Phantom Doctrine

Phantom Doctrine is a life-consuming espionage simulator that offers 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.

Phantom Doctrine is a superb slice of Cold War espionage storytelling tied to a serviceable turn-based strategy. A harsh difficulty curve awaits, but there's reward to be found.

For a game about spies, Phantom Doctrine is atrocious at providing you with information. It doesn’t set up its pieces in an interesting way, it just pretends to - and while it has some neat ideas I haven't gone into detail on, that's because I so rarely needed to engage with them.

If you’re someone who lives a life of danger, if everyone you meet is a stranger or perhaps you find that with every move you make another chance you take, then Phantom Doctrine is ideal for you. For everyone else, this is a deep and compelling tactical strategy game that provides innovation in a stagnant genre. I’ll be playing it long after I’ve finished reviewing it, and I can think of no higher praise than that.

From the original Microprose release to Firaxis’ glossy modern re-imaginings, and all the titles inspired by one, both or any of the sequels, there’s a rich library of brilliantly involving, deviously challenging games that combine turn-based tactical combat with a real-time strategic overview. Some gamers find this sub-genre so rewarding that they barely touch anything else – and for these people, Phantom Doctrine has appeared like a lush oasis rising out of a shimmering, arid desert.

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.

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An inspired XCOM clone, whose spy movie atmosphere inspires an emphasis on stealth rather than action – which is a good job given the somewhat flawed combat.

It’s 1983, and you’re CIA…or KGB, depending on what kind of person you are. You look out into the world and you see dark forces threatening to turn the tide of evil. Only you have the espionage and tools to stop it. That’s right, you’re playing Phantom Doctrine, a spy tactics game that’s as frustrating to play as it is attractive to look at it.

What happens when you pair spies with XCOM?

Phantom Doctrine certainly shares plenty of DNA with the much-adored XCOM series, but it lacks the polish that’s made the likes of XCOM 2 such an enduring example of how to do tactics right. When Phantom Doctrine really doubles down on the minutiae of its spycraft – including the solving conspiracies and the stealth-focused nature of its missions – its own personality shines through. It’s certainly scrappy here and there – especially when it comes to managing the meta of its spy network – but push past these imperfections and you’ll have plenty of licence for kills (and the occasional thrill).

We honestly feel patches are going to make Phantom Doctrine a lot more playable, but as it stands right now the combat is downright broken. Whereas XCOM’s combat could be frustrating but was generally entertaining, Phantom Doctrine is always frustrating and never fun, and it quickly sucked any love we had for the game away. Infiltration is a lot more fun but woefully underdeveloped, and CreativeForge obviously forgot about their game having multiple storeys when inputting it - going up stai...