are all carried at the same time and resolved in real time. It's a bit difficult to explain in words, but here's a typical turn rundown.
You select an unit. Units can do one primary and secondary actions. You can have one primary and secondary actions "active" at the same time, like running and shooting, but you cannot have two secondary actions overlap (like shooting and using equipment such as shields).
All actions take up some time, for example attacking with a standard rifle takes 0.5 seconds, and of course you need more time to cross longer distances. You can attack multiple times, but unless you want your mecha to overheat (thus taking damage), you need to space attacks. Actions are placed on a timeline and you have to be careful so that they line up correctly with the rest of the world. You want to attack that enemy mecha? Be sure to place your attack when you have a clear line of sight and possibly have the target within your weapon's optimal range, or your shots will miss or hit buildings instead.
After having planned actions for all your units, you hit the "execute" button and you see the battle unfold in real time; then you repeat until the mission is over. I strongly suggest to check videos of the game being played, or check it out for yourself, words don't really do the system justice.
Outside missions, you move your mobile base around the country you need to liberate, with movement taking time, and events being timed accordingly. Even missions contribute to this world timer, and let's say there's an enemy patrol chasing you, and you decide to tackle another mission: take up too much time during that mission and the patrol will pop up during the engagement. Stopping for repairs or to rest the crew also takes up time, so pretty much everything must balanced against available time. World movement can be sped up if you so wish (and you will, because this portion can be a bit tedious), and you can watch replays of your missions.
This latter option is a very welcome addition, because you lose track on how units move and fire during the planning phase, as you are focused on the interface and placing your units in the best possible spots. Outside the slowed-time planning interface, combat is fast and vicious, with mechas shooting while running around and taking cover behind buildings, with tanks exploding after being struck by long-range missiles, and mechas tumbling down as their legs are destroyed by a lucky close-range sword strike. It's a spectacle that all robot fans should partake in at least once, and the "scarecrowy" design of the mechas lends well to this kind of agile, fluid battles.
Mechas can be customised, and here Phantom Bridage takes more than one page from Front Mission: mechas are composed by a torso, two arms, legs, primary and secondary equipment. Components can mixed and matched at will, and each one has its own health points, weight, and so on.
But Phantom Brigade is not without faults, with the interface being the most prominent problem. The whole timeline thing takes a bit to get used to, and the minimalistic approach looks nice and clean, but at times icons are bit too abstract for their own good. A lot of interactions require either a double-click or hold down the left mouse button, while a single click-would have been enough, like when selecting a mecha to customize. Some buttons must also be hovered on for a full second before they become active, and this is more bothersome than useful. On the plus side, the options have plenty of options to make the interface readable of all kind of screen sizes.
The other bad thing is the story: your country and invaders don't have a name, it's just red invading blue for whatever reason. Cutscenes with blue civilians being tormented by the red invaders also fall a bit flat, mostly because you don't know who you are and who you are fighting against. Towns and region have names but in terms of worldbuidling, a lot more could have been done here.
Also, please give mecha pilots helmets and seatbelts. Seriously, it's something that gets on my nerves in a real-robot setting.
More impressions will come as I play more.
Phantom Bridage is a strategy game with giant robots with an unique hybrid structure, merging turns and real time into an original and somewhat clunky game.
The main idea revolves around a piece of technology that allows to let you, as the commander of a small group of rebels trying to save your country, to see five seconds into the future and plan your actions accordingly. Each of these 5-seconds slot is a turn, but the actions you plan are all carried at the same time and resolved in real time. It's a bit difficult to explain in words, but here's a typical turn rundown.
You select an unit. Units can do one primary and secondary actions. You can have one primary and secondary actions "active" at the same time, like running and shooting, but you cannot have two secondary actions overlap (like shooting and using equipment such as shields).
All actions take up some time, for example attacking with a standard rifle takes 0.5 seconds, and of course you need more time to cross longer distances. You can attack multiple times, but unless you want your mecha to overheat (thus taking damage), you need to space attacks. Actions are placed on a timeline and you have to be careful so that they line up correctly with the rest of the world. You want to attack that enemy mecha? Be sure to place your attack when you have a clear line of sight and possibly have the target within your weapon's optimal range, or your shots will miss or hit buildings instead.
After having planned actions for all your units, you hit the "execute" button and you see the battle unfold in real time; then you repeat until the mission is over. I strongly suggest to check videos of the game being played, or check it out for yourself, words don't really do the system justice.
Outside missions, you move your mobile base around the country you need to liberate, with movement taking time, and events being timed accordingly. Even missions contribute to this world timer, and let's say there's an enemy patrol chasing you, and you decide to tackle another mission: take up too much time during that mission and the patrol will pop up during the engagement. Stopping for repairs or to rest the crew also takes up time, so pretty much everything must balanced against available time. World movement can be sped up if you so wish (and you will, because this portion can be a bit tedious), and you can watch replays of your missions.
This latter option is a very welcome addition, because you lose track on how units move and fire during the planning phase, as you are focused on the interface and placing your units in the best possible spots. Outside the slowed-time planning interface, combat is fast and vicious, with mechas shooting while running around and taking cover behind buildings, with tanks exploding after being struck by long-range missiles, and mechas tumbling down as their legs are destroyed by a lucky close-range sword strike. It's a spectacle that all robot fans should partake in at least once, and the "scarecrowy" design of the mechas lends well to this kind of agile, fluid battles.
Mechas can be customised, and here Phantom Bridage takes more than one page from Front Mission: mechas are composed by a torso, two arms, legs, primary and secondary equipment. Components can mixed and matched at will, and each one has its own health points, weight, and so on.
But Phantom Brigade is not without faults, with the interface being the most prominent problem. The whole timeline thing takes a bit to get used to, and the minimalistic approach looks nice and clean, but at times icons are bit too abstract for their own good. A lot of interactions require either a double-click or hold down the left mouse button, while a single click-would have been enough, like when selecting a mecha to customize. Some buttons must also be hovered on for a full second before they become active, and this is more bothersome than useful. On the plus side, the options have plenty of options to make the interface readable of all kind of screen sizes.
The other bad thing is the story: your country and invaders don't have a name, it's just red invading blue for whatever reason. Cutscenes with blue civilians being tormented by the red invaders also fall a bit flat, mostly because you don't know who you are and who you are fighting against. Towns and region have names but in terms of worldbuidling, a lot more could have been done here.
Also, please give mecha pilots helmets and seatbelts. Seriously, it's something that gets on my nerves in a real-robot setting.
More impressions will come as I play more.
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