Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds

All taken together, Phantom Breaker offers a couple hours of mindless, mass-bashing fun. It has some of the same charm as old-school beat'em up arcade games like Turtles in Time, but with an Japanese anime theme. It's fun for a time, but it passes quickly, and it's very easy to move on without looking back.

In short, a game that despite its Otaku or childish appearance hides a good “me against the neighborhood” that is not just a tribute to the golden age of 2D in 32 bits. It has more depth than it seems, if you like the genre and you have the chance, you should try it. Besides, with all the cooperative gameplay options you are sure to enjoy good times with the company of friends.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a renewed take on a beat 'em up that probably felt a little outdated back when it launched in 2012, and while the revamped graphics and the engine are both nice, they're not enough to make this feel like a game that's really worth sinking your time into. It's a fun five minutes or so here and there, but it's just not doing enough to really make it an enjoyable time.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is proving itself to be eternal. Here we are, more than a decade from the game's initial release and it is as addictive and enjoyable as ever. This has truly become a beat 'em up classic and has demonstrated that it can stand the test of time. The Ultimate version is just that-the ultimate version of the game. It looks, sounds, and plays better than ever. Fans of the genre must experience this one and they will find a game that they'll keep in rotation forever.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate takes the solid foundation of a Beat ‘Em Up and applies 2D Fighter controls to it for a fast, arcade-style action that’s impossible to put down.

The definitive edition of beat 'em up Phantom Breaker

If you can live with that issue, then Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a solid title. The original game remains a fun beat-'em-up since it tries to do something different from its contemporaries. The additional characters make the game lean heavily toward being goofy, but few will complain when it also means expanded online play for all. For genre fans who want something breezy, this is well worth checking out.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate offers a ton of beat 'em up fun, especially if you're playing with chums. At the same time, there's no denying how repetitive it gets but the grind can certainly be entertaining, especially with such lovely sights and sounds. 💢

One nice element of the game is that the various fighters you have to choose from vary pretty wildly in style so there should be an opportunity to find something to suit most tastes...

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds isn't going to convert anyone who sees beat 'em ups as mindless entertainment. Yet even when its ideas are half-baked in execution, the overwhelming style and ambition here make for one of the genre's more memorable entries in recent years. If you're in the market for a decent beat'em up, you'll have a tough time not to respecting 5pb's effort to breathe life into the genre.