Phantom Breaker

Phantom Breaker is a 2D fighting game that supports two distinctive fighting styles, the player is able to choose between "Quick" style and "Hard" style. Quick style focuses on quick hits and combos while the other is more about defense.

When the player reaches "Overdrive" mode, their character might get an extra increase in speed or defense. Every attack the player releases can cancel out their enemy's attack and raise their tension gauge; timing it right will maximise the player's gauge to boost their attack power.{{Cite web|last=Yip|first=Spencer|title=The Two Types Of Fighters In Phantom Breaker|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2010/11/19/the-two-types-of-fighters-in-phantom-breaker/|website=Siliconera|access-date=April 4, 2022|date=November 19, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119051525/http://www.siliconera.com/2010/11/19/the-two-types-of-fighters-in-phantom-breaker/|archive-date=January 19, 2019}}

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The game's setting takes place in Japan. A mystery organization led by Phantom organised a fighting tournament in Tokyo, whose winner will have their wish granted.

Before the release of Phantom Breaker: Omnia, the game had a total of 18 playable characters.{{Cite web|title=Characters Page of Phantom Breaker|url=http://5pb.jp/games/phantombreaker/character/index.html|website=5pb.|access-date=September 15, 2011}} An additional "female gang member" character was planned, but never made it into the final game.{{Cite web|last=Sahdev|first=Ishaan|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2012/02/24/phantom-breaker-was-going-to-have-a-female-gang-member-character/|title=Phantom Breaker Was Going To Have A Female Gang Member Character|website=Siliconera|date=February 24, 2012|access-date=April 4, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705130345/http://www.siliconera.com/2012/02/24/phantom-breaker-was-going-to-have-a-female-gang-member-character/|archive-date=July 5, 2019}}

• {{Nihongo|Mikoto Nishina|仁科 美琴|Nishina Mikoto}}: A 19-year-old college violinist. Her weapon is a large, two-handed sword named Maestro.
• {{Nihongo|Mei Orisaka|折坂 芽衣|Orisaka Mei}}: A 14-year-old idol. Her weapon is a magical wand called Candy.
• {{Nihongo|Yuzuha Fujibayashi|藤林 柚葉|Fujibayashi Yuzuha}}: A high school girl, who is also a ninja-in-training from the Bakufu era. Her weapons are Shoukaku and Zuikaku — a ninja blade and a kunai.
• {{Nihongo|Waka Kumon|九紋 稚|Kumon Waka}}: A descendant of the miko (a family of exorcists that have had some dealings with Phantom in the past). She fights with Kahoutou, her naginata, to stop the duels.
• {{Nihongo|Ren Tatewaki|帯刀 蓮|Tatewaki Ren}}: One of the few males in this contest. He is fighting to cure his little sister of an incurable disease. He fights with a gauntlet named Koutarou.
• {{Nihongo|M|影霧|Eimu}}: She has no memories and fights only to satisfy her lust for battles. Her weapon of choice is a mace made of scrap materials, named Humongous.
• {{Nihongo|Itsuki Kōno|神埜 唯月|Kōno Itsuki}}: She does not know much of the world and has a gentle personality but a strong sense of justice. She beats opponents over the head with her battle hammer, Maggie.
• {{Nihongo|Ria Tōjō|東條 莉亜|Tōjō Ria}}: She finds out that one of the other combatants in Phantom Breaker killed her mother, and she is on a quest for revenge. She fights with two blades called Aldina.
• {{Nihongo|Tokiya Kanzaki|神崎 刻夜|Kanzaki Tokiya}}: The other male main character in this game. He is the CEO of a pharmaceutical company and he is fighting in order to resurrect his parents, who were assassinated fifteen years ago. He uses a long sword named Setsuna.
• {{Nihongo|Cocoa|心愛|Kokoa}}: She got bored with the real world and modified her body into an idealized version, based on a video game she liked. Her occupation is cosplaying. She fights with a giant claw called Kusenia's Claw.
• {{Nihongo|Fin|フィン|Fin}}: A 9-year-old time traveler from the future who is part of the organization "Schrodinger". She is accompanied by a droid named Mauchuu. Her weapons are all-purpose laser guns named JJ Apple.
• {{Nihongo|Infinity|インフィニティ|Infiniti}}: He is not one of the main characters but the bodyguard to the mysterious Phantom. He fights using telekinesis.
• {{Nihongo|Sophia Karganova|ソフィア・カルガノワ|Sophia.Karuganowa}}: A new character added in Phantom Breaker: Extra. Sophia is a Fu-mantion Artifact made by the Russian Science Academy that despises Phantom.
• {{Nihongo|Shizuka Saejima|冴嶋 閑|Saejima Shizuka}}: A new character added in Phantom Breaker: Extra. A former senior official that worked for Phantom who wants to bring Japan back to its militarism dogma.
• {{Nihongo|Ende|エンデ|Ende}}: A new character added in Phantom Breaker: Extra. Ende is from the Schrödinger Space-Time patrol group and brings a giant robot named Nataku into battle.
• {{Nihongo|Gaito & Rin|ガイト & リン|Gaito & Rin}}: Two new characters added in Phantom Breaker: Extra. Gaito & Rin are a team, but Rin, a 6-year-old girl, controls Gaito, an anti-soul that is brimming with power.
• {{Nihongo|Rimi Sakihata|咲畑 梨深|Sakihata Rimi}}: Guest character from Chaos;Head. She is a Gigalomaniac who can turn her delusions into reality. She wields a DI-sword.
• {{Nihongo|Kurisu Makise|牧瀬 紅莉栖|Makise Kurisu}}: Guest character from Steins;Gate. She is a genius who graduated early from an American university and helps out in a circle that develops strange inventions. She uses these strange inventions in gameplay.

Phantom Breaker was initially slated to be launched in April 2011,{{Cite web|last=Sahdev|first=Ishaan|title=Phantom Breaker Hit With A Delay In Japan|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2011/04/01/phantom-breaker-hit-with-a-delay-in-japan/|website=Siliconera|access-date=April 4, 2022|date=April 1, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221010715/http://www.siliconera.com/2011/04/01/phantom-breaker-hit-with-a-delay-in-japan/|archive-date=February 21, 2017}} but was delayed and released in June 2011.{{Cite web|last=Sahdev|first=Ishaan|title=Phantom Breaker Breaks Out In June, Here's A Trailer|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2011/04/20/phantom-breaker-breaks-out-in-june/|website=Siliconera|access-date=April 4, 2022|date=April 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200330032400/https://www.siliconera.com/phantom-breaker-breaks-out-in-june/|archive-date=March 30, 2020}} The game had been announced for a first quarter 2012 North American release by 7Sixty (a subsidiary of SouthPeak Games){{Cite web|last=Sahdev|first=Ishaan|title=Exclusive: Phantom Breaker To Get Special Limited Edition Release|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2012/01/04/exclusive-phantom-breaker-to-get-special-limited-edition-release/|website=Siliconera|date=January 4, 2012|access-date=April 4, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815201957/http://www.siliconera.com/2012/01/04/exclusive-phantom-breaker-to-get-special-limited-edition-release/|archive-date=August 15, 2019}} but the release has since been cancelled for unknown reasons.

An arcade version of the game running on the RingEdge 2 board titled {{Nihongo|Phantom Breaker: Another Code|ファントムブレイカー アナザーコード|Fantomu Bureikā: Anazā Codo}} was released on April 4, 2013. Version 1.1 was released in June 2013. This version adds Infinity, the game's final boss, as a playable character, rebalanced gameplay, and a new opening movie.{{Cite web|last=Yip|first=Spencer|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/27/phantom-breaker-another-code-makes-final-boss-playable/|title=Phantom Breaker: Another Code Makes Final Boss Playable|website=Siliconera|date=May 27, 2013|access-date=April 4, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924140127/http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/27/phantom-breaker-another-code-makes-final-boss-playable/|archive-date=September 24, 2015}}

In May 2013, 5pb. announced a new updated version of Phantom Breaker titled {{Nihongo|Phantom Breaker: Extra|ファントムブレイカー:エクストラ}} which was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 19, 2013. It features rebalanced gameplay, new characters, new techniques, a new "Extra" fighting style, new stages, renewed background effects, and an online spectator mode.{{Cite web|last=Yip|first=Spencer|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2013/06/26/slap-other-fighters-with-a-giant-robot-hand-in-phantom-breaker-extra/|title=Slap Other Fighters With A Giant Robot Hand In Phantom Breaker: Extra|website=Siliconera|date=June 26, 2013|access-date=April 4, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221010251/http://www.siliconera.com/2013/06/26/slap-other-fighters-with-a-giant-robot-hand-in-phantom-breaker-extra/|archive-date=February 21, 2017}}{{Cite web|last=Yip|first=Spencer|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2013/07/01/phantom-breaker-extra-has-spectator-mode-for-online-battles/|title=Phantom Breaker: Extra Has Spectator Mode For Online Battles|website=Siliconera|date=July 1, 2013|access-date=April 4, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221010740/http://www.siliconera.com/2013/07/01/phantom-breaker-extra-has-spectator-mode-for-online-battles/|archive-date=February 21, 2017}}

In 2020, the company Rocket Panda Games announced that it will publish the updated version of the game called Phantom Breaker: Omnia for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. It features all the fighters from Phantom Breaker: Extra in addition to two new characters, a remixed soundtrack, a new fighting style called "Omnia", balance adjustments, and the ability to play though stories of both the original game and Phantom Breaker: Extra. This is first time the game will see a release outside of Japan and feature both Japanese and English voice acting.{{Cite press release |last=Games |first=Rocket Panda |title=Phantom Breaker: Omnia Launches Worldwide Today! |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/phantom-breaker-omnia-launches-worldwide-today-301502509.html |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}} The game was released on March 15, 2022.{{Cite web|last=Romano|first=Sal|title=Phantom Breaker: Omnia launches March 15, 2022|url=https://www.gematsu.com/2021/12/phantom-breaker-omnia-launches-march-15-2022|website=Gematsu|date=December 13, 2021|access-date=April 4, 2022}} An arcade version of Phantom Breaker: Omnia is to be released in 2024 developed by exA-Arcadia.

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Phantom Breaker received generally negative reviews from critics.{{Cite web|last=Venter|first=Jason|url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/phantom-breaker-review/1900-6372834/|title=Phantom Breaker Review|website=GameSpot|date=April 24, 2012|access-date=April 4, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107172628/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/phantom-breaker-review/1900-6372834/|archive-date=January 7, 2014}} Jason Venter of GameSpot gave the game a score of 4.5/10, saying, "Phantom Breaker fights a losing battle to provide you with a reason to play it instead of one of its many qualified peers."

{{Video game reviews

| MC = PS4: 68/100{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/phantom-breaker-omnia/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4|title=Phantom Breaker: Omnia for PlayStation 4 Reviews|website=Metacritic|access-date=May 10, 2022}}
NS: 66/100{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/phantom-breaker-omnia/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch|title=Phantom Breaker: Omnia for Switch Reviews|website=Metacritic|access-date=April 4, 2022}}
XONE: 69/100{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/phantom-breaker-omnia/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one|title=Phantom Breaker: Omnia for Xbox One Reviews|website=Metacritic|access-date=May 10, 2022}}

| Destruct = 7.5/10{{Cite web|last=Andriessen|first=CJ|url=https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-phantom-breaker-omnia/|title=Review: Phantom Breaker: Omnia|website=Destructoid|date=March 14, 2022|access-date=April 4, 2022}}

| SN = 7/10{{Cite web|last=Denzer|first=TJ|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/129289/phantom-breaker-omnia-review-clash-of-the-magical-girls|title=Phantom Breaker: Omnia review: Clash of the magical girls|website=Shacknews|date=March 14, 2022|access-date=April 4, 2022}}

}}

Phantom Breaker: Omnia received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.

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{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://5pb.jp/games/phantombreaker/top.html|name=Official Phantom Breaker website}} {{in lang|ja}}
• {{Official website|https://apm.sega.jp/ver2/titles/04pbac/index.html|name=Official Phantom Breaker: Another Code website}} {{in lang|ja}}
• {{Official website|http://5pb.jp/games/pbex/|name=Official Phantom Breaker: Extra website}} {{in lang|ja}}
• {{Official website|https://www.phantombreakeromnia.com/|name=Official Phantom Breaker: Omnia website}}

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