Phantom Squad

About

Phantom Squad is a single player and multiplayer tactical shooter game with a violence theme. It was developed by Ctrl Freak and was released on July 18, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

Phantom Squad drops you into the chaos of top-down tactical combat built for co-op. Squad up with friends in 1–4 player missions where communication, coordination, and smart planning are the difference between clean execution and total wipeout. Plan Your StrikeUse voice chat and in-game tools to coordinate your approach. Move fast and adapt as things change; the enemy won’t hesitate. Intens…

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 151 reviews

story21 positive mentions

Deep tactical gameplay with a strong emphasis on planning and coordination, especially rewarding in co-op mode with friends.
Varied missions and diverse equipment/gadgets that allow multiple approaches to objectives.
Active and responsive developer, frequent patches and a roadmap for future updates including new modes and content.

Lack of matchmaking and server browser makes finding co-op games difficult unless you have friends to play with.
Solo play is possible but significantly harder and less enjoyable without AI teammates or easier options.
Some frustrating level design issues such as inconsistent enemy AI behavior, difficulty spikes (notably mission 6), and predictable enemy placements reducing replayability.

story
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
76%
4%
The story-driven campaign offers 11 varied, challenging tactical missions that reward careful planning and strategy, with dynamic objectives and meaningful gear progression enhancing engagement. While the narrative includes unexpected twists and scales for solo or co-op play, some missions can be frustratingly difficult, and replayability is limited due to static enemy placements and lack of procedural generation. Players appreciate the tactical depth and cooperative coordination, though calls for more missions, a mission editor, and improved checkpoint systems remain.
- “The missions are varied and offer different objectives after completing them for the first time.”
- “Before each mission, you can map out routes, mark entry points, and coordinate a full strategy with your squad.”
- “Mistakes have consequences, which keeps the tension high every mission.”
- “The inconsistent enemy reactions, especially in coop, made me unable to finish the game, stopping at the second to second to last mission.”
- “Missions are almost the same every time (enemy positions etc.).”
- “The only truly bad part about this game was mission 06, very very very unfun in both singleplayer and multiplayer, where you're at a direct disadvantage if you're playing with friends. (Edit: mission 6 got checkpoints, which doesn't entirely fix the issue but makes it less of a complete drag.)”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
44%
13%
The gameplay offers a well-balanced mix of tactical strategy and fast-paced action, emphasizing teamwork, situational awareness, and deliberate decision-making, especially in co-op mode. It features diverse, customizable combat options with smooth pacing and an engaging campaign, delivering a fun and challenging experience both solo and with friends. While some mechanics like enemy detection feel inconsistent, overall the gameplay is highly praised for its depth, responsiveness, and unique fusion of strategic and reflex elements.
- “I really like this game; it's a good mix between tactical gameplay and pure explosive action.”
- “Developed by Ctrl Freak and published by Super Rare Originals, the game presents itself as a modern interpretation of classic tactical operations gameplay, viewed from a clean top-down perspective that emphasizes situational awareness and deliberate decision-making.”
- “The gameplay loop is fun and challenging, and while undoubtedly designed to be played co-op, with some skill and patience you can beat the game in single player.”
- “Zero detection mechanic or viewcone for enemies, so it goes from 'haha idk where you are' to instant aimbot out of nowhere.”
- “Well at £11.99 full price this game offers 11 campaign missions with a decent enough story to justify the tactical swat gameplay loop.”
- “Developed by ctrl freak and published by super rare originals, the game presents itself as a modern interpretation of classic tactical operations gameplay, viewed from a clean top-down perspective that emphasizes situational awareness and deliberate decision-making.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Replayability varies across the games reviewed: some offer numerous well-designed levels and multiple modes, including special modes like t-hunt, enhancing replay value. However, others like Phantom Squad suffer from limited replayability beyond achieving 3-star ratings, leaving the experience feeling short-lived. Overall, the lack of varied or extended content often hinders players' motivation to revisit the game after initial completion.
- “There's plenty of well designed levels and you can play each of them in a variety of modes that keep the game endlessly replayable.”
- “On top of that you can replay those maps in the new t-hunt game mode offering a little bit of replayability.”
- “Overall the game was fun and needs replayability, mainly because it seems easy to implement and an easy way to sink more hours into the game.”
- “Phantom Squad currently lacks replayability (outside of getting 3 stars on every mission), which is a pretty big issue.”
- “Overall, kinda mid, and no replayability.”
- “On top of that, you can replay those maps in the new t-hunt game mode, offering a little bit of replayability.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is lighthearted and often arises from unexpected, intense battles, including funny moments like team-kills and quirky glitches. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, featuring hilarious elements such as amusing badguy screams.
- “Doesn't take itself too seriously and allows for some funny moments like team-kills and other janky-ness.”
- “This is a pretty funny game to shoot hostages in.”
- “Hilarious badguy screams.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The graphics are praised for their detailed and polished design, delivering a visually pleasing experience despite a simple top-down art style. The artwork is complemented by effective sound design, enhancing the overall tactical gameplay.
- “Graphics and attention to detail are on point.”
- “Don't be fooled by the top-down view and simple art style.”
- “Slick real-time tactical game with pleasing visuals and sound.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Stability in this game is inconsistent, with some players experiencing significant bugs that disrupt gameplay, such as unexpected explosions during actions. However, others report smooth performance with no lag or glitches, indicating mixed stability overall.
- “No lag, no glitches.”
- “This game made me want to lobotomize myself with a wooden spoon. I like the game but holy moly is it buggy. When it works, it works, but sometimes the suicide bombers will explode in my face while I'm handcuffing them. You need to fix your game!!!”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features excellent optimization, delivering smooth performance across most systems. This allows players to seamlessly replay missions and refine tactics without technical hindrances.
- “Replaying missions to refine tactics or pursue higher performance ratings becomes a natural extension of the game’s mastery-driven design.”
- “Excellent performance on most systems.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music is subtle and effectively enhances tension, complementing the game's pacing without becoming distracting.
- “The soundtrack stays restrained, heightening tension without distracting from the careful pacing of each mission.”