Phantom Dust

Deep. Beautiful. Phantasmal. These are all words to describe Phantom Dust, one of the most brilliantly conceived games on Xbox that you may never play. [JPN Import]

A must-have for Live and multiplayer enthusiasts, Phantom Dust is a breath of fresh air in the fps dominant world of online play. And at twenty bucks, it's practically theft!

A fresh gaming experience with slick Live play, and it even comes with a full color instruction booklet. Phantom Dust may well make you question why you spent 50 bucks on your last game.

Perfect controls and breathtaking visuals aside, the localization here is also superb (Majesco grabbed this one post Microsoft polishing every nook and cranny), and the music is, in a word, euphoric. [Feb 2005, p.65]

Excels because it manages to combine action and strategy in a way I never saw coming.

If you own an Xbox and want a truly unique game that is not overly violent then Phantom Dust is just what your doctor ordered!

I can't believe that Phantom Dust retails for only twenty bucks. Considering all it packs in and the workout your brain and fingers get, this is one of the best values in gaming this year, hands down.

The targeting system for Phantom dust is quite horrible.

Phantom Dust sets the bar for action games to come for this generation.

Phantom Dust is worth every dime and nickel you put into it. Ironically it's only $19.99, so Phantom Dust won't be busting your wallet. Don't let the card-collecting stereotype scare you away.

While the single-player offering is a bit generic, the gameplay is incredible deep and a lot of fun once you get the hang of things. The graphics are spectacular and there's some brilliant use of classical and symphonic music, which plays with a tinny filter as if coming in from a ghost radio station.

A unique and terrifically successful blend of strategy, tactics, and fast action. And it's only $20!

With sharp, bright visuals, a ton of multiplayer features and a large number of skills that you can acquire, this could be the next big Pokemon – a grown up, apocalyptic Pokemon, but one that teens will probably gravitate towards as they get too old for Pikachu and his brethren.

It scores big points by offering the most strategic Xbox Live experience available. Patient players willing to take the time to continually tweak and test their arsenals of skills will find themselves with a new favorite game to play online.

Must buy for a frequent Xbox Live user because of it's downloadable content and four player matches.

A nice, neon-enhanced glow sharpens the graphical package, and the colorful costumes of many of the game's characters alleviate the rather dull environmental visuals, above and below ground.

It has some issues, to be sure, but the combat can be quite engaging and most of its strengths outweigh its few flaws. Spawn-camping aside, it is one of the most interesting titles to come out this year.

The battles may seem simple, but they contain enough tricks and cards to provide depth beyond any simple shoot-em-ups.

In some ways, the Xbox equivalent of "Katamari Damacy."

Thanks to the huge variety of powers and strategies, it'll last at least as long as a typical full-priced option.

Though some of its concepts were probably lost or underappreciated by this reviewer, the game is sure to please fans of the growing card game genre, and pretty much anyone can fall in love with the story.

Fans of collectible card games will feel right at home with Phantom Dust's gameplay style and they will appreciate the game's pace.

With gorgeous visuals, a lush and sometimes haunting soundtrack, and the ability to download new powers, Dust is a brilliant counterpoint to the shooter-heavy Xbox Live lineup. [March 2005, p.129]

It seems to me that Phantom Dust was never intended to be released as a budget title. The production values are just too high. Don't hesitate to take advantage of this game; some company's loss is your gain.

There is so much packed into this game that it's a steal at twice the price.

An unusually un-hyped game, which is surprising because although being a little strange and different from the norm is actually a fun and well polished title.

If you like card games or twitch combat then this one is definitely for you.

The combat forces you to think, which is a nice change of pace. For half the price of most other games, you'll likely get twice the enjoyment from Phantom Dust.

It's the fighting that matters, and that, fortunately, is deep. [Feb 2005, p.74]

Buried beneath the dusty clunker of a single player campaign is a ghost of a good multiplayer game.

The game definitely oozes cool and the special effects are top notch, and although the combat does become repetitive, the enormous amount of skills you can collect, missions to embark upon, four-player deathmatch via Xbox Live, and Phantom Dust's $19.99 price tag make it a must buy for those of you looking for a different kind of experience that's normally found on the PS2.

While it feels dynamic for what is, essentially, an RPG of skill harvesting and exploiting, the end result is more about flexibility than exhilaration, more a colourfully-framed and extended session of rock-paper-scissors than any kind of rush. [June 2005, p.87]

It plays, looks and controls well. It is almost surely never going to have a big following in the USA and I don't think many players will consider it great, but at $20 it definitely delivers your money's worth.

It seems to shoot itself in the foot whenever it's poised to really take off and achieve something, but there's still some enjoyment to be had here. [March 2005, p.137]

The integration of real-time battle is executed in a much more effective way than what we were promised of the Knights of the Old Republic series.