Phantom Hellcat Beginner Guide: What Jolene's Masks Actually Do & How to Start Strong

Phantom Hellcat dropped its reveal at Gamescom Opening Night Live back in August 2022 and honestly, I've been checking for updates ever since. Ironbird Creations and All in! Games are cooking something that looks like NieR: Automata had a baby with a cursed theater production. If you're just tuning in now, here's what you actually need to know before jumping in.

Jolene isn't some polished warrior. She's a rebellious teenager who breaks a magical seal in a theater that secretly imprisons demons. Classic "oops" moment. Her mom gets kidnapped by whatever she unleashed, and now she has to fight through these cursed plays to save her. The setup's straightforward but the combat system is where things get interesting.

The masks are everything

Forget traditional weapon swapping. Phantom Hellcat's whole combat identity revolves around collectible magic masks. Each mask gives Jolene a completely different moveset, elemental affinity, and scoring style. From what we've seen in trailers, there are at least four distinct mask types with different playstyle implications.

The mask you wear determines how you approach every fight. Some masks lean into fast, light combo strings with aerial juggle potential. Others slow things down but let you break enemy shields or parry with wider windows. I'd suggest trying every mask you find for at least a full stage before committing to a favorite. The skill tree progression is tied to individual masks too, so spreading your upgrade points across too many masks early on will leave you underpowered in the mid-game. Pick two masks to main and invest in them.

One thing the trailers don't spell out: masks aren't just combat tools. They unlock traversal abilities that open new paths in levels you've already cleared. If you hit a dead end in a play, come back with a different mask equipped and you might find the scenery literally shifts to reveal a new route.

That 2D/3D perspective thing isn't a gimmick

The NieR comparisons are earned. Phantom Hellcat shifts between 2D side-scrolling and full 3D action sequences mid-level, sometimes mid-combo. It's not just a camera trick. Enemies behave differently depending on the perspective you're in. A boss might be vulnerable from above in 3D but only expose weak points on its sides in 2D.

I think the coolest use of this is in the set-piece moments. One trailer showed Jolene running across a collapsing theater balcony in 2D, then the camera orbits out into 3D as the floor gives way and she has to chain air combos to reach the next platform. If Ironbird can make those transitions feel smooth instead of disorienting, this could be the mechanic that sets the game apart from the rest of the character-action crowd.

Practical tip: learn to read the stage geometry. When you see flat, stage-like backdrops with clearly defined foreground and background layers, you're probably about to hit a 2D section. When the camera pulls back and you can see depth in the set, you're in 3D and need to watch for enemies coming from every angle.

Combat that rewards style over survival

Like Bayonetta and DMC, Phantom Hellcat isn't about just clearing encounters. It's about clearing them with style. The scoring system grades your performance per encounter based on combo variety, damage taken, and clear time. Higher ranks mean better post-stage rewards, which feeds directly into your mask upgrade economy.

Environmental combat is a big deal here. You're fighting inside theater productions, which means stage props aren't just decoration. Knock enemies into orchestra pits for instant kills. Trigger collapsing set pieces to deal area damage. One sequence from the reveal trailer showed Jolene swinging from a chandelier rope into a group of demonic stagehands. If that kind of environmental interaction is consistent across all stages and not just a scripted moment, there's going to be a ton of experimentation potential.

The trick to scoring high is variety. Don't just spam the same combo string. Mix in environmental kills, switch masks mid-combo when you unlock that ability, and use your dodge offset to maintain combo momentum through evasive maneuvers. If you've played Bayonetta, you already know the rhythm they're going for.

What you should actually do first

Don't rush to the first boss. Take your time in the opening theater area. Talk to any NPCs hanging around. All in! Games hasn't confirmed a hub structure yet but there are almost certainly going to be upgrade vendors or mask collectors somewhere in the starting zone.

Try every mask you pick up against the tutorial enemies before moving on. The combat system is deep and the game probably won't hold your hand through all the nuance. Figure out dodge offset timing, learn which mask strings can be cancelled into perspective shifts, and get comfortable with the lock-on system.

And seriously, explore. Ironbird Creations has talked about replayable levels with hidden collectibles, secrets, and treasures scattered throughout the cursed plays. The first playthrough of a stage is about survival and story. The second is about finding everything you missed. Missing a mask in an early play could mean you're locked out of certain paths or upgrades until you come back much later.

One last thing: the game is still officially TBA for release date. It's coming to PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. That's a solid spread of platforms. If you're on last-gen hardware (PS4 or Xbox One), I'd keep an eye on performance info as we get closer to launch. The perspective-shifting tech probably isn't cheap to run at 60fps.

There's so much more I could get into. Secret boss phases. Mask interactions between elemental types. The scoring rabbit hole. But you'll figure that stuff out as you go. Phantom Hellcat has the potential to be one of those games that hack-and-slash fans talk about for years. Or it could get buried in the "upcoming action game" pile. I'm leaning optimistic based on what Ironbird has shown so far. We'll see when it actually ships. Either way. At least we'll have that NieR homage room.