Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive has all the components of an addictive, satisfying beat-'em-up, but it just doesn't harmonise them as well as it should. Its overly complex battle system clashes with its bustling moment-to-moment gameplay, and the result is an often frustrating fighter with a deceivingly steep learning curve. That said, there's no denying that there's still fun to be had with this great looking brawler, especially if you join forces with a couple of capable players.

If you would like to deliver some justice on the streets in a wacky anime world with appropriate modern touches in all the right places, this latest iteration of Phantom Breaker might be worth checking out.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive remains a solid beat-'em-up no matter what system it appears on. The mixing of fighting game mechanics with a more modern beat-'em-up set of mechanics works well thanks to the fact that you're flooded with varied enemies. The leveling system and the inclusion of a good roster of characters adds replay value, while local co-op play makes up for the lack of online play, especially since the Switch has been touted as being big on local multiplayer. Overall, Battle Grounds Overdrive is another good choice for the console.

Looking lovely and colourful on the TV or portable Switch screen, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive is a quality little chibi beat 'em up that deserves a chance by any genre fan.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive is a fun beat-’em-up with character skill customization. Unfortunately, the game’s short story, repetitive battles, and lack of online co-op make the replay value less than what it could be.

It's repetitive and will give you a thumb ache, but it's brief and a blast to play. It doesn't call me back to revisit it like Golden Axe and Streets of Rage have done in the past, but it's a great little title for Switch – and the other platforms it's on.

A fantastic beat em up with varied gameplay that plays great in both handheld and docked modes.

When all is said and done, Phantom Breaker Battlegrounds Overdrive is an okay game. One that, if you have a few minutes to spare, you can easily crank out a level or two, but not one of those games that will bring you back that often. Beautiful art, animation and music can't seem to pump up the repetitive nature of the whole package.

For the pretty budget price what you get out of Phantom Break: Battle Grounds Overdrive is a beat-em-up with more depth than you'd expect but that I doubt most people are capable of fully extracting either. I think for an average gamer they'll be able to latch onto enough that it can a fun distraction but with the way the challenge ramps up with bosses a few levels in it may be aggravating as well since the game doesn't slowly ramp you up into fully realizing the skills available to you. If you're up for a challenge and think a somewhat complex fighting system in a beat-em-up sounds appealing it may be right for you though.

Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds Overdrive is a solid game with a steep learning curve without much in the way of tutorials. For those with patience to learn its intricacies, it is extremely rewarding, and a ton of fun. For those looking for a casual romp through a mindless beat 'em up, this is not the game for you.