When Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero releases in 2025, players will not only become reacquainted with Marona and Ash – the protagonists of the PlayStation 2 original RPG, but a colourful range of new characters: the allies and the foes. Nippon Ichi Software America has today shared more information on some of the new characters, and staple gameplay mechanics that players will have access to when the game releases. Scroll down to read more:
Meet New Characters
Rouen
A First Mate Fluent in Sarcasm
“…Ugh, what a bunch of softies. Some pirates you are…”
A beastman who was the first mate of the Argento Pirate Crew and the right-hand wolfman of the leader of the fleet, Apricot’s father. While he always acts listless and nihilistic, he is actually kind. He shows an almost overprotective parent sentiment towards Apricot, who he calls “Princess,” while still managing to get some digs in all the while taking care of her.
Five years prior to the events of the game, he tried to protect Apricot and the others when they encountered the Shipwreck Fleet, but failed. As a result, they lost their lives.
Henna
A Queen Notorious Even in Death
“I shall take your eyes—your hearts—your lives! Power of charm, Opera Mauve!”
The Phantom of a former Queen of the Hasara Kingdom, an island containing 70% sand. From times of old, it has been custom in Hasara for a woman to lead the country.
However, when she was young and inexperienced, she made bad political decisions and lost her life in a coup d’etat. Afterwards, she appeared as a Phantom in the Hasara Kingdom, where she controls others with a bewitching power that turns them into her servants.
She opposes the current queen, who is her biological younger sister.
Urumi
A Ghostly Force of Nature
“Freeze! Freeze! Freeze! All of you, freeze!”
A phantom boy who lives on Snowfall Island, an extremely cold, frozen place that is covered in snow all year round. Since he passed away as a young boy many years ago, he has gained the ability to manifest himself as well as control the climate around him.
In spite of his young appearance, he is extremely powerful, and has caused many of the island’s inhabitants to perish by making the climate worse. Accordingly, he is called a “devil” by the islanders who fear him.
Mayfair
A Swashbuckling Pirate Par Excellence
“My crew is my family. A true swashbuckler doesn’t crush someone who saved their family.”
The big sister-like leader of a certain pirate group. She appears during Marona’s adventure when Marona and her companions visit Versailles, an island abundant with nature that is closed off to outsiders. There, she protects the island from poachers.
Once she gets her mind set on something, she charges ahead at full speed, and she values the swashbuckler’s spirit and her family over all else. She calls her crew family, and is at times a tough trainer, while at others a gentle protector.
The Systems of Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero
Protection: Strategic Use of Items and Characters
The Protection system in Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero allows players to enhance their strategic options by using specific items or characters that grant protective effects. These effects, indicated by glowing lines on the battlefield, can range from boosting attack power (e.g., “Attack Power +x%”) to preventing movement or increasing O.B. damage. Players can choose to either utilise the benefits of these effects or remove them by destroying the item or character causing the Protection.
Protection can influence both allies and enemies. For instance, if a rock is granting enemy characters a 10% attack power increase, players can destroy the rock to remove the buff or confine an ally to gain the benefit instead. In some scenarios, certain areas may be restricted by No Entry Protection, necessitating its removal to access those zones. Hovering the cursor over a character reveals any active Protection effects, aiding players in formulating their tactics.
O.B.: Utilizing the Battlefield’s Edge
The O.B. (out of bounds) system allows players to throw items or enemies off the map, resulting in them taking damage. This system can be particularly effective when facing more powerful opponents, as the damage inflicted by O.B. is independent of level differences. Players can use the Throw command to hurl enemies or objects off the edge or use terrain features like ice to slide them out of bounds. Falling off the map through movement or one’s own actions does not result in O.B. damage.
Items thrown off the map are lost, which can be a strategic consideration if players are looking to prevent enemies from using certain items. To prevent the loss of valuable items, players might confine a Phantom to an item before engaging in combat. This action is indicated by a “Plundered!” message, signalling that the item is secured.
Equip Items: Normal and Abnormal Weaponry
In Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero, players can equip a variety of items found on the battlefield, including unconventional choices like trees, flowers, rocks, and even enemies. Characters can lift these items, and others themselves to equip them, gaining access to their Skills (active techniques) and Abilities (passive effects). This feature extends to stealing weapons from enemies, with players needing to check the success rate of such actions.
Equipping items can also serve a defensive function. When a character is equipped with an item or another character, the equipped object can absorb a portion of incoming damage. However, if the equipped item’s HP is reduced to zero, it is lost; similarly, if an equipped character’s HP falls to zero, they are Downed. A subsequent attack on a Downed character or item causes them to be removed from the map entirely. Furthermore, under certain conditions, players can permanently learn the Skills and Abilities of equipped items.
