Can Phantom Dust break the east/west gaming barrier and find success on the Xbox?
Posted By: John Nalasco Posted On: 02/10/05 (Viewed 407 times)
Phantom Dust
Published By: Majesco Developed By: Microsoft Studios Japan Release Date: 03/08/05 Genre: Action RPG Players: 1-2 ESRB Rating: T more product info »
Xbox. Japan. If you've got your finger on the pulse of the global gaming market, these two things probably go together about as well as deodorant and France. This is because the Xbox, with its emphasis on action and adrenaline, doesn't appeal to the Japanese, who tend to prefer story-oriented RPG and adventure games.
While a niche FPS market has emerged in Japan with the Xbox as the foremost platform, the big black box still has a decidedly minor presence in the land of the rising sun, having sold a mere 600,000 units since its release there three years ago. With this in mind, Microsoft has set out to finally convince the Japanese to take a closer look at the Xbox by offering them more of what they like - strong settings and RPG elements mixed with intense combat - while still using the Xbox to full effect, and (hopefully) offering an experience that will appeal to gamers here in the west as well.
Majesco's upcoming import,Phantom Dust, hopes to spearhead this campaign of global proportions by taking the best of both worlds and combining them into one respectable, cohesive, and incredibly fun experience. The game has already been released in Japan to mixed reactions, but it will be coming stateside very soon.
Set in the post-apocalyptic future, Phantom Dust will put players in the role of an amnesiac character who is stuck underground with the remnants of the human race. The surface of the Earth has been covered with a strange dust that is toxic to humans (the dust will also effect your memory), and what remains of humanity is forced to live underground.
Does the storyline sound cliché to you? Think again. Phantom Dust promises to deliver one of the deepest, most well written stories ever seen in a video game. As your character progresses through the game, you will not only learn more about who you are and just what exactly is going on, but you'll also unravel the mystery of the world up above as well.
That's not to say that Phantom Dust will be yet another self-involved, overly long snooze fest. On the contrary, the game's emphasis is clearly on its combat. Combat in Phantom Dust will be handled in a manner similar to many other RPG's, with a slightly stronger emphasis on twitch reflexes. Phantom Dust is actually a card game at heart, but don't let that title mislead you. You won't be staring at a deck of cards with a bunch of numbers written on them. Instead, you will choose a number of abilities or powers to add to your "arsenal". Your player will use the dust found on the surface to cast the majority of his attacks, but his powers aren't limitless. You will need to add some Aura Particles into your arsenal to insure that you'll have enough energy to use your abilities both quickly and effectively. Since your arsenal has a total of 30 slots, this will be a matter of balance.
Once you're in battle, the combat becomes more about timing and strategy rather than how powerful your player is. All combat will take place from a third person perspective, with your character free to move and attack anywhere on the level or arena (of which there are about a dozen). You can also pick up new powers while you are on the move, something that will add an extra level of strategy and luck to the game, challenging the RPG stigma of slow, roll-of-the-die combat.
Phantom Dust's visuals will reflect its shared Western and Eastern origins, with dark, gloomy environments below the surface and a burnt out, depressing look up above. Characters will look more akin to their anime brethren, with a somewhat cartoonish, exaggerated appearance. The similarities and contrasts between these two styles of animation will lead to some very interesting visuals. The game for the most part looks very impressive, with combat looking remarkably clean and crisp, coming in at a solid framerate and delivering plenty of bright, colorful flare.
Unfortunately, the audio department is one area where compromise is not such an easy thing when dealing with two cultures that speak totally different languages. For this, the game's Japanese developer, which is owned by Microsoft, recorded all of the game's spoken audio again in English. At the moment, it does not appear that spoken dialogue will have a prominent role in the game. Instead, Phantom Dust will rely more on the standard written text to deliver the majority of the game's dialogue. This may turn gamers off completely, or it may fit perfectly with the rest of the game - only time will tell.
From what has been seen (or rather heard) of the game's audio, there doesn't seem to be anything to complain about. Combat will sound intense and believable, with powerful blows delivering a loud smack and bodies hitting the ground with a pleasing thump. If the rest of the game sounds as good as what we've seen so far, Phantom Dust will be aural heaven.
So far, Phantom Dust appears to be a highly ambitious game that's shaping up quite well. The overall quality of the Japanese version was never in doubt, so the US version probably won't be much different. The real question is: will the game's attempt at blending two genres succeed or fall flat on its face? We'll find out early next month.
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