Phantom Dust is a marvelous action RPG strategy card game… thing. It's one of those marvelous games that defies all classification and yet still works on every level that it attempts. The original 2004 Xbox release is a cult-classic among fans, and they remain heartbroken that the series reboot remains stuck in limbo, unlikely to ever break free.
To make up for this heartbreak, Microsoft is footing the bill to re-release the original as a remaster for the Xbox One and PC. Along with its sister game, Panzer Dragoon Orta also from famed developer Yukio Futatsugi, I can't think of any Xbox classics that deserve this chance more.
The remaster was announced a while back, but this 19 minutes from Polygon is the first extensive look we've seen of it. And yes, we like what we see.
Don't you worry 'bout a thing
Like with any cult game, Phantom Dust's existing fanbase is worried about changes that are being made to accommodate for the modern age. Creative Director Adam Isgreen stated that the game will be easier to make progress in thanks to being able to skip difficult missions after so many failures. DLC will be available, the main game itself can be played through and beaten just like it was back in 2004.
We haven't changed anything about the way that the original game worked; we've just added this as a convenience thing. So if people want to grind and they want to play exactly like they did when the original game came out, that is all in place. Everything about how the game works and functions is there. We really wanted to allow people to jump into multiplayer and play immediately.
No release information has been made yet for Phantom Dust, but it will likely be coming to the Xbox One and PC later this year or next. Wait for more at E3 2017.
