New Round Of Reviews For All versions, as of 11/06

[AngelLight]

Metacritic still doesn't have enough input to have them justify a score on this game yet, but so far it's not looking stellar for Sega. We've all read the Gamespot and Games Radar reviews....well Deeko has released its review as well (termed a minor review source, but big enough to warrent game industry legitemicy)....and it's not pretty.

Deeko's Review can be read here:
http://www.deeko.com/xbox_360/reviewdetail.asp?id=750

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The Metacritic PC review is also unscored due to a lack of reviews being out for it. In it's case, they're only using the Games Radar review, and will require 3 more major source reviews before a score can be done.
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...and the same can also be said for the PS2 review score on meta as well....in this case they're looking for 2 more official reviews. The saving grace is that while it also uses the lackluster Games Radar review, it is also using a review from Gamebrink....and gamebrink is the only major reviewer who has so far given this game a very high mark (90%). They seemed to actually really like it.

Gamebrink's Review can be found here:
http://www.gamebrink.com/playstation-2/1128-Phantasy_Star_Universe-reviews.html

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So.....after 2 weeks or more of being out, there's basically 3 lackluster reviews (Radar, Gamespot, and Deeko) and 1 good one (Gamebrink). Personally I'm enjoying the game, but I can see where some of these other groups are coming from.

Of course, the only real judge of if you're going to like something or not is you...I'm only posting this here for informational purposes to keep the community up to date on how the media is looking at the game.


...I'll post more when I see it.

[DangerMuse]

I think the collective term we're looking from these critic guys is "lacklustre".

[Cerulean]

I'm having a blast with this game. I've been very fortunate and met a lot of really cool players who are (a) fun/nice and (b) chill.

Yesterday a bunch of us sort of found each other, were a bit off at first (read: were not über efficient) but by the afternoon were getting s-rank after s-rank, wherever we went. Early on, if people died, no one had a hissy fit or anything, the party was too chill. Instead, we briefly discussed what to do to avoid that in the next run, and then made it happen. As a result, added over 10 partner cards yesterday, made a ton of levels and meseta, and had a blast.

Anyway, to bring this more on topic: I don't go by reviews. Many of my favorite games over the years have been somewhat panned, and many games that are reviewed as 'AAA - must have' games leave me feeling cold.

I just go by what I like.

I like PSU. And pie.

Thank-you.
>Everyone

[LetLoveBleed]

Good game....pityfull content

That was ok 5 year ago... nowadays a game has got to have content to keep players interested.

I agree with the reviews thus far..phantasy star universe?, more like Phantasy star my back yard.

[erwos]

I agree with the reviews. There's a lot to love, and a lot to hate.

[Ri0T]

I agree with what most people have stated. Right now there's not a whole lot of content. Tons of stuff is locked on the disc itself. Once unlocked, there's still not really going to be a whole lot of content to go around... the only saving grace that PSU has is that it will be (hopefully!) updated regularly. We have seen many MMO's and ORPG's that started as crap, then became rather good a few months down the line.

Even though PSU is getting lackluster reviews, it's needed. I doubt PSU is going to die because of these reviews, and hopefully Sega will see them and get their asses on creating enjoyable content for us fanboys and girls.

I really felt that the locked disc content was a slap in the face, but i've been slapped by Sonic Team many times in the past and I'm still here. I love their game too much. I will be here through the thick and thin, we just have to hope others will join us on this journey as well while Sega gets us some new game content.

What's important is the game's backbone and underlying structure. If the basics of the game were crap, Sega'd be screwed, but the game is gooood. The potential is there... we can all feel it, taste it, breathe it... it's why I keep playing, at least. I know good times are to come.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ri0T on 2006-11-06 12:31 ]</font>

[ShadowDragon28]

Cerulean, you win 50 Internets for your cool post.

(addendum) I often feel the same way. I think the only game I really *really* loved playing that got good reviews recently was Okami.

Seriously, It's players like you that make me *want* to play PSU online. I hope to team up with you some time. Peace.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ShadowDragon28 on 2006-11-06 12:51 ]</font>

[Phreaker]

The part that worries me about the future even after they unlock the disc content...the PS2. They are not going to be able to have huge downlaods for this game if they have to fit on a PS2 memory card. I assume PC and 360 will be limted by what the PS2 can handle.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Phreaker on 2006-11-06 12:52 ]</font>

[Ri0T]

@Phreaker: This is true. I had forgotten about that. I started worrying about it when Sega announced that PSU would not require the HDD.

The many console game iterations of PSO had a lot of additional content though, even though most of it was re-hashes of pre-existing maps and stuff. If they need to add a whole lot of crap at once that won't fit on a memory card, they can always make an expansion. Who knows how long that will take though. XD

[SonicTMP]

While those of us playing the game enjoy it, you can't expect much from reviewers since they are reviewing what is about half a game. Storymode is fun and all but the main drive is online. And with online locked.. ya they don't really have access to see everything that makes the game great. Thus you get meh reviews. That's life.

[Ryogen]

I don't read or believe in reivews. I play what I see interest me. So many people listen to these reviewers in mags and on the internet and it's just redicilious. Some of you will jump off a cliff if the jump was givin a high rating and it was called Super Sucide 4. I stear clear of them, they even play out of their genre and will rate it. If you want to play based on ratings, go for user ratings.

[DangerMuse]

I'm actually enjoying the offiline story far more than the online counterpart, at the moment.

[kammera]

I read the reviews and hesitated to get the game. I have been playing ffxi for about 3 years and was board one day at work so decided to go pick it up. I find that most online games may have a story line and quest but most of it is small compared to what your doing most of the time so the normal hack and slash with friends and hanging out with friends is nice. And I'm loving instances. In ffxi you had to worry about someone killing your exp mobs or gold farmers stilling the rare pops and marking up their drops but no so with this so I'm loving it!! Parties are quick, crafting is easy, and its perfect for the 2-4 hours that I could spend on game a day.

[Talen]

The offline story actually drags your attention in and doesn't let go at times. Worth the price of admission.

And Kammera, I totally agree with you about PSU. Unlike ffxi, you're not entirely dependant on a group to get anything done, and you can go at your own pace.

[AngelLight]

Well we've all read the IGN review.....a 6.8....there's a link elsewhere on the forums for that review should you be interested.

However, another review as also come up for 360 version on IGO, which gave it a 7.8....

You can read it here should you be interested:
http://igo.ampednews.com/gamehub/2649/reviews/840/

With all the new reviews, Metacritic has been finally able to calculate a general median score based on review sources (currently at 5) on the 360 version.....a 68, which is considered a mixed reviewed game......not really the best thing we were all hoping for, but given the mistakes made, prolly expected.

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IGO's score was also added to the PC versions, but 2 more review sources are needed for a score to come out on metacritic.

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IGO's was also added to the PS2 review source (to be honest, not sure why)...and while there still needs to be a 4th score for meta to bring out a median value, with the 90% PSU got from Gamebrink......it's beginning to look like that the PS2 version is going to come out reviewed as the "superior" version of PSU to play as.

Personally, I find that sad, cause this game has so much potential....but with PS3 on it's way up....if the general concensious comes out to say "Go PS2", then that's only going to hurt the potential community even more since most people are going to be focusing on the latest and greatest thing to hit the market and that's going to relagate this game to the "old" system. But as it stands now, only the PS2 version is likely to come out with an overall favorable review.

Perhaps if Sega didnt chose to go with Sony's old system, most likely by waiting for the PS3 to come out, then the overall visual and audial quality could of been brought up to what the mainstream wanted. But as it stands, even with the potential large market for it on PS2, limiting it to the confines of the PS2 may just be one more mistake Sega made to this game. Hopefully though we'll see more of an influx of people dispite this (since there's times I'm online that even Universe 1 isn't any more then 50% occupency) to improve the overall community.

I'll post more as new reviews or info comes out.

[Sinue_v2]

Well, there's always PSU v.2, PSU Ep II, PSU Ep III, PSU Ep IV... ect...

Remember, PSO v.1 (despite the good reviews) was horridly flawed and in much - much worse shape than PSU with far less content (even with PSU's current state). If people are comming off of Blue Burst and Ep I & II and are dissapointed - they have to remember that the version of PSO that they're used to are the culmination of several years of upgrades, re-releases, and updates.

PSU already has several quests, both storyline and otherwise, lined up just waiting to be released. In PSO v.1 all you had was a handful of endless nightmares/mop-ups and the "Letter for Lionel" download quest which was only available for a very short time.

[Hatecrime69]

I can see where the less-than-favorable reviews are coming from, with things like wow being an easy (and incorrect) comparison, the majority of people writing off any singleplayer portion of a game (with the exception of stuff like final fantasy and the like) they wouldn't review it so well. Admittedly there is a lack of content online, that's obvious..but for what is basically a simple hack-and-slash it's not for everybody..but for the advances over pso (giving something people wanted for awhile in the phantasy star series...a real story mode and not multiplayer without the multi part) but some reviewers don't give full credit where it's due, but It's very addicting to me and so much fun it even convinced me to pay to play online..so what they say is irreverent

[Blitzkommando]

On 2006-11-07 12:44, Sinue_v2 wrote:
Well, there's always PSU v.2, PSU Ep II, PSU Ep III, PSU Ep IV... ect...

Remember, PSO v.1 (despite the good reviews) was horridly flawed and in much - much worse shape than PSU with far less content (even with PSU's current state). If people are comming off of Blue Burst and Ep I & II and are dissapointed - they have to remember that the version of PSO that they're used to are the culmination of several years of upgrades, re-releases, and updates.

PSU already has several quests, both storyline and otherwise, lined up just waiting to be released. In PSO v.1 all you had was a handful of endless nightmares/mop-ups and the "Letter for Lionel" download quest which was only available for a very short time.


I have to agree here. PSU, for being completely and entirely new, has plenty to keep me busy for right now. Hell, I'm busy just trying to finalize my main character's appearance and that's no easy feat considering it will set me back 25000 meseta in the end. By the time I've finished that and have finished some weapons and armors new content will probably already be out. The problem is that many people don't seem to have the more relaxed pace that I have and have already done everything I am planning to do and more. Sega has to weigh that with releasing too early for the slower or newer players and going too slow for the instant gratification and speedier players. Overall, I think they're doing a pretty damned good job even with all the setbacks.

PSU is far from perfect, like any game. Hell, Half-Life 2, one of my favorite games of all time, had a number of bumps in the road when it first came out. Today the bumps are all but gone and there's been plenty of new free (and pay) content made available to have me still playing through. Sega seems to take more time with their work than other companies probably because they are busy with other games and multiple regions and platforms at once. It's a lot to chew. Do I think they could do better? Absolutely. But, in the end, PSU came out far better than I was anticipating. I was nervous that I wouldn't enjoy it at all, that it would just be a technicolor re-hash of PSO. I'm glad to see that assumption was wrong.