Platform: Xbox One, Windows 10
Release Date: May 16th, 2017
Original Release Date: JP- September 23, 2004 NA- March 15, 2005
Director: Yukio Futatsugi (Panzer Dragoon series)
Genre: Third Person Action/Strategy/TCG
Price: FREE!
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Microsoft Game Studios, Code Mystics
Size: 9.86 GB
STORE LINK
Trailer
PC Minimum Specifications
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core2 Duo E6550 @ 2.33GHz | AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5600+
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 | AMD Radeon HD 7750
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
*Also, want to recommend all PC users update to the latest Windows 10 release if applicable
PC issues/fixes:
FOR ANYONE EXPERIENCING INSTANT CRASH ON BOOT UP: Go to your sound settings in windows and in the advanced tab of the properties panel of your audio output, change the sample rate of your audio from 96k hz to 48k hz.
In the far future, the surface of Earth has become a barely habitable wasteland. A mysterious dust furiously swirls on the surface, causing any who remain exposed to it to slowly lose their memories. As a result, the surviving members of humanity have taken refuge underground, while the memories that explain this downfall of civilization were lost to the dust. Some humans have been gifted with the ability to control this dust, allowing them to manifest and shape their imagination into unbelievable powers. Using this ability to survive the harsh conditions above for limited periods of time, these ”Espers" are sent to the surface to find artifacts of the past known as Ruins. You play as a man newly awoken to this world, one of two discovered in capsules found buried deep underground the perilous surface. Suffering from amnesia like the rest of humanity, you must piece together the puzzle that is your history and help others discover their own in an effort to find out how the world has ended up this way by exploring the decaying world above and recovering these Ruins.
Much of your time in the campaign will be spent outside of combat exploring an underground city, the last stronghold of humanity. During these periods, your free to interact with the cities inhabitants, accept missions, shop for skills, and tinker with your ”Arsenal", a deck of said skills containing various powers of all kinds. There are 374 of these skills available, and when combined with many of the other mechanics at play, allow for a staggering amount of depth in-game. Now let's get started on how this all works during combat:
In addition to the above information, I'd like to go into some more detail about skills and schools and how they are categorized:
Schools
Psycho
Psycho uses the force to move objects as its base power. The majority of Psycho skills have effective close- to mid-range attacks. Their power of attack is high and is optimal for aggressive battles. Another characteristic of this school is the bountiful number of movement control skills. There are a few technical skills in this school, such as Erase or Status skills; therefore, one would be at a disadvantage if engaged in battle against an opponent who has these types of skills. Those who possess a majority of Psycho skills have a red aura around them.
Optical
Optical uses light as its base power. It has many mid- to long-range Attack skills with fast shells. Optical Defense skills have low levels of protection, but they are easy to use and inexpensive. A unique characteristic of this school is its ability to control Level. It is geared toward Espers who appreciate well thought out battles. The Optical school has no effective close-range attacks; therefore, locations that are cluttered and not well suited for mid- to long-range attacks will most likely place Optical skills at a disadvantage. Those who possess a majority of Optical skills have a yellow aura around them.
Ki
Ki uses your psychological stamina as its base power. It's filled with skills best suited for close-range battle and skills that knock down opponents. In most cases, powerful Attack skills can't be used repeatedly. It will be a long battle when facing an opponent prepared with Defense skills. Also with this school you can use your will against others; You can erase their skills and interfere with strategies. Those who possess a majority of Ki skills have a blue aura around them.
Nature
Nature uses the natural surrounding environment as its base power. With close- to long-range attacks and abundant Defense skills, there is no downside to this school. And with the many variations of Attack skills, there's an infinite selection to choose from. If a weakness must be noted in this school, it would be the high cost associated with using Nature skills compared to those of other schools. Few skills interfere with others, but some skills change the status of everyone, including the Esper who uses it. In addition, few skills of the Nature school would take another by surprise. Those who possess mostly nature skills will have a green aura around them.
Faith
Faith uses your will as its base power. The many powerful skills in this school have a high Cost or take away Health when used. Shell speed is slow, but homing on these is quite accurate. Many Faith skills can reverse a battle situation, but they are typically difficult to use. Those who possess a majority of Faith skills have a purple aura around them.
Skills
Attack (Red)
Attack Skills inflict damage in opponents. The effective range for each Attack Skill varies, so it is important to select Skills that match your fighting technique.
Defense (Blue)
Defense Skills defend from enemy attacks. The types of Defense Skills available vary in nature. While some merely defend from attacks, others reflect attacks back at the enemy.
Annul (Purple)
Annul Skills annual or lower Level parameters and Skill parameters of the target.
Status (Green)
Status Skills change various parameters of the target, including Speed, Attack, and Defense.
Special (Yellow)
Special Skills are Skills with special effects that do not come under the five other categories. Skillful use of Special Skills can dramatically turn the tides of battle.
Environment (Azure)
These unique Skills change the conditions of the field.
That's a lot to take in, I know. Once you're in-game though, I promise the experience is a lot more natural to learn. Mainly, what I want to stress to newcomers looking to succeed is experimentation. While picking tried and true skills will get you wins in the beginning, you will quickly find players who are constantly tweaking their decks as they uncover flaws and new strategies, the players who think outside of the box and realize there's more to the game than simply landing and defending attacks, those are the people who will be rewarded in the long run. Players who come with experience in fighting games, in shooting games, in card games, in strategy games; this is the game where the skills developed from playing those genres need to be used simultaneously to truly succeed.
Where's the Phantom Dust reboot?
Its lost to the dust now.
Differences between this and original release?
- Various graphical enhancements including improved framerate consistency (30fps) and resolution.
- Multiplayer arsenal customization available immediately
- Free DLC starter pack that gives you 33 skills available immediately
- Various glitch fixes
- Newest iteration of Xbox Live allows for Arena, Club, LFG, GameDVR, and Beam/Twitch streaming features
What about the 74 DLC skills, will those have to unlocked like the original release?
The 74 DLC skills will actually be coming shortly after release, and are confirmed to be easier to unlock when they launch.
Is this an Xbox Play Anywhere supported title?
Yes.
Is cross-play supported between W10 and Xbox players?
Yes.
Loving that soundtrack, can I hear some more?
Got you fam, just click here:
I'm also going to include this comment from our very own Ishmae1, AKA Adam Isgreen, that might answer a few more questions:
PhantomGAF- The Xbox Live Club for GAF players interested in the game, make sure you accept the invitation after expressing interest.
Phantom Dusted - An excellent resource/social site and helpful in obtaining a lot of info in the OT, it's probably the best place to go for anyone interested in the game. Also, want to say thanks to GAF member Phreaker for allowing me to use information from the site and providing some handy reference material. I'm also going to take the opportunity to link a few of the websites tools available for players, including an interactive arsenal builder created by forum user Oltranzista and a full skill list ( HTML web page version).
Phantom Dust Strategy Wiki - another great resource, come here if there's any terms or mechanics your having issue with.
How to Play Phantom Dust - The Basics
E3 2016 Reveal Trailer
Microsoft's What is Phantom Dust?
Polygon's Exclusive: 19 Minutes of PHANTOM DUST HD Re-Release Gameplay
Polygon's E3 2016 Shannon Loftis Phantom Dust Interview
Waypoint's The Legacy of Cult Classic 'Phantom Dust'
SinglePlayerGamer's Phantom Dust for Xbox
Original release reviews:
.Gifs (Courtesy of GAF member Gestault):
Before ending this OT, I would like to take some time to discuss the importance of this rerelease. It's no secret that compared to 2004, the videogame landscape has changed considerably. More to the point, Microsoft's presence in that industry has changed considerably. The time of odd and diverse titles that decorated Microsoft's original console has passed and many fans of that era have been left with a feeling of uncertainty towards Xbox's future in games. With that said, seeing Phantom Dust, one of the best examples of the creativity and unconventional ideas that defined the OG Xbox library, back in the year 2017 certainly seems like a step in the right direction. This is a game that has no peers to compare it to, that takes mechanics from several genres and then blends them thoroughly and seamlessly, and all while having an art style and presentation that's truly unique. More importantly, this is a game A LOT of people never had the opportunity to even play. The game was originally a Japanese Xbox exclusive that was almost never localized until Majesco, a now defunct North American publisher, released the game in the states as a budget title with a limited print run, little to no marketing, and only 8 months before the release of the Xbox 360. Additionally, the Japanese release was only a few months after the infamous cancellation of True Fantasy Live Online, a move that hurt the reputation of the original Xbox, and arguably Xbox in general a great deal in Japan. It was also just flat out never released anywhere else (including the entirety of Europe). It goes without saying the audience for the original game was as small as possible, to the point where even a port 13 years later could possibly see more of audience now than it ever did in its prime now that it's no longer tied down by regional availability, print run, or disabled servers. Hopefully this is more of a sign of things to come over at Microsoft, as the original Xbox is filled with these types of experiences. However for now, I think it's time to hop back in and put my Arsenal to work!
