PC Critic Reviews

A rich, detailed and highly replayable espionage adventure, touting the right mix of strategic and tactical choices within its entertaining fiction.

Phantom Doctrine from CreativeForge uses the collective Cold War imagery to build one of the absolute benchmarks for modern turn based tactical games, excellent in almost every aspect.

Phantom Doctrine takes the familiar framework of isometric turn-based strategy and confidently repurposes it into a unique and satisfying experience. It wholly embodies the paranoia and tension of the 1980's Cold War setting in every aspect of its numerous gameplay systems, and completely immerses you in that all-encompassing state of mind.

Taut, thrilling, and full of twisty new takes on a classic gaming formula, Phantom Doctrine is our new strategic addiction.

Overall I had a lot of fun with Phantom Doctrine… I’ve been a big fan of the X-Com games since enemy unknown and I thoroughly enjoyed Silent Storm. The Cold War, espionage theme of Phantom Doctrine helps to make it stand out a bit and is a great story line. If you like turn based strategy games I would highly recommend Phantom Doctrine… now excuse me I just have to jet to a (redacted) in (redacted) and talk to my handler.

If you are a fan of the newer Xcom series, I highly recommend this game. If you are a fan of Cold War spy thrillers, I highly recommend this game. The mystery of the conspiracy is fantastic and makes me want to uncover everything. The gameplay is brutal, but fair and unlike Xcom you won't miss a with a shotgun at point blank range and a 99% change to hit. This game fulfilled many niches and I hope others will agree.

A gripping spy thriller, successfully replicating the XCOM campaign structure in a le Carre-like world. [Oct 2018, p.66]

Despite some repetitive missions and cutscenes, there's a massive and complex plot waiting to be discovered in Phantom Doctrine. Although it might not feel that way at first, the game offers a mix of tactical and strategic decisions way more complex than any of the XCOM games. I also think the game perfectly catches the Cold War atmosphere of the early 80s, and delivers it in the form of a tactical stealth turn-based formula. Phantom Doctrine tackles a sensible but fascinating subject, the Cold War, and does a damn good job at it.

I especially like the great focus on secret infiltration.

A suspenseful stealth/action strategy game with a strong Cold War vibe and quite a few original ideas. Not all of them land as well as they should have, but Phantom Doctrine is still a deep and engaging experience for fans of the ‘XCOM’ genre.