Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero Gameplay

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is a turn-based strategy role-playing game (SRPG). Unlike grid-based SRPGs, characters can move freely within a circular area that is determined by their movement stat. Turns are determined by character speed, with a turn order display visible on the game’s interface.

The game incorporates SRPG elements similar to those found in the Disgaea series and the original Phantom Brave, such as throwing enemies and allies across or off the map.

Confine

A core mechanic of Phantom Brave is the "Confine" system. Marona, the protagonist, can bind Phantom allies to objects on the battlefield, such as rocks, trees, and weapons. This act alters the Phantom’s stats based on the object. For instance, confining to a rock increases defense but decreases speed, while confining to a weapon boosts attack. However, confinement is temporary; after a few turns, the Phantom is "Removed" and cannot be confined again in the same battle.

Confriend

Beyond Confine, The Lost Hero features variations on this mechanic. "Confriend" allows Marona to confine a Phantom within herself, significantly boosting her stats and granting her access to special skills.

Achieving specific conditions during Confriend can trigger "Again!," which gives Marona additional turns and further stat increases. The number of Agains and the magnitude of the stat boosts are tied to the bond level between Marona and the confined Phantom.

Confire

Another variation, "Confire," involves the use of Gadgets. These are specialized objects, such as robots, tanks, and other contraptions, that can be deployed onto the battlefield, often by the character Apricot. Phantoms can be confined to these Gadgets, granting them access to special actions and abilities, such as increased attack range or area-of-effect attacks. Gadgets can be developed and enhanced at the player’s base, and different maps feature different Gadgets.

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero Story

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero centers on Marona, a Chroma—a contractor who solves problems for people—who possesses the ability to see and communicate with Phantoms, spirits of individuals long departed. She works alongside her Phantom protector, Ash. Their routine work takes a turn for the worse when their ship is ambushed by the Shipwreck Fleet, a menacing group of ghost ships During the attack, a masked figure steals Marona’s Chroma powers, and in a desperate act to protect her, Ash throws himself into the enemy horde, resulting in their separation.

Washing ashore on a secluded island after the attack, Marona encounters Apricot, a young Phantom girl searching for her missing father, the captain of the once-renowned Argento Pirate Crew. This crew had previously achieved legendary status by defeating the very same Shipwreck Fleet that separated Marona and Ash. However, with their captain’s disappearance, the Argento Pirates are on the brink of disbanding.

Driven by their shared desire to reunite with loved ones, Marona and Apricot form an alliance that takes them to treacherous waters teeming with pirates and ghost ships.

Special cameos from previous Nippon Ichi Software titles appear, primarily after the main story’s completion. These cameos are largely self-contained and do not impact the main narrative.

In addition to the DLC cameos, post-game cameos include:

　⚫︎　Laharl, the protagonist of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
　⚫︎　Valvatorez, the protagonist of Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited
　⚫︎　Pirilika, a protagonist in Digaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless
　⚫︎　Asagi, a recurring character in many Nippon Ichi Software titles
　⚫︎　Cornet, the protagonist of Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
　⚫︎　Priere, the protagonist of La Pucelle: Ragnarok

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Aaron Bruce Albert..

A massive fan of roguelikes, turn-based RPGs, and open world adventure games. His gold standard games include The Binding of Isaac, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and Dragon Quest Monsters Joker.