Written past times Patrick Orquia
Title: Phantom Trigger
Developer: tinyBuild Games
Publisher: tinyBuild Games
Genre: Action Adventure, Hack n’ Slash
Number of Players: Up to 2 players
Release Date: Aug. 10, 2017
Price: $14.99
Also Available On: Steam
Phantom Trigger is an activeness endangerment game that, at foremost glance, real much await similar a clone of the highly-acclaimed Hyper Light Drifter. The protagonist virtually shares the same await every bit the Drifter, amongst the same fast-dashing move. Maybe it tin hold out considered a spiritual sequel of sorts, fifty-fifty if they were released exclusively a distich of years apart.
The game starts amongst a cutscene of a human being named Stan, who got diagnosed amongst cancer. One day, he fainted in addition to spell he’s at the hospital, the scene cuts abruptly into the actual game, where you lot similar a shot play every bit the Outsider inwards a footing enveloped amongst neon-colored aesthetics in addition to filled amongst monsters that you lot create got to acquire rid of inwards fellowship to advance further. Along the way, you lot volition regard dissimilar NPCs that volition give you lot only about guidance every bit you lot travel along amongst your quest. The game also abruptly intercuts every bit you lot progress amongst scenes amongst Stan in addition to it shows how his life develops amongst the predicament he is in. There are 5 levels to traverse, amongst each flat ending amongst a boss fight. The game also has multiple endings, in addition to the ending that you lot volition acquire volition depend on the decisions you lot brand during the game. There is no way to revisit past times levels, in addition to so if you lot experience hardcore in addition to desire to regard all endings, you lot create got to play the game from the foremost each time.
Stripping away the neon aesthetics, this game stands out on its ain every bit a much harder game than the aforementioned Hyper Light Drifter, though non every bit good. The story is actually only at that topographic point every bit a backdrop to shape a framework for the entire game, but the principal component is actually the gameplay. The game features a Zelda-like gameplay wherein you lot create got to traverse a flat department past times section, defeating enemies along the way. You create got 3 weapons at your disposal (which you lot volition unlock i past times i at the foremost of the game): a whip that drags an enemy closer to you, an iced-based blade, in addition to a pair of fire-based acquit claws. Each weapon levels upward independently: the to a greater extent than you lot piece of occupation them, the faster they flat up. New attacks combinations travel available to you lot upon reaching sure enough weapon levels. These assail combinations brand piece of occupation of your weapons inwards tandem amongst i only about other to execute stronger attacks. But mastering these weapons is no slowly feat. You volition demand precision timing in addition to real skillful hand-and-eye coordination to speedily in addition to efficiently execute combos in addition to strike at enemies spell they are at their most vulnerable. Most enemy attacks are clearly telegraphed to you, but it could hold out real hard to defend or assail if they are also many of them on the screen. Fail to human activeness in addition to react speedily agency the tabular array gets turned fast on you lot in addition to earlier you lot know it, monsters are already ganging upward on you lot in addition to your wellness bar is virtually gone. Yes, you lot volition likely decease a lot inwards this game, fifty-fifty at the normal difficulty. Fortunately, checkpoints are positioned at the start of every section, where you lot volition respawn when you lot die. You volition create got to larn enemy assail patterns earlier a potent urge to rage quit overwhelms you.
Overall, Phantom Trigger is quite a skillful game, though I personally am non a large fan of it, but I give credit where credit is due. It’s also frustratingly hard for me, but I exercise appreciate its tight battle mechanics, the quondam schoolhouse pixel fine art aesthetics inwards neon colors, in addition to the minimalist electronic musical score. The intercutting betwixt the existent footing in addition to the Outsider’s footing is interesting in addition to is a unique narrative style. On the other hand, the game tends to acquire real repetitive, the enemy diversity is low, and, again, the real acute difficulty plication makes the game non every bit accessible every bit it could create got been. Nonetheless, the game manages to stand upward on its ain merit despite the Nintendo eShop beingness inundated past times games amongst similar gameplay in addition to feel. If you lot desire to play a challenging game amongst a story that’s barely at that topographic point in addition to nonetheless keeps you lot hooked throughout, Phantom Trigger is for you. So hold out ever on your toes in addition to acquire create to dash in addition to slash your way throughout a neon-colored footing total of mystery.
REPLAY VALUE: High
PROS
- Cool neon-colored aesthetics in addition to pixel fine art graphical mode (very much reminiscent of Hyper Light Drifter)
- Minimalist electronic musical score
- Multiple endings
- Unique leveling upward system, wherein the weapons are the ones that flat upward depending on the frequency of their use
- Many dissimilar assail combinations to unlock
- High flat of challenge fifty-fifty at normal difficulty which may appeal to fans of hack n’ slash games
- Ideal for short, on-the-go play sessions on the Switch
- Local multiplayer of upward to players is supported, but the 2 players part exclusively i wellness bar
CONS
- The acute difficulty plication tin brand the game quite a undertaking to play
- The gameplay tends to travel real repetitive
- Enemy diversity is low
- Lack of in-game map
- Checkpoints are plenty, but cannot hold out used twice inwards succession, thence it may crusade you lot to lose a skillful sum of progress if you lot decease earlier reaching the adjacent one
- Some enemies accept hitting real hard in addition to requires precision timing to kill, which tin hold out bothersome if at that topographic point are many enemies acquaint on the concealment at the same time
- Enemies doesn’t frequently drib extra wellness when killed, making battles against grouping of enemies inwards succession very, real challenging peculiarly if you lot are non real skilled
- There are a few framerate drops inwards the game
- Takes a long fourth dimension for the game to charge upon start up
RATING: 3.5/5 sword slashes in addition to dashes
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