E3 Trailer for spy tactical XCOM-like - Phantom Doctrine!

[Grim.Reaper]

No price listed on Steam yet which is weird.

look a few posts up it will be $39 but with some discounts initially.

[Gusington]

Thanks - 39 a bit high but I am looking forward to reviews.

[Jarhead0331]

Review embargo lifted...generally favorable.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/08/14/phantom-doctrine-review

Whether you’re reading classified documents, wracking your brain over whether or not pursue a lead that could lead to an ambush, or plotting every step a spy takes on their way to assassinating their target, every move you make in Phantom Doctrine carries an urgent tension. That’s a hallmark of every great spy novel, movie and TV show you’ve ever seen. The campaign itself can feel drawn out at times thanks to a less-than-stellar story and some obviously recycled content, but there’s a real thrill in executing covert missions and putting all the pieces together like a master spy.

https://www.pcgamesn.com/phantom-doctrine/phantom-doctrine-review

As the rain beats down on Soviet streets and the van speeds in for yet another evac, it’s hard not to enjoy Phantom Doctrine. It’s an often impressive example of the reborn turn-based tactics genre, built with an intimate understanding of how the layers of its inspiration interplay and an eye for areas where the formula can be tweaked.

https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/phantom-doctrine-review-tactical-espionage-action/1900-6416958/

In spite of the lackluster visuals, Phantom Doctrine succeeds in making an incredible impression with its intricate and engaging mechanics. There is a lot to admire, with a single-player campaign taking about 40 hours to complete, full of varied and interesting mainline missions and procedurally-generated side content. The ability to play as either a CIA, KGB, or Mossad agent (the latter unlocked after one complete playthrough) also offers the tantalizing prospect of different narrative perspectives. Phantom Doctrine takes the familiar framework of isometric turn-based strategy and confidently repurposes it into a unique and satisfying experience. It wholly embodies the paranoia and tension of the 1980's Cold War setting in every aspect of its numerous gameplay systems, and completely immerses you in that all-encompassing state of mind.

[sandman2575]

$39 seems pretty darn reasonable to me, for what this game seems to be offering. A more mainstream 'premium' pricing of $60 would have given me pause, but $39 seems like the minimum of what could have been expected for this.

EDIT -- you can play as Mossad in addition to CIA & KGB?  Wow!

[sandman2575]

So PCGame's main complaint seems to be that the game relies too much on XCOM-like mechanics and influence?  Why is that a negative?  XCOM is a fantastic game.

[Tpek]

$39 seems pretty darn reasonable to me, for what this game seems to be offering. A more mainstream 'premium' pricing of $60 would have given me pause, but $39 seems like the minimum of what could have been expected for this.

EDIT -- you can play as Mossad in addition to CIA & KGB?  Wow!

They teased a secret third faction in addition to the CIA&KGB, and were very secretive about it on the forum.
I thought it MIGHT be the Mossad, but MI6 and the Chinese Intelligence service made more sense.
Glad to see I was wrong

[sandman2575]

Mossad seems like a more daring option than MI6 (though MI6 would of course be cool too) -- but Mossad seems like more of a true third option, because while probably inclined toward CIA/USA/NATO's interests, they should seemingly be motivated primarily their own interests, whereas MI6, one might think, would play pretty similarly to CIA.

Pure conjecture of course. But I'm genuinely intrigued by what a Mossad play-through could look like, trying to balance against the two 'superpower' CIA/KGB services.

I admittedly know nothing about the Chinese Intelligence services.

[acctingman]

This sorta game isn't really my bag, but it brings up memories of a game I played YEARS ago..."Top Secret". I'm looking forward to some of the reviews here.

[Ian C]

another favorable review: https://techraptor.net/content/phantom-doctrine-review


9.5 Amazing

Summary

Phantom Doctrine is a life-consuming espionage simulator, offering a deeply complex cluster of systems to explore. Its turn-based tactics gameplay is a feat of engineering that will offer players many hours of combat thrills and stealth schemes.

Pros

    Complex, Dynamic Gameplay
    Excellent Player Agency
    Clever, Convoluted Narrative
    Exquisite Analytics Minigame
    Wealth of Replay Value

Cons

    “Enemy Activity” is a Necessary Evil

[sandman2575]

Nice to read an unabashedly positive review.

Entirely possible that I'm pre-judging before I've tried things out for myself, but some of the other reviews seem like they're trying to find something to fault -- the "it's too much like XCOM" criticism strikes me as particularly lazy. And call me a cynic, but I'm much more inclined to credit a glowing review from an indy-ish site than I am the typical "9.5/10" that many AAA titles get as a matter of course from the big sites like IGN and PCGamer...

[sandman2575]

Hmmm, very negative review from RPS:

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/14/phantom-doctrine-review/

Of course, RPS initially panned another XCOM-like that I had a blast with:  Battletech.

[Gusington]

To be fair they re-reviewed Battletech several times and finally decided it was excellent :/

[sandman2575]

That's true, but to be honest, what the RPS 're-reviews' revealed to me was that the reviewer Alec Meer did a pretty lousy job with his initial review. When he was met with a chorus of "WTF are you talking about? Did you actually make a serious attempt to play the game?" it felt like he was obliged to go back and reassess...

[Gusington]

Definitely. The review for Phantom Doctrine seems a little more ironclad, to the point of recommending Invisible Inc. instead.

[Jarhead0331]

I lend very little credence to RPS reviews. I almost always disagree with their conclusions.