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Inu_Shadi
Sep 1, 2006, 05:27 AM
Spiffy
The first single-player Phantasy Star RPG in a long time; space monsters + lasers and robots = fun; anime-inspired production values.

Iffy
The simplistic combat formulae may work best in multiplayer-focused games; characters look (and act) kind of goofy.

Review
Phantasy Star Universe heralds Sega's return to its role-playing roots with the first single-player Phantasy Star game since the Genesis years. While we may never know whether this comeback was predicated by fans' clamoring for the series' revival or if the publishing icon was simply looking for another intellectual property to experiment with, either way, Sonic Team has put together a one-two punch that, in theory, should offer up more enjoyment than that most classic of combinations, the Oreo cookie. The single-player role-playing game is the chocolaty cookie here, while the online multiplayer functionality and cooperative gaming experience are that delicious, creamy center.

To our surprise, the game is laid out in an episodic format that feels very similar to what one would expect from an anime series like Gundam or Trigun. Each episode within the game is broken up into bite-sized chapters that should take you a couple hours to complete, tops. Each chapter is book-ended by a teaser video and recap of the action thus far, as well as the game's intro movie, complete with J-Pop anthem (whose lyrics include themes of fighting for freedom, repelling the darkness, bravery in the face of adversity and so on). You'll also be treated to painted space dioramas of the characters you encounter from chapter to chapter, meant to endear you to the characters and no doubt inspire desire for a line of collectible figurines.



The characters in Phantasy Star Universe are quirky, as if directly translated from the Japanese without a second's thought paid to anything that may have been lost in the translation. To Western audiences, everything may just feel a tad strange, from the dialogue, rife with honorifics and bowing gestures, to the slightly off-putting direction taken with the protagonist's wardrobe, a collection of belly-exposing midriff shirts, baggy pants, and skin-tight exercise wear that would make even Terrell Owens' workout stylist blush. The protagonist, Ethan Waber, may be difficult for some to find endearing. He rides on a hoverboard at first, which should bring back fond memories of Back to the Future II. He also custom tailored his own outfit, so that exposed midsection is his own design, not that of the apparel company. It's nice to know that in this alternate future the robots (or CASTs, as it were) can occasionally have better fashion sense than the humans.

The combat system is simple to pick up, with a single button unleashing your basic combo chain, while another will trigger your Photon Arts. Photon Arts are the game's magic system, and this system is tied directly to what weapon you equip. Striking weapons like swords, lances and daggers use flashy melee-based arts, and these are the specialty of the Hunter class. Pistols, both single and dual-wielded, utilize attacks that mimic what special bullets would do in another game, and are the specialty of the Ranger class. So instead of firing bland vanilla energy shots, you can turn every shot into a flame burst, frozen bullets, electric shots and so on, with each attack draining from your PP pool.

Additionally, the combat system, just like in Phantasy Star Online, allows you to perform techniques that are magic-based in design, this being the domain of the tertiary class, the Force. These are triggered by equipping rods or wands (interestingly enough, they can apparently be dual-wielded, fulfilling one of your greatest Harry Potter fantasies, besides that naughty one involving Hermione Granger, love potion and a sprig of mistletoe). Your character is originally designed as a Hunter type, proficient in the melee weapons, but you can equip him with guns to explore that aspect of combat. Later chapters in the game besides the first handful may allow for him to get in touch with his more magical side.



During the chapter missions, we also found use for equippable items that needed to be swapped in and out of use through manipulation of the game's palette system. The palette is basically your UI for the game, allowing you to hotswap between weapon loadouts, useful equipment and restorative inventory items like monomate, dimate and such. One piece of gear is the all-encompassing set of goggles, which much like the scanning visor in Metroid, allows you to see hidden details in the environment, picking out weak points in destructible objects or revealing cloaked baddies.

The chapter breakdown leaves you with smaller, more digestible chunks of single-player RPG action to take on at a time, which may be a welcome change for those who try and stay away from the hundred-hour epics that are the genre's hallmark. Each chapter breaks down to linear paths and challenges, basically testing your ability to run around, whack enemies and collect fun loot, which by all indication is exactly what role-playing fans are looking for out of this kind of game, storytelling and production values aside. There are some interesting deviations from the norm thrown into the mix to keep things fresh, though. For one, Phantasy Star Universe frequently initiates a Time Trial challenge for particular encounters, whether it be a race through several rooms of enemies in search of keys, or a specifically challenging boss encounter. You're graded on your performance here, and rewarded correspondingly, so you'll want to make sure to be efficient in terms of time, while also taking out as many monsters as possible.

There's a lot to be excited about from Phantasy Star Universe. We've caught a glimpse of the city that will likely end up being a hub for multiplayer activity in the game, complete with two floors of shopping areas, even including a dance club for your space-age avatars to get their dance on. The visuals speak for themselves, and if you're a fan of anime-inspired designs, space lasers, giant ships and aliens, there will be plenty for you to take in. While the single-player adventure may not appeal to everyone, particularly those whose Phantasy Star background began and ended with PSO, there's also the multiplayer aspect of the game left for us to explore. We'll have much more on Phantasy Star Universe in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more.

http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/phantasy-star-universe/729568p1.html

=D =D =D

zandra117
Sep 1, 2006, 05:44 AM
Importers, Make a video of the dance club on the Guardians Colony NOW!!!! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

Jexune
Sep 1, 2006, 07:33 AM
What are they previewing exactly? The game isn't out in the US yet, but they mention the translation. Does the Japanese version have english subs?

Ash1ey
Sep 1, 2006, 08:05 AM
On 2006-09-01 05:33, Jexune wrote:
What are they previewing exactly? The game isn't out in the US yet, but they mention the translation. Does the Japanese version have english subs?



Most likely they are playing a work in progress build of the English version of the game

Inu_Shadi
Sep 1, 2006, 08:58 AM
Yeah they are playing the same one IGN and Gamespot had probably.

SirenV
Sep 1, 2006, 12:58 PM
On 2006-09-01 03:44, zandra117 wrote:
Importers, Make a video of the dance club on the Guardians Colony NOW!!!! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif



My thoughts exactly, hehe.