PS2 the PSU killer?

[Chuck_Norris]

"does the ps2's limitations hold the game back from what it could be?"
i beleave so.

I agree.

my proposeal, next installment goes on 360, PC, PS3, and Ps2. there should be a 360/ps3 server. a PC server, and a PS2 server.

FUCK NO!

I don't wanna leave all my friends on PC just to go listen to a bunch of whinny brats screaming into their mics, only to get better graphics in return!

[Ezodagrom]

Thing is, PSU isn't gonna get any better graphically, or at least not significantly. Even when PSO went to Xbox for episode 1 & 2, there wasn't even that much of a presentation increase from the Dreamcast. If you want a better looking Phantasy Star, then you'll have to wait for the next series. Corse ya, I was also very disappointed when it wasn't released on next-gen consoles in the first place, but that's their bad. PSU isn't that bad of a game, but they'll need to work harder to keep me interested.

If a next expansion would be done for PS3 instead of PS2, even if graphically it wouldn't be much improved, PS3 has an hard drive, as xbox360 and pc also have. That means there would be real updates/patches, instead of unlocking content from the disk like we have now ._. (since the PS2 doesn't support real updates, doesn't have hard drive).

[Akaimizu]

Thing is, PSU isn't gonna get any better graphically, or at least not significantly. Even when PSO went to Xbox for episode 1 & 2, there wasn't even that much of a presentation increase from the Dreamcast. If you want a better looking Phantasy Star, then you'll have to wait for the next series. Corse ya, I was also very disappointed when it wasn't released on next-gen consoles in the first place, but that's their bad. PSU isn't that bad of a game, but they'll need to work harder to keep me interested.

There was a logical reason for that, actually. And yes, even some of the spell effects were toned down from the Dreamcast to Gamecube/Xbox. A big part of that was split-screen. They didn't up the graphics because they decided to support 4-player split screen options, instead. So in that regard, there was quite a graphical improvement, but in a different way. Episode 2, of course, is where some other snazzy gfx appeared, which separated itself from the way levels looked in Episode 1.

[amtalx]

I don't wanna leave all my friends on PC just to go listen to a bunch of whinny brats screaming into their mics, only to get better graphics in return!

We don't want you either. :P

[RemiusTA]

X360 players and their mics... Its like PS2 version with the Voices. People complain about it, but the people who have it REALLY wish they didnt...


As for PSO Ep.1&2, they did up the graphics alot. Just not the character models. Most of the graphical updates from the DC-->GCN/Xbox were mostly Special Effects. (Like the Heatwave distortion on Gifoie/Rafoie 26+, and the water distortion in the Ep2 levels.)

Although its really kind of minor, the Water distortion did WONDERS for the level design aspect in Ep2. The Seabed, Seaside, and Jungle stages looked absolutely amazing with the pretty water distortion effects. Those stages in PSOBB almost completely lost the feeling, since for some reason the idiots decided not to include it.


In all truth, anyone can tell the reason the graphics are so bad is because they are developing the game on the base hardware of the PS2. If this game was developed for 360/PS3, im quite sure the game would play visually like the CG renderings, more or less. The CG in this game isnt nearly comparable to the works of Square Enix or someone, its more like really high resolution in-game engine with far better models.

[Abashi76]

OK, so we've apparently established all the reasons that PSU is not living up to its potential. Let me just run this by as a mini-review and make sure I understand it all...

1. Sega's upper management decided to rush the release date and we ended up with an unfinished product. In addition, it was severely underpromoted outside of Japan.

2. The hardware limitations of the PS2 (no supported hard drive) prevent the game from receiving proper updates. (The Wii has no hard drive worth mentioning, and you still can't save directly to the SD card on that system.)

3. The PC and 360 versions are bad ports of the PS2 version, again probably from the rush job. In addition, the hard drives on either system are underutilized to prevent alienating the PS2 userbase in Japan.

4. Since the 360 version was an afterthought, Sega did not take the steps necessary to link all of the servers together, or possibly they just didn't have enough political clout to make it happen.

5. The entire PSU project to this date is underfunded and undermanaged, since Sega and Sonic Team appear to be focusing more on other projects.

6. People cry when they can't afford new technology.


It would be a nice "what if" to wonder what would have happened if the PS2 version had never been announced and the game had an extra three-to-six months of development time and a bit more hype.

That just about covers it! Thats why this game did not do nearly as well as it should of.

[android 007.5]

yep that just about sums it up.
option #1. wait for the next installment
or we can do option #2. just drop the PS2

[xjustsumloser]

ps2 caused a lot of problems for what PSU could have been. But it doesn't matter, PS2 JP is HUGE, everyone has one. The game is made and all is done, just have to deal with the useless slowdowns, average graphics and only whole new disks for expansions (or Marketplace download)