Phantom Doctrine

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 39
  3. Negative: 8 out of 39

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  1. Acronymous
    Sep 4, 2018
    9
    Due to negative user ratings i had to buy the game once more - this time on PS4. Honestly i don't get where did those negative ratings come from as everything from steering to interface works really well on consoles. Sure the game has it's own design choices and not everyone has to like them but still it's a solid piece of software.
    I love the fact this game is not X-COM clone, it's more    Due to negative user ratings i had to buy the game once more - this time on PS4. Honestly i don't get where did those negative ratings come from as everything from steering to interface works really well on consoles. Sure the game has it's own design choices and not everyone has to like them but still it's a solid piece of software.
    I love the fact this game is not X-COM clone, it's more subtle, has different pacing, focuses on different aspects of the genre. To add even more it's one of very few tactical turn-based games available on PS4! This should only boost it's score instead of lowering it.
    Sure the plot presentation is less than perfect and the learning curve is steep but if you're not looking for a game to play in 15 minutes sessions but rather for something to occupy you for long Autumn evenings this is the game for you.    … Expand
  2. THUnder222
    Jun 12, 2020
    10
    A fantastic turn based strategy and tactics game with late cold war espionage theme. If you like XCOM, you will love this. Base and personnel management, development and customization of characters, lots of weapons and perks? This game has everything. Buy it now.

    P.s. : Loading times could have been shorter.
  3. Mopar63
    Jul 10, 2020
    8
    I used to play ab great but underrated RPG back in the day on tabletop called Top Secret. Phantom menace does a decent job of helping me relive this experience. Today most games are about get a big gun, rush in and kill the bad guys. Nice to see a game that requires though and planning to play well. Really having a lot of fun with this.
  4. ferrarimangtb
    Aug 21, 2018
    6
    The Phantom Doctrine is a great addition with a fresh new take on turn based games. But unfortunately due to it's nearly unplayable buggy mechanics 'upon release'. Issues ultimately plague this games otherwise captivating gameplay & play style. Issues such as, enemies being able to shoot through walls, & or, across the entire map, despite clear structural obstacles, rendering a hostileThe Phantom Doctrine is a great addition with a fresh new take on turn based games. But unfortunately due to it's nearly unplayable buggy mechanics 'upon release'. Issues ultimately plague this games otherwise captivating gameplay & play style. Issues such as, enemies being able to shoot through walls, & or, across the entire map, despite clear structural obstacles, rendering a hostile combative approach virtually useless. Then there's the 'enemy activity' wait mechanic, that tends to often freeze or glitch during it's process. One that persisted regardless of my reloading & restarting of a specific level. Add to that lesser issues like enlongated load times, overly complicated control schemes, & a story that takes a very distant 3rd row backseat to it's gameplay. And at best you have decent game that the developers should have taken their time with. Hence the reasoning for my score.… Expand
  5. hermes820
    Sep 10, 2018
    6
    I love the premise and atmosphere of this game. Even the game play at your base of operations where you send your agents to different locales and what not is entertaining. The actual game play during missions is just cheap and frustrating.
  6. bergcamp101
    Aug 7, 2021
    8
    Very good tactical game with good atmosphere. I was surprised, cause I waited for something similar to XCOM, and it obviously is, but it is a - stealth game. In most cases. And turn-based. Very interesting cocktail.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Worth Playing
    Oct 3, 2018
    75
    Phantom Doctrine's biggest issue is that it compares unfavorably to X-COM. That doesn't make it a bad game, but it emphasizes X-COM's tight design. With Phantom Doctrine, you end up feeling like everything's a touch too unfocused. The metagame is interesting but messy. The combat is filled with interesting ideas but weaker execution. A lot of this may sound really negative, but I had fun with Phantom Doctrine. Fans of X-COM-style games will absolutely find it to be worth playing; it just has so much potential that it's easy to zero in on the little things that it does wrong.
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  2. DarkStation
    Sep 4, 2018
    60
    Phantom Doctrine is a game that is not without merit, but if you decide to tackle it, then you should prepare yourself to endure that sort of love-hate relationship with it. And, if some of the game's issues, like the frustrating details of its stealth and its badly inadequate tutorial can be addressed, then it suddenly becomes an easy one to recommend.
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  3. PlaySense
    Sep 3, 2018
    80
    A good strategy game that plays really well and offers plenty of challenge. You end up feeling like an actual spy while playing this game and that is a big compliment to the developers. Sadly though, there are a couple of difficulty spikes throughout which causes some frustration.
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