Phantom Doctrine - anyone played it?

[Cikomyr]

So my steam discovery queue me showed me that game and.... ....i am intrigued. The reviews seem to diverge a lot over it. Anyone tried it? I love spy stories and XCOM tactical games. And stealth. Is it a quality game?

[BRC]

I've played it for a bit.

So, first out of the gate, this isn't a AAA production, and it shows, mainly with the voice acting.

The game comes with a lot of very fun tools, if you played Xcom 2 and felt that a parade of "Kill all Enemies" missions didn't really fit the flavor of a rag-tag guerilla force, then Phantom Doctrine, where every mission is a hit-and-run against theoretically endlessly escalating hordes, will fit the bill.


One thing I'm especially fond of is that, if you discover a mission early enough, you can Recon the site, allowing you to deploy agents in Support: for example, in addition to your agents on the tactical map, you can have spotters and snipers on standby ready to shoot or look from a certain angle of the map. It's really cool.

It doesn't do combat as well as Xcom, but it does stealth better. It doesn't do Stealth as well as Invisible Inc. Gathering Evidence, piecing together conspiracy boards by connecting files and documents with pieces of string, moving your headquarters to stay ahead of your enemies, deploying Agents around the globe, it feels very good. On the tactical scale, calling in sniper shots, or using the "Breach" mechanic where two or more agents will simultaneously storm a room and take shots at enemies within, feels very nice indeed.


However, it's missing a big part of the Xcom formula: Progression.

In Xcom, upgrading from basic armor to carapace armor, or getting laser weapons represents a dramatic shift in the dynamic of tactical battles. Enemies that previously took four hits to defeat now take two.
Every time one of your soldiers ranks up, they get a new ability that changes the way they play. Meanwhile, each new enemy type introduces a new dynamic and a new puzzle.

In Phantom Doctrine...that doesn't happen.

First of all, most of the time you have an opportunity to Recon missions, which means you can send agents in in disguise. Disguised agents can move pretty freely through the restricted zones, they can't wear armor or carry special gear, and can only carry pistols or submachine guns, but they'll only be spotted by named enemy Agents, and if they get adjacent to an enemy where nobody is watching, they can one-shot them with a stealth takedown, and then hide the body next turn. . The Alarm doesn't sound until your agents are spotted, at which point the countdown timers start. Otherwise, there are no timers on missions. Stay stealth and you can take as long as you want.

If you save-scum (Which I do), this makes most missions trivial and tedious. The Stealthed agents slowly comb the map, waiting for people's backs to be turned so they can grab documents, use stealth takedowns, ect. Sometimes you encounter an enemy Agent (There's always at least one per map), but if you stay out of their Cone of Awareness, you'll be fine. IF you don't save scum, repeat the above, but veerrry slowly and cautiously. There's no timer, so the best way to play is to inch along slowly, waiting for the perfect opportunity to do everything.


When the Guns start blazing, things arn't much better. There's a pretty vast array of weapons, but not much difference between them except that you get silenced Pistols earlier Shotgun A hits slightly harder than Shotgun B. Agents who level up gain minor bonuses (A little extra health, some more movement, a chance at a Perk), so there's no dramatic shift like you get when an Xcom unit levels up and unlocks a new ability.

You encounter more types of enemies, but since most of them are just going to get stealth killed it's pretty irrelevant whether they throw grenades, or have heavy armor, or poison gas, or whatever, and even when firefights DO start, the tactical considerations are pretty minimal between them. Don't bunch up against Grenades, ect. There's no equivalent to the first time you encounter Chyrissalids, or the sight of a Sectopod striding across the battlefield.


Mind you, there are plenty of tactics games, Fire Emblem for example, that don't really shake up their dynamic very much, and Phantom Doctrine has more than enough good ideas to make it a worthwhile investment of time and money.

[Cikomyr]

Fantastic reply!!

thanks a lot. So the lack of progression, should I understand that there's not even skills and levels for your agent?

[Grif]

Fantastic reply!!

thanks a lot. So the lack of progression, should I understand that there's not even skills and levels for your agent?

There are. I'm not sure why no progression is emphasised here, considering the difference between a fresh agent at level 1, and a fully kitted out, chemically enhanced agent at level 10 is still substantial. It'll never be XCOM level of an assault suddenly being a one-man army but that isn't the point of PD either.

[Cikomyr]

So I had leftover money on a gift card.. might go there.

I love the character designer. Reading the description of the CIA faction, knowing the cell was located in Beirut, i went for a female Middle-Eastern looking woman. With a hood to blend, but also a cigarette because she doesnt give a ****.

I am a bit confused about how to approach the first mission, but i am.sure i will pick up approaches as i go.

Can i do simultaneous takedowns?

[Grif]

So I had leftover money on a gift card.. might go there.

I love the character designer. Reading the description of the CIA faction, knowing the cell was located in Beirut, i went for a female Middle-Eastern looking woman. With a hood to blend, but also a cigarette because she doesnt give a ****.

I am a bit confused about how to approach the first mission, but i am.sure i will pick up approaches as i go.

Can i do simultaneous takedowns?

You can do multiple takedowns in a turn. But not simultaneously. So, pick your target carefully and don't takedown someone in full view of another. :smalltongue:

[Cikomyr]

You can do multiple takedowns in a turn. But not simultaneously. So, pick your target carefully and don't takedown someone in full view of another. :smalltongue:

The Connect the Dots minigame is funnier than I expected.

[Cikomyr]

All right. I forgot how much I love stealth games. I spent hours and hours playing Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. This definitely tickle the same funny bone!

[Cespenar]

All right. I forgot how much I love stealth games. I spent hours and hours playing Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. This definitely tickle the same funny bone!

Shadow Tactics was pretty fun. Who knew the Commandos recipe could work in feudal Japan anyway? :smalltongue:

[Cikomyr]

Shadow Tactics was pretty fun. Who knew the Commandos recipe could work in feudal Japan anyway? :smalltongue:

Sarcasm? I think there was never any doubt :-D

It was a GRRRRRREAT game