Is this game worth buying?

[Vortex99]

I used to play PSO and was wondering if this is worth buying at all. I'd be buying it for PC. Anyways, things I liked in PSO were..
- Music
- Community
- Lobbys
- Going through small areas over and over hunting enemies for items(such as forest)
- The combat

Any of these carry over into PSU? And do you think it is worth buying?

[JAFO22000]

You will get a skewed veiwpoint asking this question here.

[Careful]

Music: sometimes stops and skips alot in missions.
Community: sucks
Lobbys: over sized
Going through small areas over and over hunting enemies for items: lots of it, get used to seeing the same dragon for the thousandth time/recycled bosses
The combat: button mashing, things get glitchy when you change equipment. you do a bow motion randomly and stop fighting for a few seconds.

You decide.

[Mystil]

^Ignore him.

My advice - don't compare/measure this game against PSO.

The game is worth buying and you get a much more ACCURATE opinion by asking this at the official forums. Here, people don't appreciate the fucking game.

[zimmk2vgc]

I second everything Mystil says. PSU is completely different to PSO. It's something fresh and new.

[rush340]

On 2006-12-14 10:47, Careful wrote:
Music: sometimes stops and skips alot in missions.
Community: sucks
Lobbys: over sized
Going through small areas over and over hunting enemies for items: lots of it, get used to seeing the same dragon for the thousandth time/recycled bosses
The combat: button mashing, things get glitchy when you change equipment. you do a bow motion randomly and stop fighting for a few seconds.

You decide.



Maybe it's different because I'm on 360, but:

I've never heard the music skip or stop.

Community is great, the voice chat on xbox adds a lot to that though.

Lobby's oversized? I don't even know what you're trying to say here.

On the 360, in enemy dense areas with a mostly full party attacking the enemies, things slow down, but it's not really a lag effect, it's more of a slow motion type thing. There is a little lag every so often, but it's not that noticeable, and it has always gone away after a couple seconds.

I do agree with repetition of bosses and enemies if you are focusing on leveling. If you're just having fun with the game and playing casually, it's not that hard to mix it up and play on different planets, and play through different missions. Most MMORPG's I've played are like this.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: rush340 on 2006-12-14 11:13 ]</font>

[JPGen]

I say yes get it, but do yourself a favor and wait another 2 months before getting it. That way you wont have to worry about running out of things to do, and you wont be lvl 60 having to use lvl 30-40 gear. (yes, that is what 6-8 star items are) It's a great game, but still kinda limiting, just wait another 2 months then youll have a blast for a long time.

[huntlyon]

how can you not compare these games?

mind you PSO was the first real console ORPG and somehow made it last close to 6 years before the first real evolution. If you're a PSO vet, I think it's a must buy now. I say this as someone who took a while to get the game after being scared by the reviews. It's a bit more complicated, but it's also a lot more in depth. PSU is the alternative to having to plan your lives around 4 hour MMO raids and "LFG" nomadic walks.


PSO is the foundation, PSU built up immensely and it seems mostly for the better

[AeraLure]

I loved PSO and am really enjoying PSU. Despite posting a really long review, I have decided this is all I wish to say. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: AeraLure on 2006-12-14 12:18 ]</font>

[Polenicus]

I'm an old school PSO player, and I like the game. I was away for a while (Episode III drove me out) so my perception might not be as accurate as someone who just player Blue Burst yesterday.

Basically, PSU is the same CONCEPT of gameplay. Real time action/adventure style. But the feel is quite different. Not a bad different, mind you... enemies are cagier, combat options are more plentiful, and combat is generally more dynamic and chaotic.

The weapons seem more balanced than in PSO, with no type being inherently superior to another (PREFERRED, yes, but it's not like claw weapons in PSO, which were damn near useless). Magic (Called TECHNICS in PSU) are FAR superior to PSO. Only Forces and the derivative Advanced Classes can use them, they are actually effective in dealing damage (REALLY effective!) and Forces are no longer relegated to buffing the Hunters and Rangers.

The community is quite different. There is no 'Central Lobby' that people set out from to all areas... rather there are areas with lobbies and staging points between them, which means people aren't clustered in one place. That's hurt the community some. However, I've found once you find a circle of friends, you can build on that quite easily. Strangely enough, one of the best ways to meet people is to open a shop.

The economy actually FUNCTIONS this time around. Meseta has value (The flipside of that being it is relatively scarce, and requires effort to accumulate), and although there are still findable rare weapons and equipment, much more common is to find COMPONENTS for these uber items, which you then synthesize into weapons and items (Which gives you some choice. You don't have to turn that Relic Edge into a Crea Doublesaber if that's not what you want, there are lots of other options. Most rare materials can be used for any number of things).

Aaaand... People whine and complain and bitch and compare Sega to the Antichrist. And keep playing. THAT is unchanged from PSO. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wink.gif

[Natrokos]

I have my own list of complaints but in the end I love this game...I wish it had a coniferous forest and an ice level....But still it's a good game.http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

[Guitarsmasher]

On 2006-12-14 10:53, Mystil wrote:
^Ignore him.

My advice - don't compare/measure this game against PSO.

The game is worth buying and you get a much more ACCURATE opinion by asking this at the official forums. Here, people don't appreciate the fucking game.



yea ive noticed this too. even tho there are some things wrong with the game, the other 99.9% are correct. when so many things go right, people start searching for things they dont like, its almost like they create problems because if they cant find any, they need something to whine about, and if they cant find it.....its not of this world. for example, this game is great, then hackers come along, thus a problem for people. the game is almost too good, people try to mess it up. and in the end, most ppl dont think of sega that much, its not just a name or a label, its a group of people trying to make YOU people happy. if they could make this game any better than it is, then they wouldve, they made this game the best that they could, and also probably according to what phantasy star fans want. so, give them some credit, they deserve it, im sure they expected more ppl playing this game as we do too, but im sure theyre more dissapointed than anyone that isnt working for sega. for one, i find this game kickass!

[AeraLure]

No. No no. Comparing this game to PSO is the only sensible thing to do. Its made by the same development team in the same spirit and vein as PSO, with many gameplay elements revisited or remixed, with new layers added. Same but different too. Comparing this game to WoW or Guild Wars or some other game supposedly in the same genre is utterly pointless. Only PSO is really in the same genre.

Accurate and/or unbiased information on the official forums? You're kidding right? There are a great many opinions of people here I respect as well as great information to be found here and in the Guides forums, not to mention the accuracy and great answers one gets usually should one post a question. The little arguments about game details happened everywhere, but do you honestly read the official forums and find posts of more value there than here? I mean, I check both everyday too you know..

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: AeraLure on 2006-12-14 12:38 ]</font>

[Guitarsmasher]

On 2006-12-14 12:28, AeraLure wrote:
No. No no. Comparing this game to PSO is the only sensible thing to do. Its made by the same development team in the same spirit and vein as PSO, with many gameplay elements revisited or remixed, with new layers added. Same but different too. Comparing this game to WoW or Guild Wars or some other game supposedly in the same genre is utterly pointless. Only PSO is really in the same genre.

Accurate and/or unbiased information on the official forums? You're kidding right? There are a great many opinions of people here I respect as well as great information to be found. The little arguments about game details happened everywhere, but do you honestly read the official forums and find posts of more value there than here? I mean, I check both everyday too..



yea, but i found that when you ask for opinions on this game, it seems like all of the people tht hate the game on psow, reply and say its horrible, and everyone tht loves it doesnt reply http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif , just bad luck i guess, but id say most ppl on this site love/like teh game.

[AeraLure]

Meh. Criticisms =/= hate. I think most everyone here loves PSU, despite each also having one criticism or another, save a very very small percentage.

Cant even begin to have that conversation on the official forums without flames or it getting locked or both.

To the OP: its a great game. Many improvements over PSO, as well as many differences, some of which generate mixed opinions from everyone and therefore you're best to try it for yourself. I loved PSO for the same reasons you did and find I really like PSU.

Synthing vs hunting may be the biggest difference, but so many areas of combat and character development are improved that you're more than likely going to find parts you really like, even if synthing isnt intially your thing. Even that is very likely to grow on you and, if it doesnt, player shops and a working economy make it possible to also buy things you cant synth.

The other argued point is time-released content. Now that Expert classes are out finally and you are joining now, this issue is really not likely to affect you at all, much as it was a heated debate in previous weeks.

We all likely have other little "nitpicks" and wishes. I do. Doesnt stop me from liking it any.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: AeraLure on 2006-12-14 13:02 ]</font>

[PJ]

PSU wins in everyway.

PSO just flat out sucks in comparison. Although you SHOULDN'T compare them, since they're COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GAMES.

[AeraLure]

I disgree on both counts. *shrugs* Too black and white for me and I dont see it that way, but hey, that's what opinions are anyway. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

Regardless, PSU is great. Hundreds of hours and I'm happy. What can I say? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[DikkyRay]

well seeing as Both have "Phantasy Star" in the names, you are allowed to compare them...
but short answer: yes. Buy this game

[Neith]

[quote]On 2006-12-14 10:40, Vortex99 wrote:
- Music: Pretty good overall, and I usually listen to Metal. I like PSU's soundtrack a lot.

- Community: You can get nice people, and there's idiots too. I tend to avoid Universe 1, it lowers my IQ every visit.

- Lobbys: You have lobbies that are bases to other missions, and goal lobbies after you finish one.

- The areas aren't massively long, unless in higher ranks. You can run the same thing over and over, but the spawns might be different, and you can't just explore outside of a mission (all fighting is in missions)

- The combat: Could be improved, but its ok. Guns now shoot continuously, rather than 3 shots. Photon Arts improve melee combat drastically, and Techs are totally manual aim. Weapon switching can be a little clumsy, especially if you're lagging a bit.

To be honest, its not a good question asking here. The board's mainly PS fans anyway, and most of us love PSU. You may want to ask the same on a more generalised site, to see what reactions you get (just er, ignore the magazine reviews http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif )

[mananas]

I would recommend it. Even though certain aspects of it suck immensely if you're not willing to put in hundreds of hours of time. There are a lot of things I disapprove of greatly but it hasn't kept me from playing yet.

-Music - I don't like it half as much as PSO. It's really pretty plain although it sounds similar.

-Community - Sucks compared to PSO. I think it's partially because there are so many universes and so many possible places to hang out. I've only encoutered someone I've already met around 3 or 4 times (maybe because I don't spam missions?). If there was a certain lobby for game searching in general, not seperated by planet or mission, I think the community would be strengthened, possibly. By the way, I wouldn't have bought PSU for the 360 if I was able to because of the voice chat... horrible, awful beta experience. Some people I try talking to and they won't respond, only greet people joining the party. In PSO the combat and difficulty was usually so easy that for me it was boring not to talk. Here it seems like talking isn't the norm, but you can always find some really cool people.

- Combat - Greatly improved over PSO. I couldn't really imagine what Sonic Team could add to it. But now we are relegated to only pushing one button instead of up to 3 since they did away with hard and specials. I don't mind this though.

It's ridiculous not to compare this to PSO, I don't know how you can't... it's the same beast as before.

[A-P]

Music: I don't know too much about this. I usually play my own music when playing.

Community: Pretty bad, and a lot more greedy (play on Universe 15, it's the best I've seen in terms of selflessness). If you see an item drop, you've already seen the universe's record for "longest drop time without being picked up." As for attitudes, I think you should just solo. The headaches are the same. "What? Death, no S-Rank? *boot*" You have NO room for that in the higher level parties, at least the ones I've been in. Enjoy being new if you can, but it's going to be annoying.

Lobbies: It's almost sad to say this, but here's where you find most of the better players. The ones you play with tend to be from the bottom of the barrel, so to speak. I don't socialize much, but I've noticed that if you REALLY want to be part of a community, stick to these. You'll get the occasional "BUY MY MESETA ON eBay!" message, but you can ignore that.

Combat: Well, it's different. Completely. Gone is the rhythm of battle combinations. You can just mash buttons, and weave through enemies while firing away from your handgun, or dual handguns if you're a Ranger or have access to them. Photon Arts are cool and allow for some nice combo changes, but overall it's pretty basic.

Doing the same old crap again, and again, and again: You have to ask? This should be a given from the get-go. It's practically the game's most notable feature. You get four planets in which you kill slightly different monsters each time. Sound familiar? (Four areas with different yet similar monsters... hmm...) It should.

PSO vs. PSU? Tough one. Honestly I think I liked PSO more, but they are VERY different games. But you've no doubt heard all this before...

[Maskim]

On 2006-12-14 10:40, Vortex99 wrote:
I used to play PSO and was wondering if this is worth buying at all. I'd be buying it for PC. Anyways, things I liked in PSO were..
- Music
- Community
- Lobbys
- Going through small areas over and over hunting enemies for items(such as forest)
- The combat

Any of these carry over into PSU? And do you think it is worth buying?



This game is only worth buying for a select demographic. If you enjoy having fun, then this game might just be for you.

[Genobee]

Yea it's wortht he 50 bucks but it's not worth the 10 bucks a month.

[Sychosis]

On 2006-12-14 21:43, Genobee wrote:
Yea it's wortht he 50 bucks but it's not worth the 10 bucks a month.



But if you pirate the game, is it then worth 5 months of online play?

[EC_Subbie]

Is this game worth buying?



Now it is http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Genobee]

On 2006-12-14 21:49, Sychosis wrote:

On 2006-12-14 21:43, Genobee wrote:
Yea it's wortht he 50 bucks but it's not worth the 10 bucks a month.



But if you pirate the game, is it then worth 5 months of online play?



Yep, seeing as how it's east as hell to pirate.

[Tsudori]

hell yeah

[Saikyn]

I have PC and XBox 360 versions of this game. I play 360 only because one of my friends does. The game really sucks though, I played til Lv53 and don't log on anymore. I play gears of war 24/7 now. Then it's onto Oblivion. PSU is a waste of money. GameCube PSO was a better game hands down. Sonic Team has done the impossible, made a good game horrible. They should shoot themselves in the fucking head. <Especially for abandoning the dreamcast>

[Polenicus]

On 2006-12-15 06:58, Saikyn wrote:
I have PC and XBox 360 versions of this game. I play 360 only because one of my friends does. The game really sucks though, I played til Lv53 and don't log on anymore. I play gears of war 24/7 now. Then it's onto Oblivion. PSU is a waste of money. GameCube PSO was a better game hands down. Sonic Team has done the impossible, made a good game horrible. They should shoot themselves in the fucking head. <Especially for abandoning the dreamcast>



It took you 53 levels to figure out you didn't like the game?

[MayLee]

People have different opinions, rent it and see how you like it.

[Silenced]

If you need more opinions, check out the topic "Deciding whether to buy PSU... ..." I made in gameplay discussion. It should be near the top (sorry, I don't really know how to link stuff, but here goes nothing: http://pso-world.com/viewtopic.php?topic=129757&forum=22&27).

Anyway, some of the responses are more in depth than what you seem to have gotten here. But they're also very positive (heck made me order the game, at least), so be warned.

You should also check out some of the combat vids on youtube. There are a few pretty good ones.

[Saikyn]

On 2006-12-15 07:39, Polenicus wrote:

On 2006-12-15 06:58, Saikyn wrote:
I have PC and XBox 360 versions of this game. I play 360 only because one of my friends does. The game really sucks though, I played til Lv53 and don't log on anymore. I play gears of war 24/7 now. Then it's onto Oblivion. PSU is a waste of money. GameCube PSO was a better game hands down. Sonic Team has done the impossible, made a good game horrible. They should shoot themselves in the fucking head. <Especially for abandoning the dreamcast>



It took you 53 levels to figure out you didn't like the game?



No it took me two levels to decide i didn't like it. Took me another 20 to realize the game was never getting any better. Then any of the other levels i obtained were because I had not yet purchased gears of war and had no other XBox games. Being home and sick, and have seen every god damn movie in made in the past 4 months makes stuff a bit boring. (Recovering from Radiation and a fucked up leg makes you extremely board, especially when you dont hgave the energy to go visit your friends at college) so yeah, i played a game that i had hoped would bring back SOME interest at some point. But no, sonic team, has utterly failed in making a "good" MMO from one that was already pretty good. They ruined PSO and turned it into shit PSU. have a nice day =)

(but yeah, just because i play it, doesnt' mean i enjoy it) - you go to work, but do you enjoy that? no. Like work, my mind needs something to pass the time. PSU did it for a while, but it's too dragged out. Horrible game, just like FF12. I played through FF12, although it's probably the worst FF RPG ever, and well below alot of other RPGs. meh

[Blenjar]

I dunno..im quiting later 2nite...but it was fun while it lasted..

-- Blen

[ChrisKo]

Questing for Items GONE. 90% of the game GONE with questing for items. PSU boring grindfest that will never end as they slowly add better items.... B O R I N G E A S Y G A M E.