Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol.1

About

"Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol.1" is a visual novel game where players uncover the story of a group of girls with special abilities. The game follows the protagonist, Chris, who is tasked with protecting these girls while uncovering the truth behind their powers. With multiple routes and endings, players will have to make decisions that affect the outcome of the story.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol.1 screenshot

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 178 reviews

story38 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game features high-quality production values, including excellent artwork, voice acting, and a well-designed user interface.
The story introduces interesting characters and has a promising setup for future volumes, making it enjoyable for fans of the original Grisaia series.
The game successfully blends elements of school life with tactical and military action, providing a unique narrative experience.

The episodic format results in a very short playtime, with many players feeling that the content does not justify the price.
There is an excessive amount of dialogue focused on food, which detracts from character development and story progression.
The characters are often seen as less compelling compared to those in the original trilogy, leading to a lack of emotional investment in their stories.

story
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
68%
2%
The story of "Grisaia: Phantom Trigger" introduces a new cast of characters at Mihama Academy, focusing on their lives as students and assassins, but it has received mixed reviews regarding its depth and engagement. While some appreciate the intriguing premise and character backgrounds, many criticize the excessive filler content, lack of meaningful plot progression, and reliance on trivial dialogue, particularly about food. Overall, the first volume serves as an introduction, with potential for future development, but it may not meet the expectations set by the original series.
- “Gorgeous artwork, superb voice acting, good soundtrack and great story, though a bit slow at the start.”
- “I really like the story; at first I thought this had a lot of childhood traumas and stuff, but so far it's quite refreshing.”
- “Great kinetic visual novel, as expected of the Grisaia series; they know how to write an interesting story.”
- “About 90% of the story is pointless dialogue about food, the intricacies of handling firearms, and other randomness.”
- “The plot of this thing is plain weak, though that may be because of the episodic format.”
- “For how short each volume is, they all have a fair amount of filler content, which seems to neither advance the story in any meaningful way nor do anything for character development.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
91%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the emotional depth of the story, with many noting the effective blend of soundtracks and voice acting that brings characters to life. Reviewers appreciate the return of familiar tracks from the original Grisaia series, alongside new compositions that contribute to a captivating atmosphere. Overall, the music, combined with excellent artwork and voice performances, significantly elevates the gaming experience.
- “The voice acting is solid and perfectly depicts every character, while the soundtracks blend nicely and play with the player's feelings throughout the development of the story.”
- “The music is great, and there are some comeback tracks from the original Grisaia visual novels (which isn't bad in my opinion).”
- “The graphics are detailed, the music creates a good atmosphere, and the voice acting is stellar.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
32%
14%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the detailed artwork and immersive art style that complements the visual novel's theme. While some users noted that the resolution is only 1280x720 and described the graphics as "okay," others highlighted the high production values, stylish interface, and overall visual appeal, suggesting it rivals other notable titles in the genre. The combination of good graphics, superb voice acting, and a strong soundtrack contributes to a captivating atmosphere.
- “The graphics are very well done and it fits the theme of the visual novel; I would even say it could rival 'If My Heart Had Wings' in terms of graphics.”
- “Art style is detailed enough to immerse you in the story.”
- “The artwork and overall production values are as good as ever, with an especially sleek interface.”
- “The graphics are okay; nothing special; and only clocking in at 1280x720 resolution.”
- “The graphics are very well done and it fits the theme of the visual novel, I would even say it could rival 'If My Heart Had Wings' in terms of graphics.”
- “The graphics are okay; nothing special; and only clocking in at 1280x720 resolution.”
character development
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
Character development in "Grisaia: Phantom Trigger" is notably lacking, with reviewers highlighting that the short runtime of approximately four hours limits any meaningful growth or progression for the characters. While the character design is praised for its beauty and the cast is described as likable, the overall narrative fails to advance significantly, leaving little room for deeper character exploration.
- “The cast is very likeable, and the character design is nice.”
- “The character design is beautiful, and the overall art is really gorgeous.”
- “Despite the short length of each volume, the character development is engaging and adds depth to the story.”
- “Also, there is no character development at all (which is not surprising given that the whole thing is only 4 hours long), the user interface is far worse than the old one and the game cannot be started without Steam running, so sharing it with other people is impossible without tampering. Had I played this game previously, I certainly would not have bought it.”
- “- For how short each volume is, they all have a fair amount of filler content, which seems to neither advance the story in any meaningful way nor do anything for character development.”
- “Also, there is no character development at all (which is not surprising given that the whole thing is only 4 hours long).”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a mix of humor and tension, with some standout funny moments, particularly in conversations with NPCs. However, the pacing in the initial part of the game is slow, which may hinder the comedic impact for some players. Overall, it maintains a consistent vibe centered around the absurdity of a "normal" school setting.
- “It possesses the same vibe and humor, while being focused on the absurd setting of a 'normal' school.”
- “A funny conversation with NPCs.”
- “It's got some funny moments and tense, dramatic moments.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and often filled with unnecessary discussions, particularly around food analogies that detract from the gameplay experience. This leads to a sense of boredom as players feel overwhelmed by irrelevant content rather than engaging with the core mechanics.
- “It can even get to the point of tedious boredom reading through everyone's favorite food preferences or why the stock one gun is better than another.”
- “I've lost count of how many times they've used food as an analogy to explain things, e.g. talking about how guns are supposed to work, or engaging in tedious and boring discussions about why cheap noodles are the best (who cares, honestly).”
- “It can even get to the point of tedious boredom reading through everyone's favorite food preferences or why the stock one gun is better than another.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the Grisaia series is widely criticized as a cash grab, with reviewers highlighting poor value for money due to the low price-to-playtime ratio, extensive asset reuse, and an episodic release format that feels exploitative. Many feel that the series should have concluded after "Eden of Grisaia," as subsequent entries do not justify their costs.
- “They're definitely set up as a cash grab, though, as none of them have really been worth even the sale prices they usually go down to based on the length.”
- “I feel the Grisaia series should have stopped at 'Eden of Grisaia.' Akio Watanabe is a fantastic artist and the world of Grisaia is very cool, but this feels like a massive cash grab, given the price/hour ratio, heavy asset reuse, and episodic release format.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for being overly sentimental and lacking depth, as it focuses heavily on morality and emotional well-being without providing substantial narrative or character development. This results in a superficial experience that feels more like emotional manipulation than genuine storytelling.
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with detailed graphics and stellar voice acting complementing a well-crafted background music score that enhances the overall experience.
- “The graphics are detailed, the music creates a great atmosphere, and the voice acting is stellar.”
- “The background music effectively enhances the atmosphere of each scene.”