"Great fun even without the Online!"

Phantasy Star, a series very near to many gamers from the pre-playstation era. From the days of the Genesis, true RPG fans have at least given the series a try, most of which have never stopped playing.

Since very few people have online access for their Gamecube, myself included, I will be reviewing the OFFLINE component of the game. Just know that adding the online element can only make it better, but that's more of a bonus, rather than a required part of the game.

Story
As with many "online" games, Phantasy Star Online tends to be light on the in-game story. The opening movie is the majority of the story for the game, and the rest isn't required reading (most of the "story" comes from the people in the only town, and a handful of side-quests).

Graphics
Beautiful. Simply amazing. PSO uses lush environments, fitting the theme of a given level. From the plants and "wildlife" of the forest, to the highly advanced technology of the mines, each area has a unique feel that is represented by both the textures, and the enemies within.

With this, each weapon has it's own unique appearance, and unique method of being swung/tossed/shot. Spells are a little dull in appearance in their first forms, but the more advanced ones can be a real visual treat.

Sound/Music
The music in this game is very well done. Not fantastic like other RPGs, but it gets the job done, and you won't be muting the music to play your own. This said, the sound of the game is very well done. Everything fits the object/spell being used, and there is a decent variety of sounds in the game, and from monster "battle cries." This is a concept familiar to players of MMORPG games. When you get near a monster, you can hear it make a certain noise that you can identify it from, even if you're not looking at it.

Given the variety of creatures and items, this game creates a well-sized library of sounds that will play. The only problem arrives later in the game, when you stop finding "new" weapons as often. The attack sounds can be a little annoying after hearing them for a couple of hours straight. However, this is a very common thing for many games of the genre, especially MMORPGs.

Control
In my opinion, you will get the best PSO experience on the Gamecube controller. You customize actions to each of the buttons (B, A, X). Holding the R button gives you a second set of actions, also using B, A, and X. This works well on the Gamecube, as those buttons are in a relatively straight row. The 'Y' button is mainly used to open the keyboard for chat, or (while holding R) opening up your inventory to switch weapons, or use healing items.

The ability to customize each button with any action makes it so the game controls are as good as you want them to be. 6 actions should be enough for any player, and there are a few guides which can tell you "optimal" setups for controls, to keep yourself efficient.

Gameplay
This is where PSO proves that it doesn't have to be played Online. Online or Offline, you play the same game, the only difference being that Online, you can have 4 players at once, without a split screen. Offline you can also have the 4 players, but only with a four-way split screen.

Going through the basic game can go fairly quickly, sometimes a feat you can accomplish in a single day. However, it doesn't end at that. The game has four difficulties, each one unlocked by beating the game on the previous difficulty. Going through each time requires you to do all 4 levels again. Aside from increasing the strength of enemies, you will find better, more powerful items each time.

Though many players may not be interested in "Normal, Hard, and Very Hard" it is the ULTIMATE mode that players will be addicted to. After beating the game on the previous 3 difficulties, you unlock Ultimate, which is more than just a multiplier on enemies. Nearly every enemy in the game changes in appearance upon entering Ultimate. Some bosses even change tactics, which is very noticeable in the first boss battle on Ultimate.

Other than that, the game plays very similar to the Diablo series, except in a full 3d environment. You will do a basic dungeon-crawl through the four main regions, each containing multiple levels, ending with a boss battle.

Replay Value
As stated above, this game not only has replay value, but encourages being replayed at least 4 times. Though the first three times are very similar, save for a few major spell changes and new weapons, the Ultimate mode is more than worth the time spent getting there. Even after completing it, you will find that the simple treasure-hunting can be a very entertaining way to pass the time.

Rent or Buy?
Due to the longevity of the game, I would recommend a purchase of Phantasy Star Online, if you wish to experience the entire game. A weekend may be enough to beat the game on Normal, and even Hard if you play extensively, the time it takes to work through Ultimate would cover multiple weekends of game rentals, in which the fees would likely add up to more than the price of the game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/11/05