Phantasy Star Universe

"A game that does not stand the test of time"

Phantasy Star Universe (360)

Phantasy Star really has grownup since the early days of the 2D gaming systems. Most notably, Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast is what really launched it into the 3D realm as well as lead the way for online RPG's on consoles. All the games lacked something crucial to RPG's, a story line. Phantasy Star Online basically let you do what you wanted without any major course to follow. The online and offline were the same, except you could play coop on the missions. SEGA vowed that Phantasy Star Universe would deliver offline as well as online. Did it?

The story is actually decent, but is told very poorly. You play as Ethan, a hot blood young human who you find out early dislikes the GUARDIANS. The station where Ethan and his sister were attending became overrun by and enemy called the SEED. Ethan is forced to accept the help of the GURDIANS to save his sister that was trapped behind debris. Ethan, determined to find out how to stop the SEED, joins the GUARDIANS and struggles through its ranks.

I do not want to be harsh, but the staging was horrible. Most of the dungeons and stages are strait shots. Kill the monsters, maybe get a key, unlock the door, go to the next block, and repeat. It is no wonder, because they used the same exact tools from the online part of the game on the offline. That means no added textures or anything. It is like they just did a random generation map maker. It may have been alright, but the graphics are not even good for the Playstation 2, let alone the Xbox 360.

Battles take place in real time. You see a monster, run up to it, and smack it. You will be slamming down on the “X” button with the occasional “Y” for the special attacks. By holding down the right bumper, you can also pull out your secondary weapon, which is a little worthless pistol. You can actually equip a decent amount of weapons. As for your help, you get a few characters that will follow you around on your journey. AI wise, they are dumb. Most of the time they will run way around the enemy, hit it twice, jump back, pause, run back around, and hit it. They have saved my life before by being good bait, I will give them that. Overall, the controls are stiff. You only hit what is in front of you, so if you swing, you actually push the monster away and to another direction, leaving you hitting air for a part of your combo. Actually, the enemy has to be to the front left of you. It must be aligned perfectly in able for you to get a few whacks in. Magic is even worse. There is no auto aim to help either, just a lock on so you look at it, which means it is on your screen and not behind you. Then to fiddle with healing items and weapon changes in the middle of battle is very cumbersome. It did well on the Dreamcast, but that was 6 years ago, but it just not fit well in this new generation.

That leaves me with dialog and graphics. How can I put this? They suck. I am not one to complain usually, but I had a better time reading the dialog than listening. The music was generic, and the sound effects sounded like they came from an animal farm. The enemies sound like pigs squealing. As I have said before, the graphics are not fit for the Playstation 2 or the 360. Offline seemed like an after thought with random stages put together with no attention to detail. There are not very many enemy types. They reuse the same exact models except they change the color and sometimes the size. At least the bosses look cool.

The best part of Phantasy Star Universe is the online mode. For $10 a month, you can hop on and create your own character from four races and two sexes. The customization is surprisingly wide. You can make them a midget or a giant, skinny or fat. You can also change the face, clothes, and voice. I have never seen two people that looked the same while playing online. The customization does not end there either. Some can even buy new clothes to show off in. Once you are in the game, you can find a party by shouting, or by entering a zone that lets you automatically join a party already playing a mission. There are up to six people in a party, and the party supports voice chat. As you kill enemies, you gain experience for what you have damaged, and if you finish off an enemy, you get a bonus. You can also pick up money and items that are left behind. The boss battles for the most part are intense. You can actually fight a huge flying dragon at level 10. Actually, I have seen as low as 6 in a party helping out. Another neat thing is that you can have your own store and you can totally pimp out your room. You can invite your buddies to come into your room also. I guess the Mags are worth a mention. They are little robots that keep up with your room and storage. You can feed it, and after a while (A long while), they will join you on missions. Sadly, even online is repetitive and gets boring fast.

Other quick mention is the synthesis part of the game. You can buy or find synthesis items and boards and create various things in your room. You can score very expensive and useful items early on if you are smart enough. This really boosts personal stores.

Over all, the offline is a lazy excuse of an RPG. Come on, they did not put efforts into the achievements! Five achievements 200 points each! They only worth of this game is for the online, and even then its outdated system and repetitive combat and stages makes the fun drop flat over a small period of time.

Gameplay: 6/10
Graphics: 6/10
Audio: 6/10
Worth: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

+ Online play is fun for a week or so
+ Online customization
- Lazy offline mode
- Lazy online mode
? How about making an up to date Phantasy Star game?

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 01/29/07