Phantom Doctrine

Eisfabrik [spoiler]- Geheim - Aktenablage- und Entsorgungsrichtlinie 2212-4 beachten Observationsbericht Zielobjekt 2337, Örtliches Zentrum [/spoiler] Der Walgesänge [spoiler]- Donnerstag, Datum Unleserlich Absender: /////////// (Oberleutnant) Ich beobachtete von der gegenüberliegenden Straßenseite aus, wie ///// /// /////////// die Diffusion betraten. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ////// //////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////// //////////// /////////////////// ////////////////// ////////////////// ////////////////////// /////// // ////// / /////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////// ////////////////////// ///////////////[/spoiler] [spoiler]Eisfabrik[/spoiler] - Streng geheim - Aktenablage- und Entsorgungsrichtlinie 2219-2 beachten Aktennotiz zum Observationsbericht [spoiler]////////// ////, örtliches Zentrum /// /////////// - ////////// ////// ///////////[/spoiler] Feinschmecker, wie Hakenkralle berichtet, hätten Personen, [spoiler]auf die die Beschreibung von Amsel und Hohlspiegel passe, am ////////[/spoiler] Die Diffusion betreten. Laut einem Observationsbericht [spoiler]den Konstante vergangene Woche eingereicht hat ist jedoch schon einmal eine Person, auf die die Beschreibung von Amsel passe, beim betreten der Diffusion gesehen worden. In den Berichten der gesamten Woche findet sich keine Erwähnung, dass Amsel die Diffusion zwischendurch wieder verlassen hätte. ///// ///////////// //////////// ///////// //////[/spoiler] Beobachten wir tatsächlich alle Ein- und Ausgänge oder ist unsere Observation aufgedeckt worden und erlaubt sich jemand in der Diffusion Scherze auf unsere Kosten? Gruß, [spoiler]Lanzenreiter (Major)[/spoiler] Das Casino - Top Secret - if not authorized to read this document, contact the U.S. Consulate Fernmeldeüberwachung Zielobjekt [spoiler]Die Bucht, örtliches Zentrum Der Fische[/spoiler] Abhörprotokoll vom Freitag, Datum Unleserlich *Aufbau der Verbindung* [spoiler]Tandem: Ja, guten Morgen. Ich habe grad ihr Telex erhalten. Wie sollen wir denn darauf reagieren, dass Die Fundgrube sich in den Büros gegenüber Der Bucht einmietet.[/spoiler] [spoiler]Unbekannter Teilnehmer: Weshalb schicken sie nicht mal jemanden von Dem Bootsverleih im Arbeitsanzug rüber um denen die Heizung abzustellen oder das Wasser abzudrehen.[/spoiler] [spoiler]Tandem: *lacht* Das ist zwar eine gute Idee, aber nicht ohne Risiko für unsere Kräfte vor Ort.[/spoiler] [spoiler]Unbekannter Teilnehmer: Ich empfehle Ihnen, Die Fischhalle abzuwickeln und ins Winterquartier zu verlegen. Die weitere Nutzung erhöht nur das Risiko, dass Leute von Der Fundgrube etwas mitscheiden. Aber das ist nur ein gut gemeinter Rat.[/spoiler] [spoiler]Tandem: Hmm, *murmelt etwas* Ich bringe das im Jour-Fix am Montag zur Sprache. Machen Sie's gut.[/spoiler] *Ende des Telefonats* Mikrofilmabzug eines Schriftstücks (Handschriftlich) aus Der Papierwirtschaft [spoiler]Hafenkapitän, hören Sie mal, sind sie verrückt meinen dienstlichen Anschluss von einem öffentlichen Münzfernsprecher anzurufen? Lassen Sie das künftig sein. Teile unserer Unterredungen sind bei Dem Bürobedarf schriftlich dokumentiert. Offenbar aus Datenfernübertragungen Der Kavallerie abgeschöpft. Austausch ab sofort wie verabredet nur über den Briefkasten in Dem Datenstrom. Gruß, Hauptmast (Oberst)[/spoiler] ...so ähnlich (besser) liest sich Phantom Doctrine über weite Strecken des Spiels. Das ist erstaunlich immersiv und führt in die obskur-verfremdete Agentenkrimi-Vergangenheit der 60er, 70er und 80er-Jahre. Chiffren und Chiffren für Chiffren erzeugen ein geradezu Nolan-esques Flair. Technisch ist Phantom Doctrine der ziemlich beste XCOM Klon, den ich kenne. Empfehlungsschreiben (zur Veröffentlichung) ist wie verabredet im Briefkasten in Dem Datenstrom hinterlegt. Gruß, Der Spieler

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Fu##! It's the fu##in' boss.

Having never played XCOM (but having recently finished Hard West 2 which I enjoyed quite a lot), i thought I'd give this game a try (not sure why but I've always enjoyed spy based games - probably because I can fantasise about having a life more exciting than that of toddler dad). I've been really enjoying it for a few reasons (yeh there are a couple of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ I have but they are minor and I'll get to those in a bit) - 1) This game is suited to a number of different play time scenarios. a) I've only got an hour of free time to game and don't want to get invested into a beast like Baldurs Gate, Starfield. Ah, I know, I'll get a few levels done on Phantom Doctrine. b) I've got a few hours to kill but I'm not in the mood for a really deep story and for having to pay attention to every word or listen to a range of monologues. Instead I want to play a game at my pace (each level in Phantom Doctrine allows you to complete it as you see fit really - collect everything, collect only a few things, go stealth mode and take your time, or go guns blazing and complete it quick and bloody). c) I've got all day and I want to power through the Phantom Doctrine story and see how much of it I can complete. 2) There's just enough variety to the characters (in terms of looks, backgrounds, weapon specialities, voices, perks) for you to kind of end up caring about and becoming invested in each of them. I named all of my agents after friends and family and had fun giving them each a code name - especially the mother in law ;) 3) They're not difficult, but I do enjoy completing the intelligence file puzzles and connecting the link lines to each other based on code words that you search for as you read them. I can pretend I'm Jack Bauer in calm mode for a few minutes before going ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ on the enemies in the actual levels. 4) Each level has a number of approaches and ways you can tackle it. Do you want to turn off all of the security cameras first or risk it? Do you want to set any agents as undercover, disguised and going around judo chopping the enemies on the shoulder? Do you like to breach rooms where two or more of your guys go in guns blazing and shoot first, ask questions later? Are you going to capture or kill the enemy agents? Are you going to use silencers and a light armour, or take the silencers off and go full heavy armour, like Rambo (yeh I know he only wears plot armour but man it works). 5) There's a lot to keep you busy in between levels via the interactive world map, which has a constant stream of events unfolding to keep your agents busy. Assassination attempts, informers wanting to give you info, enemy agents trying to infiltrate your base, captured agents you can try to free, tailing enemy agents back to their bases, your own base being raided and more. In between these events you also have the running of your base - buying/selling weapons, improving your agents stats, perks and weapons training, interrogating enemy agents (with a load of options as to what you want to do with them) and lots more. 6) The graphics and the music are pretty awesome and work so well with this genre. As soon as I heard a saxophone and that kind of 1980's spy genre music which combined with the dark, steamy, downtown vibes of some of the levels I was sold. I went out and bought a fedora, a suit, a cigar and told my wife I was going away for a few days. 7) Bang for your buck. I mean I'm 51 hours in, have spent the majority of my time on side quests and beefing out my base as much as possible and I've only done a few of the main missions and I'm still not bored yet - HOWEVER this brings me to the main negative points (albeit for me, it's a small one) - Negative aspect - The repetition of the actual objectives you get as you do each level. Yes, there are plenty of ways you can choose as to how you go about doing the objectives, but the objectives themselves really don't vary much. You essentially get - Kill/Capture enemy agent Free your own captured Agent Plant bombs Obtain Microfilms Kill 'x' number of enemies It's usually - "Go and fine this thing or person, if it's a thing, take it, if it's a person, kill/capture, and then evacuate". As much as I enjoy the stealth element to the game, which the game definitely favours, I would definitely enjoy a bit more freedom to go wild, shoot everything up and to ask questions later. You can do that sure, but it's very short lived based on there not being that many enemies per each level. Overall Ratings With my 37 year old dad hat on - I'd give it an 8/10. if I was still childless and in my 20's, I'd give it a 6.5 or a 7. Definitely worth the cost I'd say!

Phantom doctrine is one of the worst designed games I have ever played. Each mission, aside from some story missions, basically has two states: Detected and undetected. While in undetected state, you can eliminate enemy units silently and you have unlimited time to complete the mission without danger to your agents. When you are in detected state the missions become timed, as you get slowly overrun by enemies and you can only engage in open conflict and risk danger to your agents. All progression mechanics of the game focus on making the detected state easier. Your agents can use more weapons, you do more damage, you get better armor and abilities. However, winning each mission undetected is trivial, once you understand how the game and enemy patrols works and outside of specific story missions there is basically no reason to ever enter combat, making 95% of the game content obsolete and making missions very tedious and uninteresting, as there is no challenge whatsoever in the game, once you are good at the stealth part. If the detected state would be less punishing or avoiding detection harder and you increase your ability to remain undetected while you are progressing, the game could have been fun, but at some point is just becomes extremely tedious, because you also play on the same few map types every time. At last there is the strange clue minigame, which I thought could be an interesting way of storytelling, but the clues are all randomly generated words without any connection to the story or any aspect of the world and it is not difficult either, so completely pointless too, like 90% of the game. I can't say much about the story, because I became too tired of doing the same boring missions over and over again to continue. Overall, most of the game content was made for a game Phantom Doctrine is not. The game content is designed for a turn based tactical shooter, like XCOM, when phantom doctrine wants to be played as a stealth game and actively punishes you if you play it like XCOM (as you can see from other negative reviews). If you want a good turn based stealth game, play invisible inc. instead. Phantom doctrine is awful and I regret buying it.

Fantastic X-com-like with a good amount of cliche and serious spy/espionge theming. The MKUltra double agent mechanic is legitimately hilarious.