PSO story

[sokiking]

I am starting fresh character on pso2 after leaving the game so long.
I have some questions about story on this game.
First, is the story good in pso2 ? is it worth watching it ?
Second, how far ark layer team translated the story ? do they translate stories dialogue fast when new patch comes out ? or just some part of it ?

[kurokyosuke]

EP1-3 is pretty good.
EP4 is terrible, but in a funny kind of way.
EP5 is just boring so far.

[sokiking]

EP1-3 is pretty good.
EP4 is terrible, but in a funny kind of way.
EP5 is just boring so far.

but what about the translation ?

[Anduril]

but what about the translation ?

For the first three episodes, if you play through the story via the original Matterboards (ie. starting up in Ep.1-3 mode), then it is pretty much all translated; if you play through the Omnibus versions, it appears that some of the scenes are untranslated, even though they are translated if you view the same scenes via the Event Chronicle in your room.
Ep4 is all translated as far as I know.
Ep5 speed seems to have been variable here, though last I checked, most of what is out is translated.

[TehCubey]

Ep 1: pretty bad
Ep 2: even worse (higher highs than ep 1, but even lower lows)
Ep 3: pretty good actually
Ep 4: also quite good
Ep 5: so far? Bad

Overall the story is acceptable I suppose. Nothing to write home about - there are some good scenes but if you are playing a game for the plot, do yourself a favor and don't play PSO2.

Or any other MMO for that matter.

[Meteor Weapon]

Ep 2: even worse (higher highs than ep 1, but even lower lows)


Haven't played omnibus yet but.....am I forgetting what makes it bad? Or is that just opinion based(well everyone has a different opinion, since you liked EP4 which is bad imo lol)

[Traumin]

Haven't played omnibus yet but.....am I forgetting what makes it bad? Or is that just opinion based(well everyone has a different opinion, since you liked EP4 which is bad imo lol)

It's pretty opinion based. Story wise, Ep4 is a complete train wreck imo. Literally goes in a loop and no one changes at all. Everyone stays about the same, and there's no like...real loss.

[Tyreek]

I must note that if you're going through sub events via matterboard, and not main story, that isn't complete yet for EP3. I decided to continue on EP1-3 mode after neglecting EP3 for the longest time, and sub events are still untranslated, so you'll be in the dark there.

[TehCubey]

Reasons why ep 2 is bad:

-Its majority is pointless. For 75% of the episode you're just fucking around aimlessly, doing investigations that come only to vague conclusions but it's all meaningless because it doesn't get anywhere and then Luther starts his plan anyway. It's nice that you managed to save Ulc, true, but her and Theodore's arc is entirely unnecessary except for giving us a face for people who will rebuild ARKS later (which doesn't happen in ep 2 anyway). You could cut it all out and nothing would change in terms of plot or how things turned out. And everything related to Echo is a total waste of time.
-Luther himself is a lame villain. He is incredibly popular due to his smugness and (supposed) charisma, but for all the game's grandstanding about how he manipulated ARKS since forever, his actions are dumb and worked only because everyone involved is a colossal idiot. Especially Regius. Oh no, I hacked a support partner, better send a kill squad after me.
-Same as in ep 1, the player character barely gets to do anything cool. You're a glorified observer who watches others be awesome instead of being awesome yourself. Getting one upped by Regius, Zeno (again...), hell - you even don't get to put a dent in Luther's plans, Xion stops them all by herself! Your presence was totally unnecessary.
-Final story quest is way too fucking long.

Dark Falz Loser remains one of the best big boss fights in the game though.

On the other hand, here's common criticisms I saw raised against ep 4:

-Can't stand the new characters, Hitsugi, Kohri et all (subjective)
-Don't like the Earth setting (subjective again, especially when the complainer makes it abundantly clear they don't understand the plot and thinks the game is pulling a Star Ocean 3 on us)
-Takes too long to get anywhere in plot (partially understandable, on one hand earlier episodes took forever for the story to start doing something, but on the other at least they gave you some filler quests, not just cutscenes)
-Old characters are getting phased out with a focus on new ones (not a flaw in my book, because eps 1 and 2 had way too many characters and wore themselves thin by putting them all into the story, as a result many had only very basic characterisation and weren't too interesting. A more focused cast is better. Besides, ep 3 was the first to start do, and ep 3 was the best)

[Meteor Weapon]

I don't mind much the Earth being a setting, it's how they presented it with common anime cliches all over the place which kinda ticked everyone I guess(tho I guess only most foreigner players feel that way). Well I admit PSO2's story was never it's strong point from the beginning but wished they'd put more effort in story and world building quality as time passes instead I feel like a lot of missed opportunity in EP4 they could have come up with. The same goes with every planet in the game.

That said, some said ES had better story than the main game due but I haven't played ES to figure out what was going on since there's barely any story discussion on it.

[loafhero]

EP1: Not all too good for the most part as our characters are just observers but it does end on a sweet note.

EP2: Trims out the fat of EP1 and gets straight to the point. Has a more proper villain (Luther) and finally does something with the Matoi plot but I feel like it blew its load a little too soon.

Don't believe what TehCubey said about how irrelevant our character was here. Quna's turn, Zeno's survival, Matoi's recovery and getting back the Clarissa, Ulc's survival, Xion and Xiao's plan, drawing all of Luther's antagonism, draining Loser of all his power, and saving Sara, were all made possible because the Player has much more agency this time.

EP3: The best of the 3 but still pretty flawed. Its 2 major story arcs don't tie together in a coherent way. Best voice acting performance by Xiao and Kotoshiro here.

EP4: A so bad, its good kind of thing. Used to be that a lot people had problems with the premise. Nowadays, its the execution of it story and characters that are seen as its biggest problem rather than the ideas. It does feature the best Quna song to me at the end.

EP5: Gets to the action much faster than EP4 but its also too rushed, making it hard to feel invested in the conflict as no time is given to let anything sink in. Its not yet over but I can certainly say I can tolerate it more than EP4.

[blkbox11]

For the OP: it depends on what kind of tone you like. EP4 is meant as an introduction point for mostly Japanese players who are new to the franchise and generally has a lighter tone than EP1 to 3. If you want a proper sci-fi feel with a heavier tone, then you will find EP1 to 3 very good, like most of the people here.


I don't mind much the Earth being a setting, it's how they presented it with common anime cliches all over the place which kinda ticked everyone I guess(tho I guess only most foreigner players feel that way).
The part about foreign players is correct. While it's true that Hitsugi herself didn't end up topping popularity polls, Mother did, just like Luther. And, there were few (if any) complaints from the JP side of the playerbase on twitter. Normally, if something ticked off the Japanese players to the same extent as on PSO-W, we'd know. Just look at the balance situation in EP5, which went from mild to really bad on their social media.

On the other hand, 'common anime cliches' being bad is not quite right, I feel. People like to blame cliches (and 'tropes') for something being bad. But, when they are executed well and presented straight up in media generally viewed as good, most people don't realize they are there nor pay them any mind. That being said, even I think EP4's execution of those cliches was far from the best, but it's not like PSO-W's favorite villain, Luther, was a good cliched smug anime villain either. While he's not THE WORST (that title goes to Re;Creators' Altair), the manner in which he operated reminds me of one of the most well-known bad cliched smug anime villains: Bleach's Sousuke Aizen.

[Dark Mits]

My 0,02€:

The story in PSO2 is generally average to below average. Multiple reasons, all subjective, but:
- the dialogue in many cases is too long, almost Golden Sun long. The exception where I enjoyed the extra dialogue before the action was in Ep2Ch5 when you fight the class leaders + Fourier.
- characters are childish. Not even acting like teenagers, outright childish. Very few exceptions like Regius, Maria, Zeno, Afin, the first 3 class leaders and Saga, maybe a few more. You have characters like Xiera enlisted as your superiors/guiders when she acts like a 6yo (and no, the fact that she was "born" 2 years ago according to the story is not an excuse, you simply appoint someone who is mature for that position).
- We have a lot of interesting side characters who could have their plot and stories extended, but instead we get new characters entirely, who are then also left with part of their stories unresolved, only to get even more new characters etc.
- Episode 4 is not bad because it has tropes and cliches, it is bad because of scenes like the one in the bathroom, and because too much is focused on the teenage problems of Hitsugi and co. instead of the actual plot. It is bad because it's supposed to be happening on Earth, yet somehow teenagers are more suitable to tackle the oncoming threat than experienced people in their 30s-60s who also have Photon/Ether sensitivity (or whatever that interesting cutscene explained)? And what exactly is the deal with Aru? Did we really need another 6yo to be important and a catalyst in our plot?
It does have some positive merits, for example Aratron, and the incorporation of Theia hypothesis on the origin of Mother.
- Episode 5 story isn't bad imo. It's text heavy but it does fit the theme, because nearly 99% of all dialogue is done in non-combat situations, and not when you have your weapon unsheathed and pointing at your enemy. And with the exception of Xiera, everyone is acting in a mature and character-fitting way.

A lot of the hate for Episode 4 is also because of gameplay reasons. Sega basically (further) arcad-ified the game by removing ARKS Quests for Las Vegas, Las Vegas has 2 map variations and Tokyo about 4 or 5, and there is no such thing as exploring the map to find the exit to the boss; you just hope it appears before you fill the point quota and then have to requeue for it; and if RNG hates you you can be requeueing for over 1 hour and not get the enemy you want.

Episode 5 gets a lot of hate, because it has only introduced 1 box of new playable content, and this box isn't even randomized, it's outright static every single time. The equivalent would be to say that one whole new Episode would bring only Harkotan Time Attack for its whole duration as playable new content.

[kurokyosuke]

"Let's talk for about 5 minutes in front of this dragon that wants to kill us!"
*dragon waits for conversation to end before attacking*

[loafhero]

"Let's talk for about 5 minutes in front of this dragon that wants to kill us!"
*dragon waits for conversation to end before attacking*

Common anime trope.

[ZerotakerZX]

Common anime trope.

anime tropes are bad and should be avoided even in anime.

[kurokyosuke]

Common anime trope.

I can't recall any moment in EPs 1 through 3 where it was as obvious as the one in EP 5, though.

[Kondibon]

I can't recall any moment in EPs 1 through 3 where it was as obvious as the one in EP 5, though.I would say Hunar, but the Zeno questions it, and Hunar explicitly tells you he wants to actually fight, not just hit you while you're distracted.

[Dragwind]

I personally liked 1-3. I can't vouch for 4 as I skipped it pretty much entirely. 5 so far seems all right to me.

[FantasyHeaven]

The story should not be touched with a ten foot ladder. The japs agree, don't bother them about it.

[FantasyHeaven]

if you are playing a game for the plot, do yourself a favor and don't play PSO2.

Or any other MMO for that matter.
FFXIV is only worth playing for the story and music. After that there is nothing.

[Maninbluejumpsuit]

It's almost amazing how omnibus STILL didn't manage to make EP1 any less... bad and filled with random crap that seems totally unconnected unless you watched specific cut scenes in a specific order really quickly.

[loafhero]

MMOs have begun to take its story a lot more seriously now so its unfair to say that MMOs are a dead end for decent story. FFXIV, Warframe, Guild Wars 2, Elder Scrolls Online, Star Wars The Old Republic, Destiny 2, etc. are examples of MMOs that are doing a decent job with its story content.

Even fighting games, a genre that is a constant source of snark when it comes to story, have begun to take its story more seriously at least on a technical level.

[blkbox11]

MMOs have begun to take its story a lot more seriously now so its unfair to say that MMOs are a dead end for decent story. FFXIV, Warframe, Guild Wars 2, Elder Scrolls Online, Star Wars The Old Republic, Destiny 2, etc. are examples of MMOs that are doing a decent job with its story content.

Even fighting games, a genre that is a constant source of snark when it comes to story, have begun to take its story more seriously at least on a technical level.
As someone who plays both Warframe and now FFXIV, I'm confused and don't know what you're talking about.

FFXIV was always a game of great pedigree, being part of the FF series and a subscription based game. However, it has been doing the same thing that it has ever since its re-release in 2013 - it hasn't 'taken its story a lot more seriously now'. What has changed is the streamlining of how players experience the story, but mostly the gameplay related content. Story itself is par for the course for an MMO (has a number of flaws like a 100-quest-long filler arc, and arcs being rushed to closure), and with the two expansions overall, I'd put it at about the same level as PSO2's, enjoyment wise.

Warframe's story is a complete mess, despite the praise it gets for its cinematic quests (there are only two of these at the moment). The timeline is broken because big portions of story content were from limited time events that are no longer present in the game. The only way to piece them all together is to watch a Youtube video that explains the entire thing, and if you don't do that, you won't know what is going on when certain characters show up in the first Cinematic Quest.

I know you want to justify having a high standard for online game stories, but online games really shouldn't be the first place where a person looks for a good, or even decent story experience. For the ones that are actually good, you have to pay the price, and they are more exceptions than the rule.

[Dark Mits]

Good story most times means that the player needs to stay afk to watch the cinematic parts. Just consider how many offline singleplayer games which are considered to have a good story actually play. They have barebones gameplay and they are filled with QTEs.

At the same time, a good story means that the player/viewer must experience it in a relative small timeframe because parts near the start of the story must have a connection to the last parts. You can't do that in a medium that puts out chapters once per 2 months. You would have to fill the last parts with many flashbacks, and that can break the pacing of the story.

And finally, how can you have a coherent and nonsensical story in a medium where the player is expected to be either the protagonist or the deuteragonist of the story, while at the same time having hundreds and thousands of players online at the same time? And if the player is demoted to be a no-one, just a cog in the grand scheme without being able to define the outcome of the story, how is the player expected to like it?

[Meteor Weapon]

An ongoing internal conflict would have kept the player's power level in story in check tbh. But Luther existence's as the highest in command and then get his ass whooped quite easily makes an internal conflict sorta impossible.(not sure whatever happened in ES because you guys barely talk about it lmao) ARKS is now just pure good guys with no desire but to just keep PD at bay. The 2 year time skip and no major changes after all that time is like the universe cannot move forward its own story without the main protagonist being involved.

[Zysets]

ARKS is now just pure good guys with no desire but to just keep PD at bay.
This was the whole intention of Episode 2, the point was finally letting ARKS "Be the organization it was meant to be", as Xion put it.
And in essence, it was the reason ARKS exists at all, since it was created in response to PD, it was Luther who hijacked it all.


I've enjoyed Episode 5 thus far since I can get the feeling the intention is to finally do what Ep3 left off with, in saving Persona. I also do enjoy the call backs to classic Phantasy Star with Alisa, the Dragon, Lutz, etc. The aesthetic of Ep5 has been very nostalgic and I'm glad they went this route for the 30th Anniversary.

The first Dragon EQ was on the day of the 30th Anniversary too, that was really fun.