Review of Ancient Phantasmas

Developers: MAGITEC, Magitech Corporation

Genres: Role-playing video game, Indie game, Adventure game, Simulation video game, Adventure, Strategy

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S

Publisher: Kemco

Initial release date: July 18, 2024

As frequent visitors to this site are aware, I often take the lead in reviewing new KEMCO titles as they are released. It feels like I have played and reviewed a lot of their games, but I’m not sure how many I actually have. There is one more now.

Ancient Phantasma is a retro-styled JRPG that was developed by the previously mentioned studio, and as such, it puts me back in the driver’s seat. So, is this game truly fresh, or is it simply a matter of pasting information from a previous review? You’ll have to continue reading to find out, though.

The usual KEMCO price?

For these kinds of games, a compelling story is essential since without one, it might be easy to become disinterested and quit playing. Ancient Phantasma is one of the KEMCO games that often has a respectable plot. The narrative is set in Sandoria, a place created long ago when Sage Roberts, Sir Sayles, and a knight vanquished the Demon King. Over time, the country experiences calm, until all of a sudden, monsters and bandits begin to wreak havoc over the territory.

As the young lord of Sayles, Dean, we take on the task of discovering what is happening in the globe and, more importantly, putting a stop to it so that the nation can once again be safe. Of course, in order to strengthen our team and, ideally, vanquish the opposition, we will enlist fighters who share our values along the route.

Ancient Phantasma’s presentation is identical to that of the majority of other retro-styled JRPGs by KEMCO, if not more so. With their well-thought-out, albeit somewhat blocky, designs, the opponents and our characters in the battle scenes have an almost pixel art aesthetic. The typical dungeon and world map screens, which show our character as we go about and are viewed from above, are where the first of the game’s problems come up. You see, back in the day, KEMCO games had terrible controls that made it difficult to move about. For example, it was impossible to walk diagonally, and opening treasure chests or squeeze through small spaces required significant effort.

Unfortunately, Ancient Phantasma depicts us returning to the past due to a devious control technique. It’s seriously not amusing how much time I’ve wasted simply attempting to walk to my goal, which is a huge turnoff for this game. If you can’t walk where you want to be, why play a game?

SONIC BLAST!

Apart from that, the audio is exactly what we would anticipate: a few different fight effects to choose from, some good music synchronized with the action screen, and that’s about it. The entire story is delivered through text boxes; there is no conversation.

Now that we’ve seen how unsatisfactory the controls are, what about the remainder of the game? With the exception of one modification, you should know roughly what to expect if you have previously played a KEMCO game. See, the random encounters in the overworld and dungeons have been amplified to the point where it is nearly impossible to move more than ten steps without starting a combat, and this becomes tiresome after a while. Although I understand that my squad must battle to grow stronger, this feels excessive. When you combine that with the control scheme, you’ll notice that the never-ending battling becomes a little tiresome. You’ll find yourself taking numerous steps to get around a stone or through a small opening.

That’s not to imply that the fighting itself is boring; in fact, Ancient Phantasma has added a few new moves that should liven things up. In addition to the multiattack system, which enables team members to launch coordinated attacks, there is a “Accel” system that appears impressive but whose purpose is unclear to me. It can be adjusted during combat, but I haven’t seen any discernible advantages.

The other new feature is the Skill Plate system, which allows you to wear skill jewels to grant new attacks or support abilities to any character. You can strengthen your squad in a variety of ways by equipping multiples of the same gem, which increases the gem’s effect. It goes without saying that different components weaken different adversaries, thus arming yourself with the appropriate magic can help ease your life.

Undoubtedly, there are superior KEMCO titles.

I’ve been a little let down by Ancient Phantasma’s fresh concepts. The sheer number of chance encounters quickly becomes annoying, and the control scheme is a relic from the past. Everything is operating as usual aside from these criticisms, but regrettably, not even the additional features will be sufficient to keep you playing over the long haul.

I regret to inform you that Ancient Phantasma is not among the better KEMCO titles.

Review Overview

Gameplay – 68%

Story – 72%

Aesthetics – 70%

Content – 65%

Accessibility – 60%

Value – 62%

Overall Rating – 66%

OK

Summary: Ancient Phantasmas attempts to blend atmospheric exploration with puzzle-solving but falls short in delivering a compelling experience. The game’s story has moments of intrigue but is weighed down by uneven pacing and underdeveloped characters. Visually, the game offers a mix of hauntingly beautiful environments and dated textures, creating an inconsistent aesthetic. While the puzzles are challenging, the gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks innovation. With limited content and accessibility options, Ancient Phantasmas struggles to justify its value, leaving players with an experience that feels more forgettable than memorable.