Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2

"Great online experience; not much soul."

I first of all like to say that a lot has already been written about PSO, so my remarks and grade are probably of little consequence. Still, if you haven't played this title yet and are looking for helpful info--or have and are curious what others think of it--here's my two cents' worth. As with my Ico review, the format is: general categories first, followed by unique categories (features unique to the game or genre).

GENERAL:

Graphics -- 7/10

The visuals in PSO are nothing too spectacular, considering what the DC is capable of, but they more than get the job done. The first time you explore the Forest, you'll probably 'ooh' and 'ahh,' at least a little (I did). The style and vibrancy really make you think of the original Phantasy Star on the Sega Master System. In fact, the first thing I thought when I started running around and blasting things with my RAcast (a robotic ranger, if you didn't know) was 'Cool! Phantasy Star meets Doom! With multiplayer! Rock!' Unfortunately, that's not quite the case; but this is more of a gameplay issue. Low-poly models, but there are plenty of them, and the height/weight deformations are cool. The 'anime' style faces are a bit silly-looking. Before you start flaming, hear the truth in my words: anime is a two-dimensional art form. I have yet to see it translate well to 3d. Maybe it's impossible. At least you never get too close to the faces (a few of which are okay, in fairness).

Sound -- 5/10

The first knock against PSO comes in the form of strictly average music and sound effects. Don't get me; they're not bad. Just average. Monsters all have pretty similar groans and growls, though they work well enough, and sabers make suitably Star Wars-ish hums, but nothing really stands out. The music is TOTALLY forgettable, which is really a pretty big departure from the rest of the series. Gone are the sweet, heroic strains of PS1 (repetitive, true, but very catchy and stirring--if you ever heard them, I'm sure you know what I mean). Gone is the upbeat techno pop of PS2, with its darker undertones. Gone is the four-note battle theme loop from PS3--oh, wait; that's a good thing. Anyhoo, the soundtrack should never have made it past quality control. I know it's supposed to be unobtrusive, but it's also uninspiring.

Gameplay -- 6/10

Okay. This one was tough to call. While it's very true that PSO offers a host of innovative and fun interface options (particularly with regards to chatting), it's also true that the basic _game_ aspect is a little lacking. The biggest problem here would have to be the control. ''But wait!'' I hear you shouting, ''A Dreamcast game with bad controls? Surely you're out of your mind!'' Yes, friends, it's true. Steering your character around corners or trying to do anything other than run straight ahead is a bit like maneuvering Ryo Hazuki through his house in Shenmue: you'll snag on corners, you won't see where you're going, because the camera doesn't stay behind you, and when you're backed against a wall you won't see your character, unless it's really tall, in which case you'll see nothing but your character. ''But wait! That was my favorite part of Shenmue!'' Well, then, you should love the controls in PSO. The roll-on deodorant analog stick doesn't help matters, either. (If anyone knows of a GOOD after-market controller, please do contact me.) You don't run when you want to, but rather after you've walked for a full second (plenty of time to get the crap pounded out of you) and it's sometimes hard even to face the enemy you want to hit. While you can get used to this, I count it as a pretty big negative; it's not that hard for me to face someone in real-life. So why the '6?' Otherwise, the interface is pretty slick. Creating a character, getting online, buying and selling items, and chatting with other players are all pretty intuitive (though you will absolutely want the keyboard; the in-game keyboard is awful).

Fun Factor -- 8/10

PSO makes up for a bit here, though I'm still not sure how. It is fun, even in offline mode. Despite the repetitive backgrounds (most of the rooms look identical), lousy control and boring music, it's still fun. Watching your avatar run around bashing stuff is pretty cool, probably because he or she is so deeply personalized. Raising characters and mags is also fun, though you probably won't create THAT many. It take a long time to build them up. Online multiplay is a blast, when things are going well, and a drag when you're up to your neck in llamas and game-sharkers.

Challenge -- 6/10

Another category that's hard to call. If challenge is a function of time required to beat the game, then I'd give it a ten! If it's based on actually killing stuff, then maybe a four. Sadly, there's not much to straight fighting, as the AI is simply non-existent. Monsters are slow, stupid, and relatively few in number. They're also hard to put down, so fights are drawn out not by intensity but by repetition, making it a real pain to level-up. You'd like to plow through them as fast as possible, but that just isn't that fast. Also, they don't respawn, so if you're out for experience, expect to quit and restart a lot. A lot. No, really. The monsters come out more in online mode, but then you're splitting the experience with maybe three other people. (And playing online solo is a losing proposition, as the monsters are tougher, and just won't drop fast enough.) The point is: expect to spend a looooong time leveling up. Is that challenge? Well, kind of. It challenges your attention span.

UNIQUES:

Story -- 2/10

Story? What story? As the package proclaims, ''you are not the only hero.'' Okay. But what does that mean? Well, it means you have to rely on other human beings to provide the narrative. Cool. Problem is, most people aren't exactly great Shakespearean actors, or actors at all. And the narrative supplied by the game is vague, at best (I'm being kind). To give you an example of what I'm talking about, let's turn the comparison a lot of gamers have made between the earlier PS games and PSO around: let's say that Phantasy Star 2 had dialogue supplied by online 'heroes,' rather than the game's writer. I think it would go...something...like...this:

ROLF: ne1 no how 2 dupe?

RUDO: COME GET SOME!!!!

NEI: What everyone does need?
>>Everyone

ANNA: ???
___________________
ROLF: | CARTOON |
| OF |
| NAKED |
| BREASTS |
---------------------
/

ANNA: ???

RUDO: COME GET SOME!!!!

NEI: Everyone, we need monomate?
>>Everyone

ANNA: ???

ROLF: stfu, ne ne1 no how t
o @#$% dupe??!!!!
_________________
NEI: | CARTOON |
| OF |
| SAD |
| FACE |
-------------------
/

ANNA: ???

NEI: ne1 need monos?

RUDO: COME GET SOME!!!!

ANNA: oh no thnx

ROLF: NE1 NO HO 2 @#$% D
UPE???!!!!!

RUDO: COME GET SOME!!!!

ANNA: where is everybody?

NEI: please send pipe

RUDO: COME GET SOME!!!!

ROLF: stfu, an ne1 no ho
w 2 @#$% dupe?

NEI: pipe plz

RUDO: COME GET SOME!!!!

ROLF: wtf?

NEI: pipe plz

ROLF: wtf?

NEI: please send a tele
pipe

ROLF: buy it uslef

RUDO: COME GET SOME!!!!

----------The End---------

Okay, maybe that was a slight exaggeration, but only slight. On the good runs I've been on, there's virtually NO conversation. Everyone just does what they're supposed to, and the dialogue would be a long series of ''ty''s and ''np''s. (That's thank you and no problem, if that little playlet above sapped your brainpower.)

Monsters -- 4/10

Thoroughly mediocre, IMHO. Most annoying of them all is the ''Pofuilly Slime'' (poofy slime? yeah, you bet!). This ball of mucus orbits you for random amounts of time, then attacks, sloowly, which is when you hit it. Of course, you can only hit it once. Traditionally, in RPGs, slimes and their ilk may be resistant to certain physical attacks (cutting), but you can still burn 'em. Pofuilly slime is, however, completely invulnerable until it comes out to attack (kind of makes you wonder why they don't just go about their business and leave you alone). In fact, depending on the breed, fire or ice may make them reproduce (hmmm). Leaving you with another poofy slime. Apparently, this is so that Forces (magicians) won't have too easy a time of it (they're already the hardest class to play as). Poofies would be great for experience, if it didn't take so darn long to kill them, unless you can off them in one hit. And if you can do that, they wouldn't be worth it anyways, as you need to be fighting tougher opponents.

Weapons -- 7/10

I was split on this one, too, but I decided to give PSO the benefit of the doubt. The jewel-box proudly proclaims millions of weapons (or maybe it's the strategy guide, whatever) exist to be found, and that's true. Unfortunately, they all look the same. The nifty ultra-rare secret weapons are powerful, sure, but by the time you'll actually uncover them, you sure as heck won't need 'em. Apparently, these things were thrown in so that expert players could display their ''1337''ness (no flames, please; I hate ''leet'' too). Unfortunately, the over-abundance of game-sharked copies of the real weapons kind of ruins their mystique. Still, there are a lot of weapons to choose from, maybe you'll find something you like. More likely, you won't, and you'll keep looking (I guess that's part of the replayability).

Multiplayer -- 7/10

Very easy to get set up and jump into a game, but expect to find quite a few llamas out there. Also, the exclusion of any kind of link cable support is not only inconvenient, it's downright bewildering. If you have a bunch of friends who are into PSO, don't expect to get anything like a LAN party going, unless you have four phone lines. I guess they had some reason for this, but it eludes me...

Replay -- 9/10

After writing the _Ico_ review, I decided to put 'replay' under 'Uniques.' Not every genre of game needs great replayability to be good (though most do). For some, it's nearly impossible to have good replayability (the _Myst_ series comes to mind). However, for inexplicable reasons, PSO has fantastic replay value, and that helps a lot. Creating new characters and finding new Guild members to swap cards with online are great incentives. Add to that the _Diablo_-style ''I know there's better equipment out there somewhere'' mindset, and you've the potential for a real keeper.

OVERALL (not an average) -- 7/10

PSO is very good. It's an ambitious game that definitely deserves a look. Rent or buy? Well, don't expect to get much out of it over a weekend. On the other hand, even if you're a fan of the series, the wierd controls and non-existent plot may turn you off, in which case it'd be better to ''try before you buy.'' My recommendation? If you like Phantasy Star, buy it. It's really not that expensive (is there an expensive DC game?). If you do happen to get online, you'll find me somewhere on the Oberon: a big, dark RAcast named Tsutomu. I promise to be nice :)

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/23/01, Updated 10/23/01