Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds! Enjoy fast and frantic arcade-style beat 'em up gameplay with cute characters. Beat up hordes of weird enemies with awesome special attacks. Local co-op and PVP supported for up to 4 players!
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic is a anime, beat 'em up and action game
developed by MAGES. Inc.
and published by Rocket Panda Games.
Released on January 23rd 2015 is available only on Windows
in 7 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.
It has received 2,987 reviews of which 2,486 were positive and 501 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.0 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 14.79€ on Steam.
The Steam community has classified Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Microsoft Windows Vista or newer
- Processor: Intel Core i3 2.0 GHz or better
- Memory: 3 GB RAM
- Graphics: nVidia Geforce 210 or better
- DirectX: Version 10
- Storage: 3 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectSound compatible
- Additional Notes: XBox 360 compatible game controller strongly recommended
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds, developed by MAGES. Inc. and published by Rocket Panda Games, is a vibrant, side-scrolling beat ’em up that channels the energy of classic arcade brawlers while blending it with the aesthetic flair of modern Japanese pop culture. Originally conceived as a spin-off of the fighting game Phantom Breaker, this title takes familiar characters and reimagines them in a completely different format, transforming competitive one-on-one combat into a chaotic, cooperative brawl filled with pixel art explosions, fast-paced action, and an undeniable sense of style. From its first moments, the game makes its intentions clear—it isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel but rather to celebrate the simple joy of fighting through waves of enemies in colorful, animated environments that feel both nostalgic and fresh. The game opens with a straightforward premise that serves as a loose narrative thread through the action. A mysterious villain named Phantom kidnaps one of the heroes’ friends, and it’s up to a group of female warriors—each with distinct weapons, fighting styles, and personalities—to storm through multiple stages and rescue her. Storytelling is minimal, delivered through short dialogue snippets and expressive pixel animations rather than lengthy cutscenes. This minimalist approach works in the game’s favor, as the focus is squarely on combat and flow. Each level is a gauntlet of enemies, with occasional bosses that punctuate the chaos. The story’s simplicity allows players to engage immediately without getting bogged down by exposition, keeping the pace brisk and the tone lighthearted. Where Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds truly shines is in its presentation. The art direction is a delightful homage to 16-bit and early arcade aesthetics, featuring chunky, detailed sprites and eye-catching special effects. Every punch, explosion, and magical attack bursts with color, filling the screen with satisfying visual feedback. The characters are drawn in a chibi style that enhances their charm while giving the game an identity distinct from other beat ’em ups. Environments range from bustling cityscapes to eerie castles and neon-soaked arenas, each teeming with small background details that make the world feel alive. Complementing the visuals is an energetic soundtrack that fuses electronic beats with rock riffs, lending every fight a sense of urgency and rhythm. The music perfectly captures the tone of the game—retro-inspired but infused with modern intensity. Gameplay in Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds walks a fine line between accessibility and depth. On the surface, the combat system is intuitive enough that anyone can pick up a controller and start stringing together combos within minutes. Players have access to light, medium, and heavy attacks, along with special moves, dashes, and a guard mechanic. These basics are enriched by a leveling system that rewards experience points for defeating enemies. As players progress, they can upgrade their stats and unlock new abilities, giving each character a degree of customization that extends beyond the typical brawler formula. Each fighter feels distinct, from quick, agile types that dart through enemies to slower, more powerful ones capable of massive damage. The result is a combat system that’s easy to learn but still satisfying to master, especially when chaining attacks or coordinating moves with teammates in cooperative play. The inclusion of multiplayer is one of the game’s greatest strengths. Whether played locally or online, the chaos of multiple players fighting side by side transforms the experience into a whirlwind of flashy attacks, shared laughter, and unpredictable moments. Up to six players can join forces in co-op mode or challenge each other in versus mode, ensuring that there’s replay value beyond the main campaign. Playing alone can still be enjoyable, but the game truly comes alive when the screen is packed with friends, each unleashing their own signature moves in synchronized mayhem. The cooperative mode not only heightens the fun but also smooths over some of the repetitive elements inherent to the genre—repetition that’s far less noticeable when the screen is full of noise and energy. Despite its strengths, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds does have some limitations. While the combat system feels satisfying, it can become repetitive after extended sessions. The core loop—defeat waves, move forward, fight a boss, repeat—rarely changes, and even though the variety of enemies and environments helps, it can’t entirely mask the linearity of the experience. Some players might find that, outside of leveling and unlocking moves, there isn’t much to keep them engaged long-term. The versus mode, while functional, lacks the competitive balance of a true fighting game and feels more like a bonus feature than a fully fleshed-out component. Additionally, the difficulty curve can feel uneven, with some encounters presenting abrupt spikes that can frustrate solo players. However, these issues are minor in the grand scheme, and most can be mitigated by the game’s fast pacing and dynamic multiplayer design. The updated versions of the game, including Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate, showcase noticeable technical and visual improvements. The developers rebuilt the experience using modern engines, refining animations, smoothing performance, and improving responsiveness without sacrificing the retro charm that defines the game. These enhancements make it more visually crisp and mechanically fluid than its original release, allowing it to hold its own alongside more contemporary indie beat ’em ups. The upgrade also includes refined online play, which helps maintain the game’s longevity and accessibility to new audiences. What makes Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds enduringly appealing is its personality. Every element, from the over-the-top attacks to the exaggerated character designs, exudes a sense of fun and self-awareness. It’s a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, reveling in its anime-inspired chaos while maintaining the craftsmanship needed to make it enjoyable rather than gimmicky. It recalls the spirit of classics like Streets of Rage and River City Ransom but with a distinctly Japanese twist—faster, flashier, and brimming with visual flair. It’s this sense of identity that keeps it from fading into the sea of generic beat ’em ups that crowd the genre. In the end, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is a love letter to arcade-style action—a compact, energetic brawler that rewards players with style, spectacle, and a sense of camaraderie. It might not have the mechanical depth of a modern fighting game or the narrative scope of a full-blown RPG, but it delivers what it promises with enthusiasm and polish. For players who appreciate pixel art, fast combat, and cooperative fun, it’s an easy recommendation. While its simplicity may limit its longevity for those seeking depth or innovation, its execution and presentation make it one of the more enjoyable beat ’em ups to emerge from Japan’s indie scene. MAGES. Inc. and Rocket Panda Games have crafted an experience that thrives on rhythm, color, and charm—a throwback that still manages to feel fresh in a world where fun sometimes gets lost in complexity. Rating: 8/10
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For the right price, this side-scrolling game can satisfy fans of the genre. Thanks also to its RPG elements, I found it enjoyable. 6.5/10
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I'm very happy this version of the game got relisted. As much as I love the new remake, I just want to see the original version to be around to appreciate how it was before they improve it.
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Note: There is a Phantom-Breaker Battlegrounds Ultimate version remade on a new engine with more content. This was the OG version. Phantom Breaker battlegrounds brings up a lot of nostalgic memories. It belongs to the same era of beat em ups as Scott Pilgrim and Castle-Crashers. Aka,the formula was upgraded to include "leveling up",assigning growth points into stats,and buying new moves! Technically River City Ransom was the first to do that but it was a welcoming trend other devs were finally catching on as to why that particular title was so revered in the retro gaming community. Phantom Breaker Battle Grounds also borrowed a few tricks from Guardian-Heroes and Fatal Fury classic wherein you could jump between planes in the foreground and background adding much needed evasion options for when you found yourself being outnumbered. Story-wise Phantom is pretty much The Wish-master. In other words,an evil old geezer that will promise to manifest your deepest desire yet will also find a way to either twist it into something negative or trick you into fighting people you care about just to have it granted. He's not a pleasant fellow and this time he is responsible for mask-like parasites that emerge from big colorful eggs before latching onto reluctant human hosts,gradually turning Japan's populace into brain-dead minions and wacky monsters! (Seems as if someone at the office really liked Alien. I get it! Alien truly is one of the best sci-fi horror films of all time!) Beyond the bare-bones plot to serve as your motivation,every girl protagonist is refreshingly unique play-style wise and there are a couple more characters as DLC. (Kurisu from Stein's Gate being one of them!) Yeah, I don't like dlc price gouging either but at least MAGES kept it very affordable. You could buy "everything" bundled together without worrying about if you will have enough spare change afterwards for your rent,utilities,and groceries. Oh,and the game has a ridiculously catchy chiptune sounding soundtrack that is more "fire" than it has any right to be! (Made me reminisce to some of the better compositions in the Megaman series.) Is there a reason to get this version over the "ultimate" version? I cannot really say for certain. Some gamers are purists thus might prefer the classic iteration. Others will obviously want the extra content and further refinements Ultimate will provide. Regardless the case, if you got this as a gift from a friend and it is already in your backlog it is a great beat-em-up worthy of at least a few play-thrus! Had this been in my hometown's corner store arcade during the 90's I would have missed a lot more days of school! (Glad I dodged that particular bullet! Phew!)
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WTF I just found out they are doing are sequel / remake or something. Includes Makise Kurisu
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Frequently Asked Questions
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic is currently priced at 14.79€ on Steam.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 14.79€ on Steam.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic received 2,486 positive votes out of a total of 2,987 achieving a rating of 8.02.
😎
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic was developed by MAGES. Inc. and published by Rocket Panda Games.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic is not playable on MacOS.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic is not playable on Linux.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic offers both single-player and multi-player modes.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic offers both Co-op and PvP modes.
There are 5 DLCs available for Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic. Explore additional content available for Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic on Steam.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic supports Remote Play on TV and Remote Play Together. Discover more about Steam Remote Play.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 26 January 2026 02:07 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 20 January 2026 22:49 |
| Steam price | 28 January 2026 21:03 |
| Steam reviews | 27 January 2026 07:50 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic compatibility
Game modes
Multiplayer
Features
Online players
2
Developer
MAGES. Inc.
Publisher
Rocket Panda Games
Release
23 Jan 2015
Platforms
Remote Play