Published by TinyBuild
Developed by Bread Team
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch (also available on PC)
Phantom Trigger is a 8-bit roguelike neon slasher with hints of RPG game play. There are game play elements that reminds me of and feels a lot like Hyper Light Drifter. Originally this game was released on Steam, but is now available on the Nintendo Switch. It adds to the playability of the game as you can now take the game on the go. Another great feature is that co-op is available from the get go, which is an amazing plus in my eyes.
The game play can be fast or slow depending on how you play. It is a hack and slash game so you’re going to be hacking away at enemies while trying to make combos. You start off with a teleport spell which can essentially warp you around the room very fast if your button presses are on point. Along the way you will earn a whip, claw hands, and a sword. Now as you kill the enemies with said weapon you will gain experience that will level up that weapon. So you can spend some time farming and maxing out all 3 of your weapons if you desire.
You will eventually learn some combos that require certain orders in using your weapons to unleash different spells. I unfortunately came across them far late in the game as I was mostly just hacking away at baddies. The puzzles are pretty much nonexistent except for a door puzzle that plays more like Simon Says since you have to hit color coded switches with the matching weapons: blue sword, green whip, and red claws. My only real gripe is that the enemies are pretty much the same throughout the game, not really giving us multiple types of monsters so it can be a little repetitive. That and you can pretty much just warp past the enemies to your destination while not having to really fight anything.
The graphics in Phantom Trigger are amazing. I’m a big fan of the 8-bit look and really love how game companies are bringing it back. The colors used really take the cake. The whole neon slasher concept is just that with neon colors everywhere that really light up a dark room. From the slashing animation of your sword to the neon green whip, the action is quite beautiful. There’s just something about little 8-bit candles glowing and lighting up areas that look so cool.
The soundtrack for Phantom Trigger, composed by Ressa Schwartzwald and DiscoFish, is truly awesome. The tracks flow with the game in every aspect. There’s not really a slow part in the game as you’re continually fighting enemies. So the music is with you the whole time and really gets you hyped. The boss fight music gets intense and you can get lost in the beat.
Phantom Trigger’s story is unique. You play as a guy named Stan who has a good life living at home with his wife. One day Stan collapses and wakes up in a hospital. You come to find out he has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. You then put control someone named the Outsider in what you think is some monster infested world. There are cut scenes as you get to checkpoints where you go back to Stan to see what’s going on in his life. Slowly you will see how both the Outsider and Stan fit together in the story.
There are multiple endings, so speeding through the game with the teleport ability will come in handy. Phantom Trigger is only about 4-5 hour long. I didn’t speed through it, but I’m sure it’s possible to complete in 2-3 hours. All in all Phantom Trigger is a fun game to play and is even better if you have a buddy. Playing co-op with a friend makes the adventure so much more rewarding.
