More than two decades after Phantom Brave launched on the PlayStation 2 in 2004, Nippon Ichi Software is set to release its proper sequel, titled Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero, on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch starting 30 January 2025. If you are hoping to sample the game a little bit in advance, test what is new on offer and/or experience Phantom Brave for the first time – a demo for all three platforms is set to go live on 17 January 2025.
This demo will likely feature the first chapter or two, and will cover the start of the game, meaning you will be able to transfer your saved data to the full release once it launches.
In Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero, the story once again follows Marona – a gifted young girl with the power to speak to Phantoms – as she traverses the ocean world of Ivoire, providing aid to those in need. She works alongside her Phantom partner Ash as a Chroma, a type of contractor who travels to various islands and solves people’s problems, upon request. As Marona and Ash are returning home from a Chroma job as usual, disaster strikes. Their ship is attacked by a group of vicious ghost ships known as the “Shipwreck Fleet.” A mysterious masked man steals Marona’s powers, and to save her, Ash jumps into the horde of enemies alone. Thus, Marona and Ash are separated.
After escaping the Shipwreck Fleet and washing ashore on an isolated island, Marona encounters a young Phantom girl named Apricot, who wants to reunite with her lost father —the captain of the Argento Pirate Crew who once defeated the Shipwreck Fleet. However, the crew is now on the verge of disbanding after losing their captain. Apricot wants to revitalize the crew and search for her father, and Marona agrees to help her. To travel this region of the sea, which is filled with pirate territories, they must become pirates themselves and expand their own territory. Marona and Apricot decide to work together to revitalize the Argento Pirate Crew in order to reunite with those who are dear to them.
