Phantom Fury Reviews
Bombshell Harrison is back in Phantom Fury, a new, more ambitious, bigger and more destructive installment loaded with details that show a lot of effort, but a loose consistency and rough edges that evidence a rushed development. As a result, Bombshell's new adventure leaves mixed feelings. Still, it is playable, although perhaps it would be good to wait for a discount to give it a chance.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Phantom Fury represents a significant evolution to its predecessor keeping the fidelity to its nostalgic aesthetics while offering visual and gameplay upgrades. Though the game has a few technical caveats, it offers a satisfying experience for FPS fans with a classic touch, especially for those who love the retro style.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Phantom Fury is far from perfect, but it still offers a satisfying boomer-shooter experience that feels like it has come straight from the noughties. The weaponry on offer is a lot of fun to use (especially when upgraded) and there’s plenty of variety to be found across the game’s levels, so you certainly won’t tire of the action. Just don’t expect anything unique, with Phantom Fury not offering anything that you wouldn’t have seen before. It does have a few technical issues, the difficulty could be better balanced, and there were times when I got completely lost in levels, but I still had a good time with the game. It’s silly, it’s over-the-top, it looks great, and it features some great weaponry – it gets all of the basics right to ensure fans of the genre will enjoy this blast to the past, even if a couple of patches would probably make it better (and knock my score up to an 8).
Phantom Fury is a fine homage to the late 90/early 2000s first-person shooter game and a fun game in its own right. The issue is that, compared to Ion Fury and Aftershock, it just doesn’t quite stack up due to how soft combat feels and repetitive enemy and puzzle variety are. Fortunately, it’s not quite as bland as Bombshell, and has a fun and well-paced campaign for any fan of the genre or Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison for at least the one playthrough. The game clocked in for me at just over 14 hours, though this is likely to come down on subsequent playthroughs as there were a few sections where the difficulty spiked quite high. The game is well paced and there is plenty to see and do throughout Shelly’s road trip, but go in knowing the ride is going to be a little bumpy, so put that seatbelt on.
It’s far from being a bad game, mind you. There’s quite a bit to like about it, such as its Half-Life-esque presentation and expansive levels. With that being said, it’s not as over-the-top, and as a result, entertaining, as its predecessor, which featured better combat sections and more replayability. It does scratch a very specific itch. If you want to play something that vaguely resembles the original Half-Life in scope and gameplay, I think that Phantom Fury can satiate said niche.
Phantom Fury needed more time in the oven. It’s certainly not that raw, but it’s not well-cooked either. Even if Slipgate Ironworks ‘irons out’ all the bugs, the game would still be an above-average FPS in a market dominated by nu-Boomer Shooters. Certainly not the sequel Voidpoint’s Shelly deserved.
However, if you like to march through corridors, blow through your enemies, and maybe get a few one-liners in along the way? Phantom Fury is going to be a good time. It's a legacy throwback that has done its homework, and while it didn't delight me it also never made me want to throw the dang thing in the garbage. It's some good lightweight fun. Let's just hope that this time around the title avoids becoming the main character of controversy, hmm?
Phantom Fury stands out as an exceptional retro inspired shooter precisely because it’s the original Duke Nukem Forever that gamers were promised back in 1996.
Though at times a little slow, Phantom Fury will easily outpace your expectations, delivering a delightful experience that pays homage to classic American action flicks and stands out within its genre.