Phantom Brave : The Hermuda Triangle

Phantom Brave: The Hermuda Triangle for PSP is a single-player tactical role-playing game from Nippon Ichi Software, published in North America by NIS America on March 8, 2011. It is an expanded portable version of the 2004 PlayStation 2 game Phantom Brave, carrying forward the additions made for the Wii release, Phantom Brave: We Meet Again, while adding PSP-exclusive content. Set amid the islands and seas of the fantasy world Ivoire, the game follows Marona, a young Chroma who takes freelance jobs despite being feared for her ability to see and speak with the dead.

Marona is accompanied by Ash, the ghostly guardian who knew her parents, as she travels from island to island resolving the problems brought to her. Their work gradually draws them into a larger threat to Ivoire. The story centers on Marona's kindness and persistence in the face of the suspicion directed at her, while Ash offers a more protective counterpoint. The campaign blends its adventure-for-hire setup with a cast that includes living allies, spectral companions, and hostile creatures encountered across the islands.

Combat uses turn-based, isometric battlefields but abandons the square grid familiar from many strategy RPGs. Units can move freely within their movement allowance, and the physical properties of the environment matter: characters can be thrown, terrain can affect how they slide or bounce, and the open edges of a map can send units and objects out of bounds. Positioning is therefore about more than choosing a tile, since a well-placed throw or an awkward landing can change the shape of a fight.

The defining system is Confine. Marona summons phantom allies by binding them temporarily to objects found on the battlefield, such as rocks, trees, grass, flowers, and weapons. The object used becomes the phantom's body and influences its abilities, so choosing what to possess is an important tactical decision. Phantoms remain in play for only a limited number of turns, encouraging players to plan the order in which allies arrive and make the most of each temporary body. Characters can also lift and throw allies, enemies, and scenery, making the battlefield itself part of the strategy.

Between missions, Phantom Isle serves as the party's home base. New phantom allies can be created there, while different unit types provide useful services such as selling equipment, healing the party, or improving gear. Battles provide experience and mana, and the game's growth systems allow characters, equipment, and skills to be developed over time. Optional dungeons and post-story challenges extend the tactical side of the game beyond the main narrative for players who want to build stronger parties and experiment with its systems.

The Hermuda Triangle builds on the original campaign and the Wii version's added material. It includes the alternate-universe bonus scenario Another Marona, along with extra characters and content. Its own Hermuda Triangle dungeon becomes available after the main story and features crossover guests from other Nippon Ichi games. This makes the PSP edition more than a straightforward conversion: it preserves Phantom Brave's unusual Confine-based battles while packaging its original adventure, later scenario material, and a distinct set of portable-exclusive encounters in one version.