Phantom Doctrine Game Review (Topic)

Studio CreativeForge Games is primarily famous for a good mystical turn-based western called Hard West.

Most players assumed that the next project would be a direct clone of the XCOM series. However, the new project turned out to be a game called Phantom Doctrine - a story of the Cold War struggles of leading intelligence agencies.

Work of agents

The emphasis in the game is not primarily on thoughtful tactical missions, during the passage of which one should infiltrate certain objects under guard, simultaneously eliminating opponents and breaking through to the set goal, but on the intelligence process. There is a kind of analytical center in the game from where you will have to send subordinate secret special agents to different parts of the world.

The goals are different: from finding useful information providers and intense interrogations, ending with the elimination of enemy spies and various sabotage. In the course of covert operations, agents eliminate threats, get names of possible agents and simply reduce the overall world level of tension.

Received reports should be hung on a special board. Having obtained a few more scraps of key information, the pieces can already be connected with a rope, as if it were an investigation, like in a movie. But only half of the game is built on all this. Phantom Doctrine may not be a purely complex tactic, but it is quite a complex strategy.

Threat Mechanics

The more active operations are carried out on the map, the higher the likelihood that enemies will be able to find the key base. The threat level of being detected will continue to grow. The enemy will always try to reveal the real identities of your special agents. The enemy will deliberately create problems. Nevertheless, if the base is nevertheless revealed, you can change the location for a certain fee.

Initially, the base will consist of 4 key locations. But since it will be possible to pump it, completely new premises will open, and the old ones will bring much more benefit than it was before. There will always be a shortage of money, so you need to improve the headquarters wisely.

Stealth Modes

There are missions that do not require storming a building. In such tasks, everything is tied to a quiet and hidden passage. As a rule, you need to carefully make your way into the key room, try not to arouse suspicion, quietly eliminate or stun enemies - a wide range of stealth techniques will be available. However, the enemies will not be fools. For example, as soon as they detect a noise, they will immediately raise the alarm.

There are other important gameplay elements as well. If desired, you can turn off the tracking devices located around the perimeter. You can organize an ambush or sniper cover. At the same time, it is important to understand that first of all it is necessary to act according to stealth and open confrontation in some cases can lead to disastrous consequences. After all, enemies, for example, when the alarm is raised, literally arrive in "packs". In addition, there is a random generation of enemy locations in Phantom Doctrine. Therefore, it is difficult to prepare in advance, which means that you have to think and weigh your every next step again.

Attention is a valuable resource

Attention is the key currency in the game. Each special agent has his own supply of a unique resource, which will be spent not only on the use of skills, but also to eliminate enemies in stealth mode. In addition, a large reserve of attention affects the receipt of damage from enemies.

Despite the fact that over time, attention begins to recover, a "devastated" spy until then will be too vulnerable a target. Therefore, if he does not sit in a reliable shelter, the combat effectiveness of such a person will be at zero. Moreover, it can ruin the whole operation.

Valuable finds

As you might have guessed, the base in the game is completely self-sufficient. So in the course of completing tasks, it is important to drag along with you everything that will not be nailed to the floor. For example, useful and valuable loot can be stolen from lockers and other objects. Valuable loot is not only some cool weapon, but something more mundane. In addition, since the game was created in a spy setting, special valuable intelligence information cannot be ignored: something will have to be photographed during the passage, and something corny to steal.

Variation of the passage

The developers have thrown every effort to keep interest in the passage. Therefore, there is a lot of content in Phantom Doctrine. In particular, this is reflected in the passage. First, there is online multiplayer. Second, there are three story campaigns. And the first two campaigns are obvious - this is the storyline behind the CIA and the KGB. However, there is a third campaign, which opens only after passing the first two. This adds depth to the events on the screen.

Summary

Despite some monotonous details that are inherent in almost all tactical games, and not just Phantom Doctrine, the project is very different from others and has details that allow you to keep players for 30 hours during the passage. However, the game does not even have superfluous elements that would be corny superfluous: all key mechanics are thought out to the smallest detail and work as competently as possible.

The Topic of Article: Phantom Doctrine Game Review.
Author: Jake Pinkman