Phantasy Star II

"The True Black Sheep of the Series"

Phantasy Star II was released as a sequel to the Sega Master System classic Phantasy Star. This game, while many loved it, was a great disappointment to me. While many were disappointed in Phantasy Star III, it was II that disappointed me the most in the series. You really cannot blame the era for this one, because at the time that this game was released, gaming ground was already being broken. Let's explore this one, okay kiddies?

Graphics(5/10):
This game's graphics are mediocre at best. There is nothing special about them. The houses are all cubes in the cities, and all of the cities look exactly the same. Plus, the fighting screen looks like a checker board. Gosh, even PS1 for SMS could create unique backgrounds. Well, at least you got to see the back of their heads in this game, and a blurred figure attack the monster with a sword.

Sound(6/10):
Some real cheesy tunes here, folks. I would expect to hear some of them on a ''Disco's Greatest Hits'' CD. The music to this game sounds to be right out of the late 70's. I was half expecting a big, sparkly disco ball to come down while I was wandering through the dungeons. Maybe if you ask nicely, John Travolta will boogy on out and join the party.

Battle System(3/10):
Typical Phantasy Star. All you do is sit still, attack some monsters, and cast a few spells here and there when needed. I see no strategy of any kind involved. It could be mastered in five minutes by the lamest of players. And the battles were much too frequent. Walk two steps, fight a battle. Nuts!

Story(7/10):
Not bad. Not bad at all. I think this is the only part of the game that kept me playing. As you play through this game, you get sort of a Matrix feel. And mind you, this game came out almost a decade before the Matrix was even released. I think the story of this game could almost make up for the rest of its shortcomings. But unless they total revamp everything else, it just is not enough.

Characters(2/10):
Shoot me...now. Never before have I seen such a dull cast of characters. Rolf(or whatever you name the main character) is as exciting as an onion stump. And I can't stand Kain. I wanted to reach through the screen and slap him when he did his horrible introduction. Rudo reminds me of a space aged version of the Tin Man. Shir disappeared every five seconds, and never stole anything worthwhile (save the visaphone). The only character I liked in this game was Nei.

Difficulty(8/10):
Fairly difficult. If you play this game, you'll want to build a lot of levels because the bosses are pretty hard. But don't worry, you will have ample time to do that while you wander lost in the dungeons for hours at a time. Happy gaming!

Fun(2/10):
No fun at all. This game took me ages to beat, and I almost felt like celebrating. Between the golden era music, the plain graphics, and the dull characters, I almost felt like scheduling myself for a lobotomy just to get through this.

Well, there we have it. This game puts the others to such shame. Sure, the story was all right, but the rest of the game lacks in so many other ways. There isn't enough space here for me to get to them all. Okay, there is, but I'm tired of talking about this game. My advice to the potential player of this game: don't. Or, if you do insist on playing, please don't come to me afterwards telling me how boring it was. I hate to say I told you so.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 03/09/04