Introduction:Phantom Crash has slid under the radar this holiday season. Not receiving as much press as other games and greatly due to the mechassualt being released around the same time. Phantom crash does have something unique to offer, but it might be a bit overwhelming to some.

The Game:The gameplay in Phantom Crash is about running around in a mechanical robot shooting at other mechanical robots, but there is so much more. At first glance you will either be intrigued by the style or overjoyed for text making a comeback in videogames. Or the music will drive you batty and the abundance of text will drive you nuts. This game has a weird overall groove to it that just sits weirdly when you view it. It might be a lot to imagine or it might be too hard to grasp, but you have computerized animal chips talking to hip animated cel-shaded people having long conversation usually about nothing. Now if you just want to shoot some robots then you will have to sit through many minutes of neo-strange conversations.

Phantom Crash is ambitious and reminds me a lot of the playstations release of Armored Core. You can totally customize your mecha or “Scoobee” as called in the game. You can totally customize your Scoobee by adding new arms, weapons, body styles; motorization types etc… the combinations of Scoobies are virtually unlimited. The customization in Phantom Crash is one of the key features that make this game more inviting.

The Scoobies in the game handle quicker then you would think. The majority of the robots are fast and dexterous. The can be equipped with left and right booster packs, and different transportation methods. This makes the gameplay fast and more intense. There is also the impressive cloaking device where it clocks the Scoobee to blend in with its surroundings. Think of the classic Arnold movie Predator. The way the balanced the control to feel like the mech was very cool and easy to operate. Each arm weapon left and right is separated with the two trigger buttons with each side being a separate entities. This is the same with the back weapon also, which is divided into two sides. Within minutes you will be able to scorch your enemies with ease.

Two things bothered me in Phantom Crash gameplay and that was that the Scoobies don’t feel heavy enough during the game and it feels more like you’re floating on the ground rather than actually walking or driving on it. This takes away a bit of the realism. And I was also bothered by the RPG element being that it had two much drama. A story line is great, but this world is way out of my mental range. Should rats, cats and dogs hold conversations?

Graphics & Sound:The graphics in Phantom Crash are done well; the opening scene is jaw dropping amazing and it leads into a world of cyber cool styling. The presentation reminded me of Jet Set Radio Future they way that the characters where cel-shaded along with the blend of alternative music and alternative style. Phantom Crash does have the most style for a mech game to date and it will probably keep that title for a long time.

The graphics in the non-combat aspects of the game are a look a lot cleaner than when your are in battle. Within the combat the weightless feeling and the drab textures bring this game down a notch. The Scoobies themselves are detailed and crafted uniquely well, but the environment brings them down to its level when battling it out.

The soundtrack to Phantom Crash is a mixture of strange alternative bands which become a part of the game itself. You can purchase songs in the music store and listen to them in your Scoobee. This just adds another layer of weirdness to this game, but it seems to go hand in hand with all its other strange quarks.

Overall all the other sounds in the game are average. I came across times when I couldn’t hear the weapons and explosions on a proper level with the default settings. This can be changed to your preference within the settings.

Lowdown:Phantom Crash is a strange action-rpg mecha combat game. It has plenty of replay value and is very unique in its presentation and mecha designs. The customizing is a bonus within the game and the combat isn’t bad. The story line, animal chips and music give a weird vibe to the game, which some may like and others hate. This is a rental for sure. Check it out and if you enjoy talking to cat computer chips, pick this up. You’ll see what I mean.

Gameplay: 6, Graphics/Sound: 7, Innovation: 8, Mojo: 6. Final: 7