@@Caspicum Have you played Soul Nomad? Blade's picture reminded me of it, and it is surprisingly well connected to Phantom Brave. If you haven't yet, i strongly recommend trying it.
@@anexplosion5436 I played a little bit of it for this video, mostly to illustrate the point that NIS made some weird fuckin' games, but I've only ever hit up the tutorial level. It's on the list of videos I want to do at some point though!
@@Caspicum Ok. Just want to note, the game has a hidden second storyline called "Demon Path". You only want to go on that path on a second playthrough, as it is A. More impactful, and B. Super hard.
I love this game, especially the music. I still search up R&R Junkie from time-to-time. Absolutely _hyped_ for the sequel, maybe even more than Prime 4.
Phantom brave and Makai kingdom utilize similar gameplay mechanics. One has a loli that makes rocks move, another has a magic book that lives in a dog house.
@@Caspicum Yeah but when "The One" Expires and King Drake uses him as a hand puppet, that shit had me in tears it was so funny. Makai Kingdom is probably the funniest in the ENTIRE Netherverse. That's primarily due to the way the Overlords are always busting each other's baals.
Sent this to my friend lol. Was watching him play this a few months ago, and it looked pretty fun. I always enjoy a good strategy RPG, and I like the cute art-style. The amount of jokes you made about the little girl oh my gosh XD. Good video Casp.
I loved this game too back when I first played it back on PS2. So, I'm just glad to see a UA-camr I like who not only knows about it, but also recommends people to try it out if various things you went over in this video interest them. Which I've even tried to express without gettin' too spoilery about it as well. For a quick side note, I'm surprised you didn't mention how great the soundtrack is (Strange Wind is an incredibly beautiful song) and how Putties were clearly inspired by Snufkin.
I don't know what snufkin is... Wait, is that the guy from Moomins? OH SHIT. THEY ARE TOO! Soundtrack is absolute banger as well. I don't mention music because I like most tracks, and it's infinitely subjective, but if I use music in a video, I probably love it.
its Crazy I remember playing this game on the ps2 when i found it on a pawn shop and my father bought it for me after playing the game i immediately fell in love with the game and to this day i play it time to time on the PC version And after 20 YEARS They're Making a new game it was once a part of my childhood and now its coming back!
Yeah unfortunately D6 went to the way of 3D, I much heavily preferred it in 2D. D7 is the first game I don't own from the series, though it did get better scores and recommendations than 6.
Ah, talk about a blast from the past. I loved Phantom Brave and bought it after beating La Pucelle and Disgaea. It has infinite charm and I found the Phantom system to be the right kind of complex. Thank you for shedding light onto this oft-forgotten masterpiece.
Gawd, thank you so much for the Phantom Brave review, my fave game of the entire NIS multiverse- and ever. Such an emotional ride, this one, and gameplay as deep as a dark pool. This was NIS at their golden age, and despite still being a proper fan of theirs, I'm surprised they've not considered looking back at their original titles, especially giving the times they're currently struggling in. Hell, it might not even help, but no one can make a TRPG quite like they can, dood.
Phantom brace was my first NiS game. I got embarrassingly far without realizing the amount of grind these games recommend. I truly love the writing in this game but the gameplay has a lot of weird gameplay systems that weird me out and turn limits for phantoms that felt unfair to me as a child. Love the video Casp!
I remember playing through this on PSP back in the day and I loved it so much, I certainly prefer Disgaea but the experience from Phantom brave was well worth all the time I sank into it I bought it again on PC to support the title but haven't found much time to go back to it again Good video!!
THAT'S JUST SO SAD! Quite a few years ago i tried playing it, but due to some stuff happening on my end i could't continue (we can say i was just a few hours in). So hearing you describe the story and her strugles i almost cried! PS. I watched this during a break at my job, so thank god i didn't...
Phantom brave is a amazing game. Despite the ports falling short with minor glitches here and there. The addition of "another marona mode" was very nice. Sadly it really was overlooked but it is one hell of a good gem though. Thank you for bringing this game to our attention.
The fact that people are interested in Phantom Brave still is gratifying. The best part of doing UA-cam stuff is showcasing games people might've missed.
Makai Kingdom is a good boy. THe PSP version got a fan translation recently. Recently being within the last couple years. I have been on the internet for too long.
This is BY FAR one of my MOST beloved game in all my years of gaming ever since i was 9 It was been one of my favorite games of all times the first one being Legend of the Dragoon. This game has an amazing story amazing grind, character development, plot twists and so much more.
Oh shit, Legend of Dragoon is easily one of my faves as well. It's up there with Breath of Fires 3 and 4, Ogre Battle, Alundra, and all sorts of other good shit. The good taste boys are out today.
@@Caspicum Walnut from phantom brave is a main character. at the end of phantom brave he was sucked into that worm hole and came out in soul nomad's world
@@Caspicum It's a good one, especially once you beat the game and travel the DEMON PATH. Then you get to spend the whole game being an absolute vile dick-bag to everyone you ever bonded with in the normal path. Also Female Revya is canon.
@@millgiass Soul Nomad is, kinda like Phantom Brave, a kinda unusually well written story (that sounds backhanded, but, I don't know how else to put it. It's like, too serious, but doesn't always know how to handle that?), but the Demon Path is something wonderful and special. It pokes at how contrived RPG Plots are, and how utterly they fall apart if any one thing goes wrong.
This is my first time seeing a video made about Phantom Brave's story/gameplay. You did an amazing job! This is my favorite game of all time, and you explained stuff very well. My only issue is the combat is way jankier than you explain it as in terms of movement and certain attacks seemingly not working properly on occasion (which makes sense, it was an experiment in a way). Still enjoyable, just a bit rough around the edges ^^'
Oh yeah, it's pretty rough depending on the terrain and how many units are clumped together. The perspective often makes it difficult to see what's in an AoE attack as well, which is iffy. I didn't want to make this a full review, more just wanted to sell it to people. That said, I'd love to give the combat a good thorough going-over at some point.
Sorry, I couldn't hear you for 18 minutes, I was distracted by this GORGEOUS artstyle. And there's a penguin enemy named Antonio? Wishlisted. I'll not play it soon because I have a massive backlog, but I'll check it out eventually.
One of my favorite video games of all time. Same quirkiness and fun as the Disgaea games, but not as complicated. Hilarious stories, like all of these titles by the developer. Super fun gameplay, almost like a board game/puzzle. Love it. More people should of played this one
One of my favorite games I never beat because of grinding. I bought it a long long time ago and then sold it. Been wanting to play it again for a long time so that's for reinvigorating me with this video. Imma go pick it up while it's still on sale.
Quality comment. Someone else said it was on sale currently on Steam, which is brilliant. The PC version has a few issues, particularly with two video options resetting on launch, but other than that, it seems fine!
Wait, is this game trying to say that there are two sides to every story?! I feel like the upscaled artwork being so clean sort of clashes with the pixel art of the characters. That painted look doesn't mesh greatly, but I imagine it looked better in the earlier, presumably low quality versions of the game. I also enjoyed you bashing the bald bloke with a rock for no reason.
I played Phantom Brave way back 2004 and accumulated 250+ hours of game time which ranges from level grinding characters, collecting mana to unlock skills and magic spells, unlocking extra stages, the works. It is a really good game but those who first played Disgaea 1 would be turned off by the high level of difficulty this game has to offer when they try out Phantom Brave. I wish NIS would make more sequels to this game instead of just focusing on their flagship title which is DIsgaea.
I also love how in this game any class can be powerful offensively with right weapon as every stat is used by some stats ( grass do damage based off speed with a lot of attacks rocks a lot based off defense trees hp vases and eggs and crystals resistance ( egg best marona weapon if you can get one but add some vase and crystal attacks for support and elemental coverage and she can actually solo the game if you level her up enough since with an egg she can do massive damage and be real tanky and self heal ( however you have to be real careful to make sure she doesn’t die)
You know this a legit Phantom Brave video when someone brings up the browser game. But for real tho, great job👍 I hope you cover Makai Kingdom at some point. It's one of my fav golden age NIS games but I feel like it's one of the most forgotten.
I would love to play that browser game, hey. It also looks largely text-based and that tickles me in all the right places. I will try to cover Makai Kingdom, but I got a lot of stuff on the backlog!
Love how you cover lesser known titles. I'll admit, I never got the experience any NIS games. I remember reading about them in a gaming magazine back in school. Disgaea being a PlayStation 2 exclusive bummed me, but I wish I could play them one day. When they came to Steam, I had lost interest by then. Now that I've seen your review, holy smokes! I was missing on some good stuff. The story setup seems amazing! And the gameplay looks very nice and open-ended too. It's in my Wishlist for this Summer Sale.
It pisses me off too, because I constantly see "Gaming needs more good, female protagonists" but like... YOU'RE DISRESPECTING MY MARONA. People need to play more JRPGs, I swear most of their demands would vanish overnight. If you end up grabbing it, you gotta let me know what you think!
I only have played this on the psp because it was the only way I could buy it back in the day. I've beaten it four times on the psp and will buy the nis collection on the switch and play agaib
I first got this game in 2006 It was fun. It's often frustrating too! Way more tactics involved in this entry than the typical Disgaea game. It's ROUGH. The island beat downs are mostly good for leveling up and fusing weapons rather than being viable for a level farming tactic. The "Failure" dungeons are the best for leveling characters, incuding Marona because failures are such shit-wads that you can beat guys several hundreds if not thousands of times your level. (Just don't carry around power weapons because that'll surely get you killed.)
when i got to the one netherworld in disgaea 5 where anyone thrown off the battlefield would die, my first thought was "hey!! this is disgaea, not phantom brave!!" amazing video dude
the game just got a massive update to enhance the pc experience, improving frame rate, fixing bugs, adding more video settings, etc. good time to try it for anyone interested
17:00 but it also grants the character dark points and the more points they have the more likely they are to attack/kill fellow phantoms when you are out assuming you don't confine it in battle. Also any character other than Ash that gets 100 dark points also learns the Dark Eboreous skill
Oh I never replied. I don't remember dark points in disgaea 2. I remember felonies which really didn't affect anything. Oh SEQUEL ANNOUNCED LET'S GOOO @Caspicum
Well, never seen or heard of this game until now. ...And I like what I'm seeing/hearing. Seems to have more in common with the often-forgotten Rhapsody series than Disgaea.
had this game on the Wii as a lad and... i could never finish the game because i'd get way too caught up in making a powerful super weapon with insane stats and way too many abilities...
I played this game on PS2 back in high school and have 2 fond Memories: 1. Abusing the heck out of the movement/targeting system as much as I could. 2. My sister deciding she wanted to play, and then getting crushed by a squirrel during the tutorial because she skipped over the dialogue that explained how to remove its invincibility.
I'm pretty sure I did the exact thing when I was grabbing PSP footage. I immediately confined 3 people then saw that he had invincibility. gotta read that shit, BOI
I've seen *a mother who invited old men to bang her 14 yr old daughter for cash.* The kid (oddly enough) claims to like it. But *a child is never truly willing.* A kid's bad decisions are just the result of a bad life, grooming, & shit parenting. The law will still punish you mercilessly regardless of who initiated it. Deservingly so. *Even if a kid lies about their age,* you will still be held legally responsible. So you'd best aim for older-looking chicks or get damn good confirmation that they're legal.
When I discovered Disgaea, I went and tried to buy and play every single other NIS game that was similar to it. This was a long time ago, but I remember not liking Phantom Brave. And I think the main reason was when I learned that my characters could only be in battle for a few turns I stopped playing. I still have it on my shelf though, so maybe I should try it again.
Phantom Brave PC was the first time I was introduced to Nippon Ichi Software... only recently have I decided to try Disgaea, this video makes me want to play PB again XD
Alrighty, couldn't watch the whole thing but only because now I want to experience it myself with no further spoilers. I actually had the opportunity to play this when my friend let me borrow it for PS2 but at that time, I wasn't nearly as open weird anime tropes and storytelling like I am now. Thanks for shining a light on another game I need to add to my ever growing back log.
I loved that game. It was pretty depressing how she was treated, but ultimately I loved how it ended up. I do remember getting really frustrated with the battle mechanics at times though. I think there was two specific fights that really gave me trouble.
How's the Switch version hold up? I played the Switch version of Soul Nomad and had a consistent crash about 6 hours in that wouldn't let me past. Absolutely seething.
@@Caspicum No idea! I have a massive backlog and that isn't one of the games I'm playing next. :D That being said, I'll go look it up real quick. Ok, I looked around and......learned fuck all, about all I got was it might have some camera issues, beyond that I have no idea.
i don't remember much despite having finishing the game, maybe because the story is kinda depressing and very emotional and deep in my mind, i want to forget about it, but, one thing i did remember, i want to hug marona so badly, what a sweetheart 😭😭😭
My favorite parts are the dungeon creation and diving (the dungeon system in general, and character options. I like being able to take something stupid like a pumpkin and use it to wipe out a strong boss with an OP move
UA-cam has been hiding comments from me, and I didn't see this a month ago, but you right. The dungeon-creation was fantastic, and especially so for completely breaking progression and end-game grinding.
My favorite was the bell. I like how it was so large you could use it as a meaningful stepping stone to scale large walls if not clubbing something to death with it. Also looks proper intimidating on Baal, but who cares about that.
@@Caspicum yeah, separatedly I'm fine with each style, I'm a diehard "pixelart" lover and surely hand drawn as well. Will try later on the screen of my pc! (now on phone) same happened with mana for switch.
The first time I played this game, I fucking loathed it even though I was a massive disgaea fan. Then I got used to and learned how the newer mechanics worked and learned to love it.
@@Caspicum It is one of the few times I have changed my opinion on a video game. Btw I like your Brittish accent. I am Canadian but my mom's family is from the British Isles. My Grandpa Wood is English and while he was serving for the Canadian Air Force in WW2 he met my Grandma from Aberdeen Scotland.
@@jayrobitaille2402 I'm actually Australian! When I record scripts I put on a bit of a voice to sound more enthusiastic than my regular speaking voice, and I cut the Australianisms and slang so normal people can understand what I'm saying... Sometimes. I'd imagine a Canadian/British accent would be an interesting combo though. Especially because of the variance of each.
I bought this game having no clue it was related to the Disgaea series, I just liked the box art and it was cheap. Imagine teenage me seeing Laharl show up out of nowhere. I was so confused and amazed.
That sounds like a great time. I didn't have the internet at the time,s o I was all set to experience that same thing, but I never made it to end-game in my youth :(
It's not ENTIRELY forgotten...? In DD2, if you look hard enough, you cam actually find Etoile Rosenqueen's mug on the side of a vending machine in the Castle hub.
Rosenqueen shop is all over disgaea series. I just want more nods to cornet and kururu. Also NISA really abandoned that series which is really sad. They never ever bring it up. I would so like a reboot/remake to come back, proper this time and not the sketchy NDS release that was missing things. Keep the nds artwork tho, I do love kaoru Maruyama's art.
@@SIMIFU No, no! You're not wrong, dood. In fact, I was hoping that the inclusion of pixie units in D5 would equal a Kururu cameo along the way (or at the very least, Cpt. Homard and Papillon DLC). I'm trying to think of other Rhapsody series references, but there may not be any, except for maybe generated names. I just mentioned Etoile because you DON'T really see any other Rhapsody characters as cameos, Rosenqueen or no. The other instance was probably Kururu in DHD, but did we even properly receive that DLC? I would love a remake of the original Rhapsody myself, as well as the other Marl Kingdom games. They felt so innocent and magical, imo. Plus, random-encountered TRPG battles seem rad as hell.
I got some of these games on the PSP. I had a laugh with the Unloosing Ranger Vs Dark Death Evilman. That game was a parody of Super Senta/Power Rangers and I loved it.
@@Caspicum No worries, thanks you for the response. I'll try and find the time to get through it. The backlog of other games continues to get in the way lol.
“You haven’t lived until you’ve beaten someone to death with an anthill.”
That line is amazing without context
Dang I can’t believe it’s getting a sequel
RIGHT?!
Oh sweet! Giving Phantom Brave some love! Thanks Casp!
Gotta shill them good games!
@@Caspicum Have you played Soul Nomad?
Blade's picture reminded me of it, and it is surprisingly well connected to Phantom Brave.
If you haven't yet, i strongly recommend trying it.
@@anexplosion5436 I played a little bit of it for this video, mostly to illustrate the point that NIS made some weird fuckin' games, but I've only ever hit up the tutorial level. It's on the list of videos I want to do at some point though!
@@Caspicum Ok.
Just want to note, the game has a hidden second storyline called "Demon Path".
You only want to go on that path on a second playthrough, as it is A. More impactful, and B. Super hard.
This made me happy as well. I have almost never even heard people mention phantom brave but it's such a timeless gem
I love this game, especially the music. I still search up R&R Junkie from time-to-time. Absolutely _hyped_ for the sequel, maybe even more than Prime 4.
And now, out of nowhere, a sequel approaches.
Phantom brave and Makai kingdom utilize similar gameplay mechanics. One has a loli that makes rocks move, another has a magic book that lives in a dog house.
I do love me some cheeky Makai Kingdom. It doesn't have a rock-moving loli tho :(
@@Caspicum Yeah but when "The One" Expires and King Drake uses him as a hand puppet, that shit had me in tears it was so funny. Makai Kingdom is probably the funniest in the ENTIRE Netherverse. That's primarily due to the way the Overlords are always busting each other's baals.
Sent this to my friend lol. Was watching him play this a few months ago, and it looked pretty fun. I always enjoy a good strategy RPG, and I like the cute art-style. The amount of jokes you made about the little girl oh my gosh XD. Good video Casp.
I... I'm trying to not lewd the loli. I will get better.
Also, that's rad. I miss the days of watching mates play good games.
I loved this game too back when I first played it back on PS2. So, I'm just glad to see a UA-camr I like who not only knows about it, but also recommends people to try it out if various things you went over in this video interest them. Which I've even tried to express without gettin' too spoilery about it as well.
For a quick side note, I'm surprised you didn't mention how great the soundtrack is (Strange Wind is an incredibly beautiful song) and how Putties were clearly inspired by Snufkin.
yea this game was boss on the psp everything was OP never got to the 9999 gods tho
I don't know what snufkin is... Wait, is that the guy from Moomins? OH SHIT. THEY ARE TOO!
Soundtrack is absolute banger as well. I don't mention music because I like most tracks, and it's infinitely subjective, but if I use music in a video, I probably love it.
An absolute gem from my childhood. Ah... Thanks for making this.
Thanks for watching and being a fan of an amazing game!
its Crazy I remember playing this game on the ps2 when i found it on a pawn shop and my father bought it for me after playing the game i immediately fell in love with the game and to this day i play it time to time on the PC version And after 20 YEARS They're Making a new game it was once a part of my childhood and now its coming back!
It's a damn shame it's 3D, but I do hope it's not bad. I don't think PB needed a sequel, but it's getting one, so it'd want to be good
Yeah unfortunately D6 went to the way of 3D, I much heavily preferred it in 2D. D7 is the first game I don't own from the series, though it did get better scores and recommendations than 6.
Ah, talk about a blast from the past. I loved Phantom Brave and bought it after beating La Pucelle and Disgaea. It has infinite charm and I found the Phantom system to be the right kind of complex. Thank you for shedding light onto this oft-forgotten masterpiece.
If even one person picks it up, I've done my job.
I loved this game, I loved Marona so much. She made me cry a lot. I was always hoping for a sequel.
IS CIMING TO SWITCH!!!
Incoming sequel!!
Beating someone to death with a fish is even more fun than using an anthill.
Gawd, thank you so much for the Phantom Brave review, my fave game of the entire NIS multiverse- and ever. Such an emotional ride, this one, and gameplay as deep as a dark pool.
This was NIS at their golden age, and despite still being a proper fan of theirs, I'm surprised they've not considered looking back at their original titles, especially giving the times they're currently struggling in. Hell, it might not even help, but no one can make a TRPG quite like they can, dood.
Marona: "You are fake news!!" >.
vake nyuuz
Phantom brace was my first NiS game. I got embarrassingly far without realizing the amount of grind these games recommend. I truly love the writing in this game but the gameplay has a lot of weird gameplay systems that weird me out and turn limits for phantoms that felt unfair to me as a child. Love the video Casp!
I hated it as a kid too, or a teenager, I guess. "THIS IS BULLSHIT I HATE HOW ASH GOES AWAY" but now I love it.
Me playing Disgaea 5
This is my first nichi game I played on the wii
This is one of those games I love like a child, because I don't know why.
You can beat a guy to death with another guy? Nice.
They don't even have to be dead. You can just pick up a living enemy and beat other living enemies to death with him. It's pretty sick.
I mean you COULD do that in real life if you got really creative.
I remember playing through this on PSP back in the day and I loved it so much,
I certainly prefer Disgaea but the experience from Phantom brave was well worth all the time I sank into it
I bought it again on PC to support the title but haven't found much time to go back to it again
Good video!!
Appreciate it! It's always good to see support for the lesser known NIS titles! It's a shame about their money dilemma...
Not even FF, I'm going to flaunt my hesitation marks like a TRUE fan.
THAT'S JUST SO SAD!
Quite a few years ago i tried playing it, but due to some stuff happening on my end i could't continue (we can say i was just a few hours in). So hearing you describe the story and her strugles i almost cried!
PS. I watched this during a break at my job, so thank god i didn't...
It's definitely worth returning to if you're looking for a comfy time, but the backlog struggle is reeeeeeeeeeal.
So this game got Klonoa'd (went relatively unrecognized).
I'll say yes, solely because I;ve never played Klonoa :^)
i owned both games that’s funny
I spent a ton of time playing this on PSP, loved the story
Quality taste. Thanks for the comment!
Definitely a underrated hidden gem. Great video.
Cheers! HOpefully this will set a few more eyes on this banger of a title.
Phantom brave is a amazing game. Despite the ports falling short with minor glitches here and there. The addition of "another marona mode" was very nice. Sadly it really was overlooked but it is one hell of a good gem though. Thank you for bringing this game to our attention.
The fact that people are interested in Phantom Brave still is gratifying. The best part of doing UA-cam stuff is showcasing games people might've missed.
That random DSP made me chortle.
Review made me want to play Lord Zetta's game instead. That and it reminded me Soul Nomad existed.
Makai Kingdom is a good boy. THe PSP version got a fan translation recently. Recently being within the last couple years. I have been on the internet for too long.
THANK YOU, for giving this game some attention and love
Thank you for being one of the rad people who support amazing games like this!
This is BY FAR one of my MOST beloved game in all my years of gaming ever since i was 9 It was been one of my favorite games of all times the first one being Legend of the Dragoon. This game has an amazing story amazing grind, character development, plot twists and so much more.
Oh shit, Legend of Dragoon is easily one of my faves as well. It's up there with Breath of Fires 3 and 4, Ogre Battle, Alundra, and all sorts of other good shit. The good taste boys are out today.
Im so hyped that this game i know nothing about is getting a sequel
Will there be a video on Soul Nomad?
I hope there will be, if anything just to hear about Gig
At some point, I'd love to go over it. Bought the fucker about a decade ago and never played it past the first couple fights.
@@Caspicum Walnut from phantom brave is a main character. at the end of phantom brave he was sucked into that worm hole and came out in soul nomad's world
@@Caspicum It's a good one, especially once you beat the game and travel the DEMON PATH. Then you get to spend the whole game being an absolute vile dick-bag to everyone you ever bonded with in the normal path. Also Female Revya is canon.
@@millgiass Soul Nomad is, kinda like Phantom Brave, a kinda unusually well written story (that sounds backhanded, but, I don't know how else to put it. It's like, too serious, but doesn't always know how to handle that?), but the Demon Path is something wonderful and special. It pokes at how contrived RPG Plots are, and how utterly they fall apart if any one thing goes wrong.
This is my first time seeing a video made about Phantom Brave's story/gameplay. You did an amazing job! This is my favorite game of all time, and you explained stuff very well.
My only issue is the combat is way jankier than you explain it as in terms of movement and certain attacks seemingly not working properly on occasion (which makes sense, it was an experiment in a way). Still enjoyable, just a bit rough around the edges ^^'
Oh yeah, it's pretty rough depending on the terrain and how many units are clumped together. The perspective often makes it difficult to see what's in an AoE attack as well, which is iffy. I didn't want to make this a full review, more just wanted to sell it to people. That said, I'd love to give the combat a good thorough going-over at some point.
Sorry, I couldn't hear you for 18 minutes, I was distracted by this GORGEOUS artstyle.
And there's a penguin enemy named Antonio? Wishlisted.
I'll not play it soon because I have a massive backlog, but I'll check it out eventually.
@@Caspicum ENLARGE YOUR BACKLOG BY 4 INCHES IN 3 MONTHS
@@setteplays Don't make me stretch it by hand!!!
One of my favorite video games of all time. Same quirkiness and fun as the Disgaea games, but not as complicated. Hilarious stories, like all of these titles by the developer. Super fun gameplay, almost like a board game/puzzle. Love it. More people should of played this one
YEAH! Quality taste boys!
One of my favorite games I never beat because of grinding. I bought it a long long time ago and then sold it. Been wanting to play it again for a long time so that's for reinvigorating me with this video. Imma go pick it up while it's still on sale.
Quality comment. Someone else said it was on sale currently on Steam, which is brilliant. The PC version has a few issues, particularly with two video options resetting on launch, but other than that, it seems fine!
Thanks for the recap I will give the sequel a try. Also big ups on the DSP clip he is a knob.
Wait, is this game trying to say that there are two sides to every story?!
I feel like the upscaled artwork being so clean sort of clashes with the pixel art of the characters. That painted look doesn't mesh greatly, but I imagine it looked better in the earlier, presumably low quality versions of the game.
I also enjoyed you bashing the bald bloke with a rock for no reason.
I was thinking of you while I bashed.
@@Caspicum thanks
its very goddamn old game lol
I've been curious about this game for so long! Glad to see someone who's opinion I trust make a video on it!
I'm glad someone trusts my opinion!
Fun fact: Walnut in phantom brave ends up has a different character in soul nomad
I have heard that! I had Soul Nomad lined up to play, but with the Switch release, that'll be way easier.
@@Caspicum yeah same I can’t wait for it
I played Phantom Brave way back 2004 and accumulated 250+ hours of game time which ranges from level grinding characters, collecting mana to unlock skills and magic spells, unlocking extra stages, the works. It is a really good game but those who first played Disgaea 1 would be turned off by the high level of difficulty this game has to offer when they try out Phantom Brave. I wish NIS would make more sequels to this game instead of just focusing on their flagship title which is DIsgaea.
Lewd lolis, what a redundant thing to say.
@FortuneHatter all dem loli haters. just tell me why....
eww
Yes... Lewd
@@Mon-Ark lewd lolis best lolis
Hello whats your profile pic?
Please make more of these, been playing Disgaea since I was like 9. I've always wanted a UA-camr to speak on Disgaea and other similar NIS games
I probably won't do Disgaea itself, a lot of better people have covered that to death, but other NIS titles are on the cards for sure.
This is one of my favorites on psp. No limit on anything.
Except for how long Phantoms can stay out.
This video made me try it, but damn, the lack of map tiles made it impossible for me to play it.
YES PHANTOM BRAVE!!!!! Been playing this for over a decade, fantastic rpg!
GOOD TASTE BRIGADE REPORT IN!
I also love how in this game any class can be powerful offensively with right weapon as every stat is used by some stats ( grass do damage based off speed with a lot of attacks rocks a lot based off defense trees hp vases and eggs and crystals resistance ( egg best marona weapon if you can get one but add some vase and crystal attacks for support and elemental coverage and she can actually solo the game if you level her up enough since with an egg she can do massive damage and be real tanky and self heal ( however you have to be real careful to make sure she doesn’t die)
Yeah! I usually slapped a vase on my Marona and leveled the shit out of it. Antique can legit break most boys.
I love Makai Kingdom but didn't know it had a pseudo-prequel. I'll have to check this one out.
I love finding that games I love have more games in the... spiritual series. It's a must-play.
Thanks for covering this game Casp!
It was my pleasure!
You know this a legit Phantom Brave video when someone brings up the browser game.
But for real tho, great job👍
I hope you cover Makai Kingdom at some point. It's one of my fav golden age NIS games but I feel like it's one of the most forgotten.
I would love to play that browser game, hey. It also looks largely text-based and that tickles me in all the right places.
I will try to cover Makai Kingdom, but I got a lot of stuff on the backlog!
@@Caspicum it's cool man, when ever you got the time.
Love how you cover lesser known titles.
I'll admit, I never got the experience any NIS games. I remember reading about them in a gaming magazine back in school. Disgaea being a PlayStation 2 exclusive bummed me, but I wish I could play them one day. When they came to Steam, I had lost interest by then.
Now that I've seen your review, holy smokes! I was missing on some good stuff.
The story setup seems amazing! And the gameplay looks very nice and open-ended too.
It's in my Wishlist for this Summer Sale.
It pisses me off too, because I constantly see "Gaming needs more good, female protagonists" but like... YOU'RE DISRESPECTING MY MARONA. People need to play more JRPGs, I swear most of their demands would vanish overnight.
If you end up grabbing it, you gotta let me know what you think!
Phantom Brave on the PSP was a real treat. I enjoyed completing it. I just preordered my Switch copy. Definitely a hidden gem.
I hope it's better than the Prinny Switch ports!!!
@@Caspicum Either way, this game is a must own.
I only have played this on the psp because it was the only way I could buy it back in the day. I've beaten it four times on the psp and will buy the nis collection on the switch and play agaib
I first got this game in 2006 It was fun. It's often frustrating too! Way more tactics involved in this entry than the typical Disgaea game. It's ROUGH. The island beat downs are mostly good for leveling up and fusing weapons rather than being viable for a level farming tactic. The "Failure" dungeons are the best for leveling characters, incuding Marona because failures are such shit-wads that you can beat guys several hundreds if not thousands of times your level. (Just don't carry around power weapons because that'll surely get you killed.)
when i got to the one netherworld in disgaea 5 where anyone thrown off the battlefield would die, my first thought was "hey!! this is disgaea, not phantom brave!!"
amazing video dude
Played the game back when it was first released. By god, was it depressing. It had a good ending, but damn if it doesn't hit you with feels.
16:55 of WHATwolves?! 0_0
I have a copy from the playstation days, but I never got to it lol
Damn, son. You gotta get on that at some point.
@@Caspicum haha true!
Nostalgia 😮😮😮, thank you sir
the game just got a massive update to enhance the pc experience, improving frame rate, fixing bugs, adding more video settings, etc. good time to try it for anyone interested
wait, for real? god bless you sir, i didn't get a notification for this.
I actually remember seeing this and thinking I would have tried it if not for the burn out from Disgaea/Majin
I played most of NIS translated games. Phantom Brave is still one of my favorites today.
Clever usage of the "Failure" title made this game a cakewalk
Definitely, but hot damn was it a fun way to break the game.
I should've expected the unexpected.
I try to stay varied! ALWAYS EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!
17:00 but it also grants the character dark points and the more points they have the more likely they are to attack/kill fellow phantoms when you are out assuming you don't confine it in battle.
Also any character other than Ash that gets 100 dark points also learns the Dark Eboreous skill
did Disgaea 2 drop before Phantom Brave or did they steal the dark points from PB?
Oh I never replied. I don't remember dark points in disgaea 2. I remember felonies which really didn't affect anything.
Oh SEQUEL ANNOUNCED LET'S GOOO
@Caspicum
Random enemies succeeding that 1% steal and face rolling your team with your doomsday weapon is something wonderful.
The first time.
You know that weapon you spent 200 hours making super good? Mine kthx enjoy your gameover
This game fucking slaps, glad someone is talking about it.
This game melts my brain ever time I try playing it
You can do it! I believe in you!
Well, never seen or heard of this game until now. ...And I like what I'm seeing/hearing.
Seems to have more in common with the often-forgotten Rhapsody series than Disgaea.
had this game on the Wii as a lad and... i could never finish the game because i'd get way too caught up in making a powerful super weapon with insane stats and way too many abilities...
Aaaahhh, the old Disgaea hook. Classic.
I played this game on PS2 back in high school and have 2 fond Memories:
1. Abusing the heck out of the movement/targeting system as much as I could.
2. My sister deciding she wanted to play, and then getting crushed by a squirrel during the tutorial because she skipped over the dialogue that explained how to remove its invincibility.
I'm pretty sure I did the exact thing when I was grabbing PSP footage. I immediately confined 3 people then saw that he had invincibility. gotta read that shit, BOI
"Don't thrust into lolis" What if lolis thrust into you?
Run
yes please
Then we have another problem.
I've seen *a mother who invited old men to bang her 14 yr old daughter for cash.* The kid (oddly enough) claims to like it. But *a child is never truly willing.* A kid's bad decisions are just the result of a bad life, grooming, & shit parenting.
The law will still punish you mercilessly regardless of who initiated it. Deservingly so.
*Even if a kid lies about their age,* you will still be held legally responsible.
So you'd best aim for older-looking chicks or get damn good confirmation that they're legal.
@@milmil5350 wtf did I just read
Phantom Brave is one of my favorites!
AYYYYYYYYYYY. How feel about Makai Kingdom?
When I discovered Disgaea, I went and tried to buy and play every single other NIS game that was similar to it. This was a long time ago, but I remember not liking Phantom Brave. And I think the main reason was when I learned that my characters could only be in battle for a few turns I stopped playing. I still have it on my shelf though, so maybe I should try it again.
I'm surprised to see this on my recommended. Phantom Brave is interesting and after seeing this vid I will now give this game a try.
UA-cam's algorithm be on-point lately. If you do end up giving it a crack, hit me up and let me know what you thought!
Phantom Brave PC was the first time I was introduced to Nippon Ichi Software... only recently have I decided to try Disgaea, this video makes me want to play PB again XD
Do it! Embrace your inner-weeb!
Ash: No Marona. This is our fight!
Man what an awesome final fantasy video about the final fantasy series!
Phinal Phantomcy
This does sound interesting. Putting it on my Steam wishlist.
AYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. If you ever get around to it, hit me up.
@@Caspicum Deffo.
thank you, i love hearing out of bounds
That's odd, but I'll take it.
This game has been in my steam library for a while. I think I will final give it a try.
I hope you have a great time with it!
Alrighty, couldn't watch the whole thing but only because now I want to experience it myself with no further spoilers. I actually had the opportunity to play this when my friend let me borrow it for PS2 but at that time, I wasn't nearly as open weird anime tropes and storytelling like I am now. Thanks for shining a light on another game I need to add to my ever growing back log.
I'd rather you not spoil it for yourself, so that's a good call. If you ever get around to it, you gotta come back and let me know what you think!
@@Caspicum deal.
I loved that game. It was pretty depressing how she was treated, but ultimately I loved how it ended up.
I do remember getting really frustrated with the battle mechanics at times though. I think there was two specific fights that really gave me trouble.
Nice having this game on console now with all the content.
How's the Switch version hold up? I played the Switch version of Soul Nomad and had a consistent crash about 6 hours in that wouldn't let me past. Absolutely seething.
@@Caspicum No idea! I have a massive backlog and that isn't one of the games I'm playing next.
:D
That being said, I'll go look it up real quick.
Ok, I looked around and......learned fuck all, about all I got was it might have some camera issues, beyond that I have no idea.
i don't remember much despite having finishing the game, maybe because the story is kinda depressing and very emotional and deep in my mind, i want to forget about it, but, one thing i did remember, i want to hug marona so badly, what a sweetheart 😭😭😭
I love these games
Ah yes phantom brave ❤
Another quality taste individual
My favorite parts are the dungeon creation and diving (the dungeon system in general, and character options. I like being able to take something stupid like a pumpkin and use it to wipe out a strong boss with an OP move
UA-cam has been hiding comments from me, and I didn't see this a month ago, but you right. The dungeon-creation was fantastic, and especially so for completely breaking progression and end-game grinding.
My favorite was the bell.
I like how it was so large you could use it as a meaningful stepping stone to scale large walls if not clubbing something to death with it.
Also looks proper intimidating on Baal, but who cares about that.
Great vid as always Casp. Have you ever thought about doing one for the Star Ocean series?
Thanks! I have considered Star Ocean many times because I've only played 3 and 4 and 4 is... 'kay. I've wanted to play 1 and 2 for a long time though.
Don't like the contrast between the pixelated characters and the hd backgrounds what a bummer it seems I'll keep the wii one.
That's fair. I dig the contrast, but the inconsistency is definitely an issue.
@@Caspicum yeah, separatedly I'm fine with each style, I'm a diehard "pixelart" lover and surely hand drawn as well. Will try later on the screen of my pc! (now on phone) same happened with mana for switch.
The first time I played this game, I fucking loathed it even though I was a massive disgaea fan. Then I got used to and learned how the newer mechanics worked and learned to love it.
I'm exactly the same! Wasn't a fan at first. Hated it and Makai Kingdom, but I've come around to them big time.
@@Caspicum It is one of the few times I have changed my opinion on a video game. Btw I like your Brittish accent. I am Canadian but my mom's family is from the British Isles. My Grandpa Wood is English and while he was serving for the Canadian Air Force in WW2 he met my Grandma from Aberdeen Scotland.
@@jayrobitaille2402 I'm actually Australian! When I record scripts I put on a bit of a voice to sound more enthusiastic than my regular speaking voice, and I cut the Australianisms and slang so normal people can understand what I'm saying... Sometimes.
I'd imagine a Canadian/British accent would be an interesting combo though. Especially because of the variance of each.
Love Phantom Brave
GOOD. TASTE. BOIS
Great review, sounds like a epic game 😁
I never did get far in Phantom Brave. I need to try and find it
Definitely! I'd recommend the PC version if you're a PC boi, but any version will do.
I love this game.
good taste boi
Enjoyed Disgaea 2, and this looks like fun!
Disgaea 2 is my favourite Disgaea, you've got good taste. I'd definitely recommend Phantom Brave, or Makai Kingdom which is similar.
@@Caspicum Sweet! Thanks for the advice and the compliment. :) I'll have to look them up!
@@Caspicum Turns out, Steam is having a big sale on Phantom Brave, Disgaea, and other similar games right now!
@@PhazonOmega Mate, you scored. Our meeting was fated.
I bought this game having no clue it was related to the Disgaea series, I just liked the box art and it was cheap. Imagine teenage me seeing Laharl show up out of nowhere. I was so confused and amazed.
That sounds like a great time. I didn't have the internet at the time,s o I was all set to experience that same thing, but I never made it to end-game in my youth :(
I really want to play disgaea but i really hate the battle system
You should do the granddaddy of them all, Rhapsody a musical adventure.
Got Nis a start of a series but is somewhat...greatly forgotten.
Defo! We'll sweep the NDS remake under the rug though.
Casp O'Saurus you should still bring up the nds version mainly for the changes and the artstyle.
It's not ENTIRELY forgotten...? In DD2, if you look hard enough, you cam actually find Etoile Rosenqueen's mug on the side of a vending machine in the Castle hub.
Rosenqueen shop is all over disgaea series.
I just want more nods to cornet and kururu.
Also NISA really abandoned that series which is really sad. They never ever bring it up. I would so like a reboot/remake to come back, proper this time and not the sketchy NDS release that was missing things.
Keep the nds artwork tho, I do love kaoru Maruyama's art.
@@SIMIFU No, no! You're not wrong, dood. In fact, I was hoping that the inclusion of pixie units in D5 would equal a Kururu cameo along the way (or at the very least, Cpt. Homard and Papillon DLC). I'm trying to think of other Rhapsody series references, but there may not be any, except for maybe generated names. I just mentioned Etoile because you DON'T really see any other Rhapsody characters as cameos, Rosenqueen or no. The other instance was probably Kururu in DHD, but did we even properly receive that DLC?
I would love a remake of the original Rhapsody myself, as well as the other Marl Kingdom games. They felt so innocent and magical, imo. Plus, random-encountered TRPG battles seem rad as hell.
I got some of these games on the PSP.
I had a laugh with the Unloosing Ranger Vs Dark Death Evilman.
That game was a parody of Super Senta/Power Rangers and I loved it.
YEAH! IT's so sick. The customization options too, like having tank legs and being able to roll over spikes is legit the best shit.
I'm probably gonna love this game. I mean, Makai Kingdom is literally my favorite game. When I have the chance, I'll try out. Seems neat
Oh damn. Phantom Brave scaled some shit back, but if you love Makai Kingdom, you'll love PB as well!
You forgot to mention the most fun strategy of giving Marona a speed based weapon then watching her take every other turn for the whole battle.
Even some light random dungeoning at any point during the story will do this. The difficulty curve is not designed for side-grinding hey.
Hmm...I should probably get round to finishing off phantom brave at some point, but yeah....cool vid dood.
You should! I hope I didn't spoil anything, and sorry for the late reply!
@@Caspicum No worries, thanks you for the response. I'll try and find the time to get through it. The backlog of other games continues to get in the way lol.
@@B-C-D Oh man, tell me about it. The backlog keeps growing and I keep getting older. Never gonna clear that bastard :(