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Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate’s visual upgrades, addition of an English dub, and new co-op action breathe new life into this beat’em up even if it feels like more could have been done.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate Game Cover
84%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
replayability, stability
85% User Score Based on 88 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 2 reviews

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Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate Game Cover

About

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a multiplayer action adventure game with a kids theme. It was developed by Rocket Panda Games Japan and was released on April 17, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Follow four cuties who pack a punch—Mikoto, Waka, Itsuki, and Yuzuha—as they hack and slash their way across parallel worlds to rescue Nagi, who has been spirited away by the villainous Phantom. Battling through eight action-packed stages, they take down the legions of Phantom’s minions standing in their way. The game features diverse combat mechanics reminiscent of a fighting game, with strategi…

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Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate screenshot
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate screenshot
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate screenshot
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate screenshot
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate screenshot
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate screenshot
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate screenshot
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate screenshot
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate screenshot
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate screenshot
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate screenshot
+3
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85%
Audience ScoreBased on 88 reviews
gameplay11 positive mentions
stability3 negative mentions
  • The game successfully modernizes the original while retaining its charm, offering improved visuals, a remixed soundtrack, and new gameplay mechanics like playing as enemy characters.
  • Cooperative multiplayer is a highlight, allowing up to six players to enjoy the game together, enhancing the fun and chaotic experience.
  • The combat system is engaging, featuring a mix of beat-em-up and fighting game elements, with a variety of characters and customizable skills that add depth to the gameplay.
  • Some players have reported issues with sound balancing, where background music and sound effects can be too loud or unadjustable, detracting from the overall experience.
  • The game has been criticized for its pacing and level design, with some areas feeling repetitive and lacking in variety, which can lead to a grindy experience.
  • There are concerns about the online player base being low, making it difficult to find matches, and some players feel that the game does not offer enough new content to justify its price compared to the original.
  • gameplay
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate" is praised for its engaging blend of beat-'em-up and fighting game mechanics, featuring fast-paced action, a diverse character roster, and cooperative multiplayer elements. While the game introduces refined mechanics and visual upgrades, some players note that the combat can become repetitive due to simplified controls and overpowered special attacks. Overall, it offers a satisfying experience with depth and variety, appealing to both newcomers and fans of the original.

    • “Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a delightful and action-packed beat-'em-up that combines fast-paced gameplay with charming 2D pixel art and a distinctive anime-inspired aesthetic.”
    • “The core gameplay revolves around navigating colorful, multi-layered stages filled with waves of enemies, each demanding quick reflexes and strategic use of character abilities.”
    • “The combos and counters and different fighting game mechanics are pretty awesome, and as the game goes on, the enemy diversity increases. While often hack and slash oriented, it definitely has more depth than I was aware of.”
    • “Additionally, while the multiplayer experience is a highlight, online connectivity issues occasionally disrupt gameplay for some users.”
    • “The combos are there but the special attacks are overpowered, and the phantom break mechanic is enough to beat every level, so the beat-em-up feels boring.”
    • “The game is fun if you are looking to play with friends in story or arcade mode, but after all is done and leveled up, playing battle grounds mode is the end-game entertainment, or would have been if the mechanics could be adjusted to have more traditional fighting game fundamentals.”
  • story
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate" is described as light yet engaging, centered around fighters battling supernatural forces, with quirky character interactions that enhance the experience between action sequences. While the narrative isn't the main focus and some players find it lackluster, it provides enough context to keep players invested, though there are calls for a longer story and improvements in co-op mode. Overall, the game offers a charming mix of pixel art and anime-inspired storytelling, complemented by an English dub option for accessibility.

    • “The narrative in Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is light but engaging, revolving around a cast of fighters battling supernatural forces unleashed by a mysterious device called the 'Phantom Breaker.' While the story isn’t the main focus, it provides enough context and quirky character interactions to keep players invested between the frenetic action sequences.”
    • “In summary, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a fantastic beat-’em-up that offers a compelling mix of fast-paced action, charming pixel art, and anime-inspired storytelling.”
    • “The music, the characters, the story mode, how good the game feels to play in general, the mechanics - I don't know if there's a single thing I would change.”
    • “If the beat-em-up story mode was all there was to this game, I'd say it's pretty lackluster.”
    • “Secondly, there is no story in co-op mode.”
    • “You can't level up unless you exit the run (co-op or online, haven't tried story mode), causing the stage-clear results to feel jarring since seeing your level go up but not being able to power up feels like a tease.”
  • music
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received a significant remix, enhancing the overall experience with high-energy tracks that complement the visuals and combat intensity. Players appreciate the option to switch between the new remixed soundtrack and the original versions, including both Japanese and English voiceovers. However, some users have reported sound issues, such as faint background music persisting even when the volume is set to zero, which detracts from their enjoyment.

    • “The characters and the style are still there, the music got a nice overhaul but still allows you to select the original soundtrack in the settings, which is great.”
    • “The soundtrack complements the visual style perfectly, with high-energy tracks that amplify the intensity of combat and add to the overall atmosphere.”
    • “The music has been remixed for this version of battle grounds and it sounds amazing but if you're not a fan of it you can switch it to the original.”
    • “I really want to enjoy this game, but the sound issues it has currently are making it difficult for me to enjoy. You can still faintly hear background music even when setting it to 0.”
    • “Even if you turn the music volume to 0, it still plays.”
    • “Also, I'm sorry, but $13 for this soundtrack is absolutely nutty.”
  • graphics
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate" have received positive acclaim for their vibrant pixel art style and anime-inspired aesthetics, which enhance the overall visual experience. The remaster features improved graphics while maintaining the original's charm, with detailed menus and character portraits that add a fresh touch. Players appreciate the lively animations and the nostalgic art style, although some critique the chibi design choices.

    • “Visually, the remaster has improved graphics without straying too far from the original aesthetic, which I like.”
    • “Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a delightful and action-packed beat-'em-up that combines fast-paced gameplay with charming 2D pixel art and a distinctive anime-inspired aesthetic.”
    • “In terms of the visuals, it looks absolutely amazing; this game is so well detailed, it's beyond amazing.”
    • “It's the PS4 version of the game under the hood, with some nearly non-existent graphical enhancements and the ability to play as enemy characters in some modes - which you won't do because they have limited movesets; you'll probably try them once and then just go back to your favorite proper character.”
    • “What I'm not particularly a fan of is the art style, more notably this chibi thing, of taking adults and turning them into toddlers.”
    • “The original was simple but kept everything on par with its pixel art, with the exception of the opening and ending cutscenes which took a different art style approach.”
  • replayability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability through unique character dialogues, multiple endings, and various modes and difficulty levels, encouraging players to explore different playstyles. While the main story is short, the ability to improve character stats and uncover secrets in stages enhances the overall replay value, making it engaging for players seeking depth and challenge.

    • “Each character also comes with unique dialogue and endings, which encourages replayability and exploration of different playstyles.”
    • “Would've liked the story to be a little longer, but with multiple characters, modes, and difficulty levels, there is still plenty of replay value.”
    • “Stages have plenty of secrets to uncover, so the replay value is high as far as that goes.”
    • “But this is a really short game, which means you need other things for replayability.”
    • “Fortunately, hard mode is making us be less lazy and learn the game more, which is redeeming for replay value, essential for such a short game.”
    • “The replayability lies in leveling every character online.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, users report improvements in stability, noting that several options-related glitches from the original version have been resolved, including issues with the FM synthesis DLC being enabled by default.

    • “Some options-related glitches seem to have been resolved, but the original had weird bugs in the options, such as enabling the FM synthesis DLC by default.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
    • “I encountered several stability issues that disrupted my gameplay experience, including random freezes and lag spikes.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, leading to a negative perception of this gameplay element.

    • “It's tedious and boring.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and lacks any real reward.”
    • “I find myself doing the same tasks over and over without any sense of progress.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game is viewed critically, with some users perceiving it as a cash grab rather than a genuine effort to deliver a sequel, despite acknowledging the game's quality.

    • “This feels like a blatant cash grab, with monetization tactics that overshadow the gameplay experience.”
    • “The in-game purchases are excessive and make it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “It's disappointing to see a game I love being turned into a money-making machine rather than focusing on quality content.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game performs well on the Steam Deck, maintaining good performance even during six-player matches, and offers decent battery life.

    • “The Steam Deck performance is great even in a six-player match, and the battery life is decent too.”
    • “The game runs smoothly on lower-end hardware, making it accessible to a wider audience.”
    • “I appreciate the extensive graphics settings that allow for fine-tuning performance based on my system's capabilities.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is enhanced by a perfectly complementary soundtrack, featuring high-energy tracks that intensify combat and enrich the overall experience.

    • “The soundtrack complements the visual style perfectly, with high-energy tracks that amplify the intensity of combat and add to the overall atmosphere.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its nostalgic return to the charm of the original Phantom Breaker, enhanced with new content and amusing characters inspired by the game's mobs, adding a lighthearted touch to the overall experience.

    • “This game brings back what made the old Phantom Breaker good, and improves on it with new content like equipment and passive skills, and funny extra characters based on the mobs.”
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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews
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16h Median play time
16h Average play time
16-16h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a action adventure game with kids theme.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 16 hours playing Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate was released on April 17, 2025.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate was developed by Rocket Panda Games Japan.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its replayability.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a multiplayer game with local co-op support.

Similar games include Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons, WARRIORS OROCHI 4, Fight'N Rage, BlazBlue Entropy Effect and others.