Cloud Dosage reviewed Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero:

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero – Game Review

I never thought we’d see a follow-up to Phantom Brave. The original launched back in 2004, and while it got a few ports over the years, it always felt like one of Nippon Ichi’s forgotten titles. I was in my late twenties at the time, juggling work and gaming when I stumbled onto it. I liked the characters and the strange systems, but I fell off after a few battles. It just didn’t click back then.

Now, two decades later, Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero arrives as a direct sequel and a second chance to revisit Marona and Ash. The story picks up just six months after the first game, but you don’t need to remember the details. A quick opening recap sets things up well, even if you’re coming in fresh. The tone is light, the characters are quirky, and the themes hit harder than expected.

What’s more surprising is how closely this sequel sticks to the original’s weirder ideas. You’re still tossing phantoms into rocks and barrels, only now with more mechanics layered on top. That might scare off newcomers, but if you’re curious, the opening hours give you a clear sense of how it plays.

This isn’t just another tactics game. It’s strange, flexible, and deeply rooted in systems that want you to experiment—or get overwhelmed trying.

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Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is a complex and unconventional strategy RPG that rewards creative thinking and patience. Its systems are overwhelming at first, but flexible enough to support different playstyles. The story offers lighthearted charm with deeper emotional themes, and while the UI and performance need work, there’s still something meaningful here. It’s not for everyone, but if it clicks, it sticks.

Score: 3.7/5

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Noisy Pixel reviewed Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero:

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero Review – An SRPG That Breaks the Mold

The J-RPG Phantom Bave: The Lost Hero has been released:

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero - Steam Launch Trailer

Join Marona and her Phantom friends on a mission to defeat the sinister Shipwreck Fleet! Recruit Phantoms, bind them to objects, combine them with Gadgets, and even merge them with Marona herself in this Play-It-Your-Way RPG.

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RPG Site checked out Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero:

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero PC Port Impressions – Steam Deck Recommended Settings, Switch Comparisons, & More

NIS America will release NIS' Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero on PC (Steam) next week following its debut earlier this year worldwide for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. In our review of the Switch version, Nathan mentioned how the performance detracted from the overall experience. While I enjoyed my time with it on Nintendo Switch, the performance left a lot to be desired. I downloaded the PS5 demo to see how it felt and it was a much better experience there, but I expected more from the port. I was curious to see how the PC version would scale and whether it would offer a great handheld experience. Ahead of its launch, I've been playing the Steam version of Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero on both my Steam Deck and ROG Ally for this PC port feature.

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Learn more about Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero at RPGamer:

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero Reveals New Characters and Details

NIS America released new screenshots and details for Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero. The new details for the sequel to Phantom Brave (aka Phantom Brave: The Hermuda Triangle) include characters and gameplay elements.

The characters introduced are Rouen, Henna, Urumi, and Mayfair. Rouen is the Phantom of a beastman who used to be the first mate of the Argento Pirate Crew and the right-hand wolfman of the leader of the fleet, Apricot’s father. He lost his life five years prior to the game’s events following a fateful encounter with the Shipwreck Fleet. Due to his former position, he tends to be overprotective towards Apricot. Henna is the Phantom of a former queen of the desertic Hasara Kingdom, who died in a coup d’état brought about by bad political decisions on her part. She opposes the current queen of Hasara — her sister — and has bewitching powers turning others into her servants.

Urumi is a Phantom boy who inhabits Snowfall Island, a place covered in snow all year round. He met his end at a young age and possesses the ability to control the climate around him. His power caused the death of many inhabitants of Snowfall Island, warranting him the nickname of “devil”. Mayfair is a swashbuckler and the leader of a pirate group, where she acts like a big sister figure valuing her crew she considers like her family. She meets Marona and her companions on the island of Versailles, which she protects from poachers.

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RPG Site reports some story details for Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero:

New screenshots for Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero detail story and characters

NIS America has released new screenshots and information for Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero, detailing the game's story and character cast.

The Lost Hero is a sequel to 2004 tactical RPG Phantom Brave, which is currently available for purchase on Nintendo Switch and PC. The surprise sequel was announced during the June Nintendo Direct.

The information can be found below, with images in the gallery, via NIS America.

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is set to release in 2025 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam). The Steam version will follow the console versions later in the year.

Story
Ivoire - a world covered almost entirely with water, and dotted with islands of various sizes. In this world, humans, beast-people, magical beings, and all kinds of life coexist.

Marona, a girl who can see Phantoms, works alongside her Phantom partner Ash as a Chroma, a type of contractor who travels to various islands and solves people's problems, upon request. As Marona and Ash are returning home from a Chroma job as usual, disaster strikes. Their ship is attacked by a group of vicious ghost ships known as the “Shipwreck Fleet.” A mysterious masked man steals Marona's powers, and to save her, Ash jumps into the horde of enemies alone. Thus, Marona and Ash are separated.

After escaping the Shipwreck Fleet and washing ashore on an isolated island, Marona encounters a young Phantom girl named Apricot, who wants to reunite with her lost father —the captain of the Argento Pirate Crew who once defeated the Shipwreck Fleet. However, the crew is now on the verge of disbanding after losing their captain. Apricot wants to revitalize the crew and search for her father, and Marona agrees to help her.

To travel this region of the sea, which is filled with pirate territories, they must become pirates themselves and expand their own territory. Marona and Apricot decide to work together to revitalize the Argento Pirate Crew in order to reunite with those who are dear to them. Set on the high seas, where ghost ships and pirates run rampant, this story about the bond between Phantoms and the girl who connects with them...is about to unfold.

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The strategy RPG Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero has been announced for 2025:

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero - Announce Trailer

Join Marona and her Phantom friends on a mission to defeat the sinister Shipwreck Fleet! Recruit Phantoms, bind them to objects, combine them with Gadgets, and even merge them with Marona herself in this Play-It-Your-Way RPG.

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