Phantom Brave

Phantom Brave is a tactical role-playing game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Nippon Ichi Software, and released in Japan in early 2004 and in North America in August 2004. It is similar in gameplay to its predecessor, Disgaea, with some unique twists. Its story is unrelated to Disgaea. The game shipped in two "editions"--Normal and Special--the Special edition coming with a free soundtrack.

Plot

The main character is an orphan girl named Marona, who has the ability to see and speak with phantoms. People fear and hate her for this. Some even cheat her and send her hate mail. Still, she harbors no resentment towards them, and is relentlessly hopeful despite being lonely. There is one person who looks out for her: a phantom named Ash, who worked with her parents when he was still alive. He guards her and helps her do jobs for people. In an interview, the character designer Takehito Harada explained that Ash's scarf and muffler, as well as pale complexion and red eyes, are intended to give him a ghostly appearance.

Gameplay

As in other tactical role-playing games, battles take place on an isometric board. in Phantom Brave, Marona dispatches her phantom allies by confining them to things such as trees, grass, rocks, and flowers. Different objects give different kinds of stat bonuses, making it advantageous to confine certain characters to certain things. A Soldier, for example, often benefits from the type of stat bonuses found on a rock, while a Witch does not. Up to 16 phantoms can be dispatched during a battle, but they only last for a particular number of turns. The number is based on class. A Witch lasts 3 turns, while a Soldier lasts 8.

While not in battle, Marona can return to her home – Phantom Island – where she can summon new phantoms to aid her. Phantoms actually populate the island as non-player characters. Many classes have a utility on the island – Merchants sell things, Healers heal and resurrect, Dungeon Monks allow you to go to random battle fields, and so forth.

References

Maragos, Nich (Aug. 27, 2004). In Character: 01 – The Art of Takehito Harada (Interview). Retrieved Jan. 30, 2005.