Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate on PS5 is like binge-eating candy-you know it’s not gourmet, but you can’t stop going back for another handful. After 8 hours of jumping, punching, and spamming combos, I can say this is a beat ’em up that’s as honest about its pleasures as it is about its flaws. If you’re here for deep fighting mechanics or reinvention, don’t bother. If you just want that quick, fizzy dopamine hit that only a flood of on-screen baddies and chibi chaos can deliver, pull up a seat. Let’s talk about why this remaster-a fresh coat of paint on a 2013 cult favorite-might be your next couch co-op obsession… as long as you don’t mind shutting off your brain.
I went into Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate with exactly two things: a love-hate relationship with beat ’em ups, and a core affinity for fighting games (shout-out to my Shenmue obsession and hundreds of dusty PS2 fighters). The first thing that hit me wasn’t revolutionary—it was nostalgia. Pixel art characters, energetic chip tunes, and a menu that’s as straightforward as it gets. I picked Mikoto (I’m a sucker for swords), loaded up local co-op with a friend, and within seconds, we were knee-deep in a maelstrom of goofy, chibi-armored goons. There’s no need to read a manual—this is “walk right, punch everything, pick up the shiny stuff” gaming, the kind you can explain to anyone in five seconds.
I’ll admit, I was grinning like an idiot that first hour. It’s the same vibe as plowing through a bag of gummy bears: mindless fun, and sometimes, that’s exactly what I crave. But like any sugar rush, reality (and repetition) set in fast.
The big hook here—besides those adorable, over-the-top sprites—is the ability to flip between foreground and background planes. Think classic Double Dragon meets Guardian Heroes, but far less complicated. Smacking goons, dashing behind them to dodge projectiles or pile on a surprise combo, it works… but after a while, I realized I was switching planes mostly to blunder out of cluttered crowd scenes, not for any tactical “galaxy brain” play. It’s simple, and if you’re not expecting “Yakuza” levels of combat depth, it hits the spot.
The bulk of the action boils down to walking to the edge of the screen, getting swarmed by faceless enemies, then mashing attack and special moves until the last one evaporates in a shower of gems and cheerful sound effects. There’s a jolt of satisfaction in juggling a pile of creeps, and the feedback—vibrations, crisp slashes, even the ping of picking up diamonds—keeps your dopamine centers lit. I got flashbacks to collecting rings in Sonic or coins in Mario, and yeah, I kept scooping them up even though I had no idea why I needed so many.
But after about three hours, the lack of enemy variety started showing. Most regular enemies are damage sponges with the personality of wet paper towels. Occasionally, a boss breaks things up—these guys at least demand some movement and attention, and stumbling into one unprepared led to my one and only wipe. Still, most of the time, you’re just clearing screen after screen of disposable minions. It’s fun, but a little too mindless at times, bordering on a “turn-off-your-brain, get lost in the chaos” loop.
Where Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate actually comes alive for me is in its Battle Grounds mode. This isn’t just another beat ’em up “story campaign”—it’s a surprisingly chaotic versus brawl where you can bring up to four players (offline or online) and duke it out as your favorite characters or, hilariously, as the enemies themselves. One of my favorite moments came when my buddy beat me with an actual car. I’m not talking “transformer supercar”—I mean a normal, ordinary car, smashing the competition. That’s the level of silly energy this mode brings. It’s not balanced, not competitive, and not meant to be. It’s pure, bumpy, brawling fun that never takes itself seriously. If you have friends over or love those “we’re just here to mess around” sessions, this mode alone is worth firing up the game.
Just be warned: visuals in four-player battles go from “cute chaos” to “absolute migraine” in about thirty seconds. I lost count of how many times I had to pause to find my tiny chibi avatar in a sea of particle effects and explosion sprites. I don’t have the world’s biggest TV, but if you do, you might fare better.
Look, nobody’s playing Phantom Breaker for the plot. Still, the single-player campaign does enough to give some context and showcase a grab bag of quirky anime personalities. There’s a tiny bit of narrative glue, but if you aren’t already a fan of the Phantom Breaker universe, don’t expect to get invested. I got a kick out of discovering new playable characters and boosting their stats—leveling up unlocks some basic improvements, like longer combos, extra jumps, or powered attacks. But don’t expect Streets of Rage 4-level complexity or depth. This is simple comfort food gaming—just enough upgrades to keep you playing “one more round” before the repetition hits too hard.
Most of my character runs clocked in at under an hour. For me, that was actually perfect—I could cram a session between work calls or late at night without feeling like I’d abandoned a pop quiz halfway through. It keeps things breezy, and honestly, I never wanted it to last much longer per run.
Controls are pleasingly idiot-proof. Every character handles pretty much the same, which means anyone can actually pull off mid-air juggles and flashy specials. That said, the way the game handles defense is just… bizarre. To block, you don’t press a button or hold back (like any self-respecting fighting game)—you just stop moving. Standing totally still makes your character guard automatically. In solo play, it’s unintuitive, but in multiplayer chaos, it’s downright a headache. Trying to block without being overrun or knocked into a corner feels wonky, especially as you crank the difficulty and enemy damage. Why not just let us assign a block button or revert to the classic “hold back to guard”? As a lifetime fighting game dork, this one drove me up the wall—half my early runs ended in accidental block fails, and my more casual friends were even more confused.
This “Ultimate” remaster is definitely smoother than the original—I noticed more frames of animation, cleaner transitions between scenes, and zero lag (even when the action got wild). The pixel art is cute, charming even, but don’t expect a massive glow-up. Some backgrounds pop with color, but others have all the personality of bland wallpaper. The soundtrack is all sugary J-pop and arcade buzz—it’s not quite as memorable as the best in the genre, but it does its job.
Since I played mostly on a PS5 and a decent but not massive TV, performance was reliably rock-solid, and load times were basically non-existent. Online play only hiccupped on one occasion, and I’ll chalk that up to my friend’s questionable WiFi.
If you grew up mashing through brawlers with siblings, or you miss the days of couch co-op chaos, this is a no-brainer, especially if you can split the joy with friends in short bursts. If you’re a die-hard fan of the 2013 Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds, this is a definite upgrade in smoothness—but the actual new content is thin on the ground, so manage those expectations. On the other hand, if you demand deep systems, rewarding single-player longevity, or complex strategy—you’ll burn out fast. This is a sweet, shallow sugar rush of a game best enjoyed in small doses. Core fighting game fans (like me) may bounce off once the novelty wears off. For arcade purists or those who want to introduce new folks to the beat ’em up genre, though, there’s enough here for a hearty, if brief, good time.
I came, I mashed, I laughed—and then I reached for something meatier. Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is lightweight and goofy, a perfect palate cleanser between “serious” games. It’s not going to transform the genre, and honestly, it’s not trying to. Play it in short bursts with friends, savor the goofy versus mode, and enjoy the ride for what it is. If, like me, you appreciate an old-school brawler every now and again (but demand your main courses elsewhere), you’ll find this game hits the sweet spot for a few evenings. Sometimes, that’s all you need.
TL;DR: Light on depth, heavy on crowd-pleasing fun. This is beat ’em up junk food—quick, sweet, repetitive, and weirdly addictive… as long as you don’t overdo it. Score: 7/10
Get access to exclusive strategies, hidden tips, and pro-level insights that we don't share publicly.
Ultimate Reviews Strategy Guide + Weekly Pro Tips