Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom

"Could've been better, but it isn't that bad..."

Phantasy Star III...

Generations of Doom...

Considered by many to be the ass-end of the Phantasy Star series, Phantasy Star III should be considered more of a side-story to the series, rather than an integral component. While naysayers would have you believe it is a bad game, it is far from the truth.

Granted it isn't the best RPG ever made and it fills a very small void in the Phantasy Star universe, but as a side-story goes, you could do a hell of a lot worse.

In many ways, PSIII is a niche game, relying on it's novelty rather than it's storyline. Instead on one long linear adventure, your character goes on a quest, gets married (to one of two girls) has kids, and you continue the adventure as the child, now grown-up. This gives you several different ways to get through the game.

Sound - In many ways, the music for PSIII is very forgettable. There aren't many themes that really make you sit back and just enjoy the music. The opening theme is really the only piece that had any merit (in my opinion).

Graphics - While the sound is lacking, the graphics are quite good. No arguments here. For some reason, I always felt that the towns were remincisent of Vermillion. Still, the graphics are good. Too bad there are no cool cutscenes like in PS4!

Story - I'm not going to touch this one really. It's got a decent story, but one that will leave you feeling a bit empty and only ONE ending is dealt with in the actual series. I won't reveal which, but players of PS4 know what I mean. This game never hit's the cathardic plataeu that PS2 had, nor does it tie together any lose ends as PS4 did. It's just a fun little jaunt that explains very little.

Control - This was a major issue for me, as they revamped the controls making the gameplay suffer greatly. If you've played 2 or 4 and are playing 3 now, you'll be very shocked. I was. It's not like it's horrible, just unfamiliar.

Overall, PSIII is an RPG that get's kicked around more than it should. While many people would happily like to remove it from the series, it still remains to this day a very playable and fun excursion. It isn't the worst game you'll ever play and it's far from the worst. It's just a fun little experience that has a very small place in the world of Phantasy Star.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/07/02, Updated 08/07/02