Phantom Galaxies Game Overview: The Sci-Fi Action RPG The Blockchain Needs

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If you want someone to tell you what's hot within the world of Web3 gaming, then look no further than Alex. Alex is constantly on the prowl looking for the next crypto-gaming combo, signing up for alphas, testing games, and making a quick buck in the process.

He's a long time gamer, and a long-time crypto enthusiast, and even in this hostile Web3 landscape, he believes that he can spot the shining stars of the medium.

Welcome to A War Torn Galaxy

I had a ton of fun flying through the debris of blown-up space pirates. However, if giant mechas and space dogfights sound lame, although I can’t see how, this game won’t be for you.

If you haven’t been introduced to mechas in Sci-fi, then I know what are you thinking, Transformers in space? That looks stupid! Well, it’s really not.

Mechas might not be of everyone’s taste. I was introduced to mechs before mechas, and I struggled with the believability of how a mech would work.

However, I was able to suspend my disbelief as Phantom Galaxies‘ environments do a fantastic job of immersing you into the universe. So without further ado, let’s load up our warheads, check our Wingman, and hyper-jump our way into this!

Bottom Line-Up Front

If you haven’t got the time or simply cannot be bothered to read my overview on Phantom Galaxies, that’s okay. I’ve summarised all the essential information you need to know here.

You will love Phantom Galaxies if you are a fan of Battletech or Mechwarrior. I’ve long awaited an ARPG that focuses on the mech niche of the sci-fi genre, and this could be the one. Phantom Galaxies is in Early Access, so a lot needs to be worked on.

With this in mind, I’m excited about the game’s future, and it’s plain to see that Blowfish Studios are passionate about developing Phantom Galaxies. This is seen in the minute details of dialogue and characters in the game. Although limited at the moment, the developers have laid down a solid framework to create a good RPG.

Aesthetically the game is stunning, excluding some odd character models. Exploring space looks beautiful, and truncheoning through space stations gave me a sense of wonder and authenticity. Players can develop and explore future planets, asteroids, and space stations!

Mecha Starfighter gameplay is fun and feels incredible to pilot and maneuver. Changing between mecha and starfighter mode looks fluid and sounds terrific. But best of all, there are a ton of weapons to outfit your Mecha with.

Three Easy Steps to Play Phantom Galaxies

Create a MetaMask Wallet or a Phantom Galaxies compatible wallet if you haven’t already got one.
Purchase the Halberd-001 NFT from OpenSea via the Phantom Galaxies website to ensure it’s official.
Connect MetaMask or the wallet of choice to Phantom Galaxies, hit download, and away you go!

Getting Access to Phantom Galaxies

If all of this is up your alley, consider purchasing the Halberd-001 NFT on OpenSea. The NFT costs 0.0025 Eth, roughly costing $4.15 from Ethereum’s present value.

The Halberd-001 NFT is a high-resolution poster that is a key to the Alpha by unlocking episode one and will also explain information regarding the lore of the Phantom Galaxies universe.

Once you’ve purchased the NFT from OpenSea, you must connect your wallet with Phantom Galaxies. This may sound complicated, but Blowfish Studios have made it super easy.

There are currently four episodes available to purchase for Phantom Galaxies to unlock more story content for the game. However, you will only need one Phantom Galaxies Origin NFT in your wallet to play all four episodes.

For completing each episode, you’ll be rewarded with an NFT medal. However, you must own the corresponding Origin NFT for each completed episode. The medal will reveal more information regarding the story and universe of Phantom Galaxies. It will show other players that you’re an early supporter of the game.

Blockchain gaming is remarkable as it allows information not ordinarily accessible to become public. OpenSea gives all kinds of information regarding an NFT. Currently, just over half a million owners of the Halberd-001 NFT have access to Phantom Galaxies.

Episode two is accessed by purchasing the Shining Star poster NFT from OpenSea. Which currently has little under eight hundred owners but has twelve hundred views. This could be due to the significant increase in the price of the NFT compared to the cheap Halberd-001 poster.

My Experience: Mega Mecha Gameplay

I was skeptical of Phantom Galaxies; sure, the graphics are fantastic, and the trailers flashy, but how does the gameplay play out?

Well, after getting the keys to my Mecha Starfighter, defending trade ships from pesky pirates, and exploring the galaxy. I’m happy to announce that Phantom Galaxies ticks many boxes to evoke that Sci-Fi excitement within me.

I’ve got a long list of Sci-Fi games under my belt. I’ve saved the galaxy on more than one occasion from the Reapers in Mass Effect and Covenant from Halo, and I’ve managed my own mercenary company in Battletech and Mechwarrior.

Moreover, I’m a big fan of Sci-Fi on the screen. I have watched Battlestar Galactica multiple times, and ever since then, I’ve longed to get my hands on a Viper Starfighter.

I’m enjoying my time with Phantom Galaxies. I was worried that the lore would be nothing but flavor text.

However, my smile grew from ear to ear when I discovered there was a codex tab on the menu, reminiscing back to the first time I played Mass Effect. I began reading about the various characters and factions within Phantom Galaxies.

Hit and Miss Characters

I was also pleasantly surprised that there was substantial dialogue with the various characters onboard the Halberd-001, the central hub and location of your quarters. As characters gave me light explanations for factions, I’d unlock lengthy codexes to explore the topic further in the menu.

I was happy with the characters I encountered in the game, with Charleene and Commander Silva being my favorite so far. I had no idea what to expect regarding characters in Phantom Galaxies.

The game had a mix of excellent and mediocre voice acting. Moreover, while I’m a big fan of the characters mentioned mainly due to their dialogue and delivery from the actors, I’d like some more backstory. This would especially be important for your Wingman.

I can’t be too harsh on the game for its characters because, at this stage, the game is in early access, and there is much for Blowfish Studios to expand and touch up. Exploring the Shining Star Trading Post was a good indicator that the game is moving in the right direction.

The Shining Star

No space exploration game is complete without an edgy space station. Mass Effect has the Omega Club, Babylon 5 has well Babylon 5, and Phantom Galaxies has the Shining Star. The Shining Star had a great atmosphere, and I picked up some quests, kicked my space boots up, and had a drink.

In addition, I played card game 21, where I ended up losing all my hard-earned credits. Yes, the Shining Star feels like it has a ton of potential and is an example of what other facilities could be like in the game. Blowfish Studios could nail the sci-fi club and facility aesthetic with a bit of work.

There are elements of cyberpunk style in Phantom Galaxies as some characters have rambunctious hairstyles such as big mohawks. The voice acting can vary in quality, with some pirates sounding cool and gritty while others sound odd and out of place.

However, for the most part, I was happy with the quality. I thoroughly enjoyed the Shining Star as a location as it brought the universe to life. I could see people gambling, drinking, dancing on a floor below, and even saw some shady characters, everything that you’d hope for in a space station trading post.

Mecha Starfighters

If you are a fan of Gundam or any mecha game, then this is going to love this game. There are four classes of Mecha Starfighters to play in Phantom Galaxies the Buster, Lancer, Assault, and, Breacher.

Each type of Mecha Starfighter can transform between a mech and Starfighter mode to gain an advantage over an enemy; typically, the mech mode is best used on the planet. At the same time, the Starfighter mode is best used for space combat.

Each type of Mecha Starfighter has different characteristics that change how they act in combat. For example, the Lancer is the most nimble Mecha Starfighter and can strike targets from afar like a sniper. Colliding with a target can also deal with a devastating melee attack. Here is each Mecha Starfighter class explained:

When you start Phantom Galaxies, the game will make you pick between either The Locke, an Assault class Mecha Starfighter, a Jack of all trades mech that has a solid defense and speed and is equipped with medium-ranged weaponry.

Or the Kierkegaard, a Buster class Mecha that sacrifices speed for greater armor and weaponry. It’s a tough decision but fear not; as you play the game, other Mechas become available to purchase for twenty-thousand credits of in-game currency.

This may sound like a lot of money; however, I soon racked up enough credits after completing a few quests and runs of asteroid mining where I wasted no time in purchasing the Breacher Mecha Starfighter.

However, spending your cash isn’t always so easy as it’s a good idea to save your cash and buy a new spicy weapon for your Mecha.

I was surprised at how much money I made by completing quests and selling goods. The sentiment with blockchain games is that if you want to obtain anything, you will have to part with money. However, this isn’t the case with Phantom Galaxies.

Combat: The Heart of Phantom Galaxies

The combat in Phantom Galaxies is fantastic. The controls and wide range of weapons feel great. I absolutely love being ambushed by pirates while mining or exploring.

It took a while for me to get used to flying in space as sudden movements with your mouse can lead you disorientated and your ship upside down. Therefore I suggest lowering the mouse sensitivity if you are new to the genre. Although pressing “Alt” will center your ship to the right way up.

When in your Starfighter form, you can boost fire energy weapons and mine asteroids. These actions all cost energy. Your energy will recharge over time, but if it runs out, you won’t be able to shoot or boost, so energy management is key.

That said, there is an energy consumable that instantly replenishes your battery. The combat feels unique as you can transform into your Mecha form anytime, leading to some epic moments.

It takes only a couple of seconds to transform between Mecha and Starfighter; however, it comes at a cost to your speed, leaving you vulnerable for a short time.

Although I found that transforming was a great way to abruptly break and was extremely effective when playing The Kant Breacher Starfighter specialized in close-quarter combat.

I played Phantom Galaxies on the default difficulty and found that the game’s difficulty was balanced well. Small bands of pirates don’t prove too much of a hassle, especially when you have a wingman. However, you will be fighting more than just dodgy space pirates.

Some quests will require you to take on big spaceships equipped with several turrets. These fights are entertaining as you can take out the engines to leave the ship stranded, or powerful missiles will launch from the ship, annihilating your Mecha if not dodged.

Moreover, numerous drones will pop out of the ship to shield it from your attacks. To make matters worse, I had to contend with all of this with squadrons of Starfighters on my tail.

Guns, A Hell of a Lot of Guns

It can be very easy to be overwhelmed in Phantom Galaxies. However, Mecha Starfighters are built for this kind of onslaught. Each Mecha Starfighter will not only have extra weapon slots and unique weapons for each class. But they will also come with a devastating weapon that must recharge after it’s fired.

For example, the Buster class, nicknamed The Kierkegaard, fires a barrage of powerful missiles to deal enormous damage.

I was able to destroy a boss with a couple of barrages between missiles and my machine gun. On the other hand, the Breacher class fires a wide laser beam that decimates anything it touches. This weapon relies on the player’s aim rather than a lock-on system like the Kierkegaard.

Each Mecha Starfighter class has a unique weapon that deals devastating damage that must recharge after use.
Each Mecha has three slots for extra weaponry or equipment.

Dare I say, “Boots on Ground Combat?”

While most of Phantom Galaxies takes place in space, there are many opportunities to get your metal on the ground and blow some stuff up. As some quests will require you to siege bases on the surface of a planet.

Whether tasking you with taking out the bases energy generators or just wiping out hostiles in the area, I love it all! The graphics are fantastic, and its so cool to see your mech stomp around and lay waste to anything that dares get in your way.

One of these scenarios has you confront a giant mech that dwarfs your own in size. Its not only a challenging fight but is a welcome break from space.

As much as I like ground combat, I have a few problems with its current state:

For the most part, the mechas look amazing, stomping around on the surface. The sounds are great and there feels like there is a lot of weight to them. However, the animation fails to meet the same standard as the Mecha’s feet don’t match up with its movement making it seem floaty or as if it’s sliding on ice.
The graphics are fantastic. However, I’d live there to be more exploration of these bases and environments. As they feel small and somewhat unlived in. Moreover, I think these sequences would be better if the player had to fight their way to the base rather than spawning at its entrance. I can picture traversing through a dense jungle or frozen lake before reaching the base.
Although more of a personal request, I’d love for a first-person camera perspective. There is nothing better than piloting a mech on Mechwarrior and seeing all the dials, buttons, and doodads to get you fully immersed in the game.

Fly with a Wingman

At the moment, there is no way to play with other Phantom Galaxies players. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll be flying alone.

Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of RPGs is meeting interesting characters and forming a band of companions. Personally, I’m not a big fan of the MMO genre, and although Phantom Galaxies is not multiplayer at this time, it will be an incredibly social game in the future.

I’m always underwhelmed by quests and stories in MMO as single-player content is usually overlooked. This was a big worry for me going into Phantom Galaxies.

However, I was pleasantly surprised with the lengths of effort Blowfish Studios have gone to, to flesh out your Wingman in Phantom Galaxies. That said, you won’t be able to have long conversations with your Wingman, and dialogue is very limited outside of the main characters.

However, the game is in its early form, and Blowfish Studios have added lots of dialogue and minor cutscenes of your Wingman reacting to developments in the story and other quests.

In addition to this, your Wingman will follow you around some space stations. I love this, and I hope it’s an aspect of the game that Blowfish Studios develop more.

Wingman will help you out in a fight and will act as another pair of eyes when exploring the galaxy they’ll comment on the current task and follow your commands in battle. Got a stubborn pirate on your tail, then call your Wingman to take them out.

There are currently three wingmen to choose from in Phantom Galaxies, all requiring you to succeed in a task before they accept your offer. Once you’ve selected your Wingman, you won’t be able to change them, so carefully consider whom you want to fly with.

Moreover, each Wingman has their own personality, behavior, and Mecha class. I chose Charlene as my Wingman because her funny and brash character suited her Buster class starfighter.

Character Skills

An RPG without skills and character development would be sacrilege. Luckily Phantom Galaxies features a character leveling system, where you’ll be able to level combat and utility aspects of your character.

For example, skill points can be allocated to improve your Wingman’s damage and increase the number of minerals dropped from mining. Increasing weapon type effectiveness decreases Mecha transforming time, crit chance, etc.

I leveled my character to gain more rewards from completing quests and increased item drops from enemies so I could obtain more money for weapons and mechas. However, you’re going to need to level your character’s combat skills. As you level up, you’ll be pitted against higher-level enemies.

Quests, Missions, Raids, All That Good Stuff

Without quests, missions, lore, diverse characters, and character development, it wouldn’t be an RPG. Phantom Galaxies has all of this even in its infancy, so I’m excited to see more after the snippets of content given.

The Halberd-001 is your main hub and location of your quarters. Its also where you’ll be given missions from personnel and superiors on the ship.

The Shining Star is another hub where the player can acquire repeatable quests and story missions. Although Phantom Galaxies lacks content, it’s in an early stage of development. There are some hints as to what will come next from the Phantom Galaxies White Paper.

Stating that raids and operations will feature in the release of the game. I can see raids being super fun, as one quest in the game led me to a base where I had to fight through areas that increased in difficulty and defeat a giant mecha boss!

For all you competitive and mercenaries out there, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to stab rangers in the back with the Rebel Sector and Frontier space PVP areas.

Ownership: Your Corner of the Galaxy

Phantom Galaxies is a blockchain game, meaning players will be able to obtain and earn unique rewards. In the future, players will be able to purchase and trade unique avatars and avatar items.

The white paper states that the game will have its own token called ASTRAFER. With this token, you’ll be able to trade NFTs and upgrade your Mecha Starfighter.

Furthermore, Blowfish Studios will introduce Rebel Sector and Frontier Space. These are dangerous PVP locations that will feature tough NPCs and valuable refineries, weapon caches, and more. Moreover, corporations will be able to stake their ASTRAFER into these facilities after taking over these areas.

Develop Your Planet As You See Fit

Had enough of your own planet and those running it? Think you can do better? Then get yourself your very own planet and govern it how you see fit. Phantom Galaxies allows you to rule your planet as a dictatorship or run it as a republic.

Moreover, if you don’t care for politics, why not turn it into a giant hangar or base for your guild? As you’ll be able to build residential areas along with a myriad of buildings such as marketplaces and refineries for valuable harvesting resources.

This sounds very cool! I love the concept, and it’s even better, as planets all have unique traits, sizes, and coordinates. In addition, players will be able to own asteroids. I can imagine this is for developing a space colony on a budget.

Although not much has been revealed regarding owning land in Phantom Galaxies. I can imagine players developing planets reminiscent of their favorite Sci-fi IPs like a Citadel-like colony from Mass Effect or a Weyland-Yutani corporation-themed planet. However, I’d probably take a wide-berth on that one!

While this sounds exciting, it’s just speculation and a concept. I can see planets being constrained to the narrative and Phantom Galaxies universe.

Be as it may, land ownership in Phantom Galaxies will provide much utility to the Phantom Galaxies ecosystem as players will be able to earn ASTRAFER, a token rewarded to the player for the amount of utility that the planet provides and its engagement. Running a sci-fi megalopolis isn’t free, as all structures built on the land will require funds for upkeep and maintenance.

Organizations Will Run the Galaxy

I’ve already talked about guilds and how they will factor into the game. However, Phantom Galaxies takes another step further with organizations. Players will be able to group themselves to unite under a common goal under a few different types of governance.

Players will be able to solely rule over their land taking full governance. I can just imagine how those planets are going to turn out! Sponsored organizations are an interesting type that is saved for real-world companies to rule over land in the game!

I honestly wouldn’t trust myself to run a planet like Coruscant from Star Wars, but I’m thrilled to see what players come up with. It’s crazy to think that sponsored organizations will be real-world companies. This blew my mind away as I could be governed by McDonald’s.

I wondered whose job it would then be at McDonald’s to run a digital organization within the metaverse. What would our goals be?

Would Mcdonald’s planets and asteroids be located around every major space highway? So to speak, just a funny thought! Or maybe I will be able to live out my dream and join the Inner Sphere after all but without the beautiful stompy mechs.

FAQs

Question: What Blockchain is Phantom Galaxies Built On?

Answer: Phantom Galaxies is a multichain blockchain game that runs on both the Ethereum and Polygon blockchain. As a result, Phantom Galaxies NFTs will be available on OpenSea to trade.

Question: Is Phantom Galaxies Free to Play?

Answer: No, In order to get access to Phantom Galaxies, you must own an Origin NFT in your linked wallet. There are four Origin NFTs available each can be brought on the official Phantom Galaxies OpenSea.

Question: Can Mecha Starfighter be Permanently Destroyed?

Answer: Yes, each minted Mecha Starfighter will have set durability. Suppose your Starfighter is destroyed in a Rebel Sector or Frontier Space without insurance.
In that case, your Mecha Starfighter will be permanently destroyed. If your Starfighter is destroyed and its durability drops to 0, there will be a cooldown where you’ll have to wait before you can pilot it again.

A Sleeping Blockchain Behemoth

In conclusion, Phantom Galaxies has got me stoked. All the ingredients are coming together to create a fantastic sci-fi ARPG. Combat is fantastic, and the road ahead is extremely exciting.

I’m interested in seeing where Blowfish Studios take this. That said, I have a few qualms and worries about the game. Fear always creeps in when exploring an early game build, as it doesn’t necessarily mean the end product will meet all expectations.

I just hope that they expand more on the characters and dialogue, as I think this is Blowfish Studios‘ ticket to delivering a grandiose space opera narrative to the player.

Mass Effect threw the player into a living universe filled with all kinds of sentient alien species. There was a sense of gigantic scale. It could have been overwhelming for players; however, the characters you met along the way taught you about the galaxy and the people living within it.

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