Phantasy Star II

"The first RPG I ever played is still one of the best"

I remember how awful I was at Phantasy Star II.

Released in 1989, my seven-year-old brain had not experienced an RPG (let alone knew what the initials stood for), and thus could barely comprehend such a concept. I mean, a game that didn’t ascend in incremental levels? A game that didn’t allow you to break boxes, or burn bushes, to acquire a needed power-up? A game that made you budget your money as well as the vitality of your severely vulnerable group--just working as a group, to achieve a singular goal, was foreign to me.

Patience was another virtue imposed by the RPG... unfortunately a child’s mind meanders quickly. Raised solely on twitch-based games and platformers, it took me just under five years to complete this masterpiece. That is not to say I was playing in consecutive devotion, but rather, off-and-on.

Still, a game that occupied a fourth of my current lifespan, needless to say, was intimidating indeed.

It was that intimidation from Phantasy Star II that very much contributed to my current appreciation of video games today. When you think about it, art just sits there. Television moves, but without consent. Video games are the only medium that allows you to take part of the creation--to absorb you. Tragic, too, because they contain just as much effort and money (think of Shenmue’s 20 million dollar budget) as any motion picture... and yet are still considered “just for kids”. Disgusting.

Once again, as with my other reviews, I am going off on autobiographical tangents. Maybe I truly do spend more time explaining how a particular game shaped me, personally, as a gamer. I just think when reviews contain more technical information than self-elation they stop being reviews... and simply become references. However, I will make an attempt to appease my critics (critics of critics nonetheless) and focus on the actual game:

What separates Phantasy Star II, and allows it to exist at the top of any gamer’s list, is necessity. Everything in the game feels needed... nothing feels superfluous (a mistake that even the most sophisticated RPGs make). Every item is essential for survival. Every enemy, regardless of palette-swapping, feels like they belong. The control is simple, without being patronizing.

Every aspect is brass tacks.

The story... well, video games all tell the same story. I will fill in the blanks (and divulge into detail) later, but for now let me give you the mold: As ____ you will overcome the evil ______ _____ to save the good-natured _________ of ____.

But Phantasy Star II’s story carries a lot of weight by including so little. There are maybe three cut scenes (as oppose to hours of cinematic perfection found in recent RPGs) throughout the game, as well as only three bosses. But again, they are all that is needed. The “dungeons”, as they’re called regardless of whatever structure they may be, are equally of perfect length.

If anything, this game reminds us how focused purity triumphs over unexacting excess.

As with its predecessor (which is barely related story-wise) Phantasy Star II engraves its mark into the video gaming macrocosm with its distinct look. Set in the distant future (with the grace to not exist in an alternate one, as the wonderful surprise ending confirms), only with Medieval values and weaponry, there is no denying that its universe was all its own.

Having covered the overall, let’s break it down:

Graphics: 10/10

Graphics of this magnitude were unheard of at the time. Though I promised to center entirely on the game, I must pause for a personal bias: there are games that can completely win me over through their worlds. If there is one trend amongst my reviews, it’s that all of the reviewed games contain brilliantly-realized backdrops. If a game can engulf me into a world unattainable by realistic standards--well, there’s just something inside me that stirs.

Phantasy Star II was no exception.

Not only was it stunning to witness, but the sheer size of Mota (the game’s home planet) was unprecedented. THEN the designers took an extra step to include Dezo, a secondary ice planet. That’s love.

Both worlds switched from a top-down (while navigating) to a third person perspective (while fighting). The reason? Character design. While the band of heroes was nothing to gawk at, the enemies were so beautiful in their ugliness that they had to be witnessed head-on. Just look at the “final” (I won’t spoil why that’s in quotations) boss, the Dark Force, and remember that it doesn’t matter how powerful consoles get, without imagination behind the visuals, there’s nothing worth looking at.

Sound: 10/10

I fondly remember the first day I purchased this game over thirteen years ago. I sat in front of my new Sega Genesis and listened to the opening title sequence. My mom (who couldn't care less about video games) in the other room actually made an effort to approach me and comment just how beautiful the music was.

Hey, I’m not going to argue. Mother knows best.

Gameplay: 10/10

Phantasy Star II not only presents the basic fundamentals of RPG gameplay, but (to me) the absolute maximum. Modern day RPGs are overly-complex when they simply don’t need to be. That is not to say that I am impatient, and unwilling to approach a deeper depth of control... but with every other game of this genre there are always unneeded aspects that I can single out and wish were dismissed.

The fighting is smart and involving without resorting to a bible of spells and items. While there are no puzzles to speak of, the labyrinthian nature of each dungeon will keep your head equally scratched. It works.

Story: 10/10

The aforementioned blanks are filled in bold:

As Rolf you will overcome the evil Mother Brain to save the good-natured Motivians of Mota.

Though, really, you could apply any noun to these blanks and successfully describe 99% of today’s games. Their stories are so interchangeable that it matters not what they say, but how they say it. A storyteller is renowned not because of their tale, but because of the feeling they invoke whilst telling it.

Phantasy Star II tells it well enough without overshooting. It’s nothing entirely knew, but it’s enjoyable with the familiar. Points go also to the tragic subplot concerning Nei (the heroine), and again, to the surprise ending. Very cool.

Replayability: 5/10

In no way will the game take you as long as it did myself to complete--even for the casual gamer. The problem is that, granted total concentration, the game requires what seems to be a lifetime to complete. And, as we all know, life is only good once--as is the incentive with Phantasy Star II. After all is said and done... will you desire another trip through? Not likely.

Conclusion: 10/10

Every gamer’s first role playing experience is an episode that they will treasure throughout their entire gaming career. And I especially feel fortunate because it was Phantasy Star II that was allowed to be my first such experience. It does everything right, and I absolutely cannot think of better introduction into the genre.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/18/02, Updated 03/18/02