NIS America details the battle system of Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero featuring Confine, Confriend, and Gadgets

As a seasoned RPG adventurer with a hearty appetite for strategic battles and character development, I can’t help but feel a thrill running down my spine when I hear about Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero! With its rich history in the Disgaea series, this game promises to offer an immersive experience that caters to both hardcore strategists and casual players alike.

NIS America recently unveiled fresh insights about “Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero,” focusing on its innovative combat system. Discover how the game’s setting can be utilized to boost your gameplay, and seize opportunities to recruit new companions directly from the scenery at any moment during your journey.

During a player’s turn, they have the freedom to move their character around within a specified range. Thanks to Marona’s power, players can opt to encase any nearby item using the Confine ability; this could be anything from a tree to a sword. When an object is confined, a Phantom instantly takes control of it, transforming it into a playable ally on the spot! The characteristics of the confined object-turned-ally are reflective of its inherent traits – for instance, a Phantom controlling a rock would have high defense but low speed.

Keep in mind that the Confine ability is temporary; when it expires, the associated character will no longer be part of the ongoing fight. Once a character has been removed, they can’t use the Confine mechanic again within the same battle.

Instead, let’s say that unlike others, Marona can harness a unique ability known as Confriend – a type of Confine. This power lets Phantoms seize control over Marona, boosting her stats, granting her exclusive skills, and transforming her look. In some cases, Confriend might even enable Marona to act twice in the same turn under specific conditions.

In the game Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero, an Apricot character possesses the power to deploy unique items and mechanical devices, including tanks, robots, and artillery pieces. Employing the Confine skill on these objects increases a player’s reach for attacks and triggers additional special effects.

Discover details about the combat system in Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero, which is scheduled to launch in 2025 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The Steam release will be available some time after the console versions have been released.

Battle System
A free-movement Strategy RPG
As a gaming enthusiast, I’d say Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero offers unleashed roaming in fights. You can maneuver your characters around at will, within a certain range, during the heat of battle.
In this game, each participant, whether friend or enemy, takes their turn in a sequence determined by their Speed attribute. To see the upcoming turn order, simply look at the top right corner of the screen. Adjust your tactics according to who will be playing next!
Confine
Transform Objects like trees, rocks, and swords into ally units
Due to Marona’s abilities, her allies, known as Phantoms, can take control of items scattered across the map, such as trees and boulders, allowing them to engage in combat.
The statistics of the character in play will adapt according to where they are restrained or confined. For instance, when confined to a rocky area, their defense abilities get stronger, but their movement speed slows down. Conversely, if they’re confined to a weapon, their offensive capabilities enhance.
A system with unfathomable strategic depths
Following several rounds of combat, an ally’s Confinement period will expire, causing them to exit the battlefield. Once a character has been taken out of the fight, they can no longer be confined again in the same battle. Be mindful about whom you choose to confine and when!
You have the ability to hide items far beyond enemy territory for safety, surround Marona with these items, and much more. The decision of whom, what, when, and where to hide adds an immense amount of variety and nearly endless potential to this system!
Confriend
The power of bonds that can drastically turn the tide of battle
As a devoted fan, I’d be thrilled to share that Marona can utilize a unique form of Confine known as Confriend. This amazing ability enables her to let an affiliated Phantom take control over her. By establishing a Confriend bond with allies she deeply connects with, her combat capabilities significantly amplify!
Moreover, exclusive abilities particular to Confriend will be at your disposal. Unleash potent attacks that could dramatically shift the course of the fight!
Again: An Additional Attack
When Marona employs Confriend to imprison phantoms inside herself under specific circumstances, this triggers a series of extended turns referred to as “Again!”.
With a stronger bond between Marona and her Confriended character, she can perform extra turns and receive enhanced stats. The deeper this connection, the more instances of ‘Again’ she can activate, leading to even greater stat increases! It’s also feasible to eliminate an enemy in a single strike by chaining several ‘Agains’ together!
Feel the thrill of defeating enemies in succession, all by yourself!
Unlock New Actions with Confine!
Trees and rocks aren’t the only things you can Confine to!
Should Apricot join forces with you, she’d be able to deploy robots, tanks equipped with massive cannons, and aerial Gadgets onto the battlefield! Acquiring these tools can expand your attack radius, enable you to vacuum up an assortment of items, and provide numerous other tactical advantages. Consider the strategic opportunities!
Different maps have different Gadgets
On certain maps, you’ll come across various tools such as cannons, catapults, fans, and even slot machines. Interacting with these Tools offers a range of options for the player, and if a Phantom is trapped near one, unique special actions will be accessible. These Tools might just be the secret to mastering these maps!
Abundant character growth and post-game challenges
On the hidden pirate island known as Skullrock, the main hub of your gaming adventure, you have the ability to explore several functions including customizing your character for upcoming fights and obstacles.
Alongside the “Character Customization through Reincarnation” feature known from the Disgaea series, Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero presents two additional unique features. One is the “Awakening” option, which simplifies character development compared to Reincarnation. Another is the “Juice Bar,” a convenient tool that allows you to share Experience Points (EXP) with any character of your preference.
No matter if you wish to explore the intricacies of Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero‘s mechanics thoroughly, or simply want to savor all the game has to give at a leisurely pace, these features cater to both!
At Skullrock Island, players have access to a variety of additional features such as personalizing pirate ships and exploring randomly generated dungeons!
Play it your way!
Oh, wow! There’s still so much more to discover in Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero! I can collect items from the battlefield, toss obstacles right off the map with my powers, and strategically position characters to scale heights – and that’s just scratching the surface!