Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution

"A nice change for PSO"

I am one of many addicts of the orginal Phantasy Star Online Episode 1 and 2 for the Gamecube. When I heard about the 3rd episode being about cards, I was immediately turned off to the idea. I wondered why Sonic Team would want to make an action RPG into a turn based card game. To tell you the truth, it's not that bad.

Graphics: 6/10
The graphics are not improved at all. However, as you may know, graphics have about nothing to do with actual gameplay. The graphics are just like the graphics in Episode 1 and 2. Ok.

Story: 8/10
There is two stories in this game; each with its own style of gameplay. On one side, the Hunters, use weapons. The Arkz, use monsters to battle the weapons of the Hunters. The Hunters and The Arkz have many confrontations. There is also character development, and you can play through the game several times to get each character in the game's storyline.

Gameplay: 8/10
The most important part of any game, and this game does not lack much. The style is turn based using cards against your foes. These matches may be long. Some lasting for 30 minutes and up. PSO III may seem simple at first, but with over 500 cards and many combos to use, there's a lot to do and collect. This game also has online play, in which you can 1v1 or 2v2 friends and just have some good fun.

Music and Sounds: 6/10
The music is basically like in PSO 1 and 2. Nothing really special. The music just fits the game. The sounds aren't anything spectacular, but they do work. However, this game doesn't really need music, but it is nice.

Overall: 7/10
This is not a bad game. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to spend some time playing a highly addictive game. With a good story and lots of cards, this game will keep you playing for months.

Buy/Rent/Skip
I would recommend buying this, because a weeklong rental won't get you anywhere.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/26/06