PS II vs. PS IV

[Yoz]

Phantasy Star II is Best!

[Powder Keg]

PSIV...no contest. PSII is slower paced, which is a huge minus already (in battle, moving around, etc.) Very bland enviornments, limited dialogue, humor....I could go on. A remake of PSII (like Japan had) could change my mind. The only thing that II has over IV for me is the difficulty....but I feel like falling asleep when trying to progress in the game because of how sloowww everything is.

If you haven't noticed already, slow paced battles/gameplay are a big time no-no for me.

[Crazyleo]

I have to say PSIV for me. When I play an RPG, the thing I most look forward too is how the story is presented. Don't get me wrong though, PSII is a great game in its own right, but between the two, IV wins hands down.

[chaoelite]

I voted PSIV the long ass cs at Rykros is the sealer to the deal for me along with the sound test option.

I <3 Nei and Rika equally i made em both on PSO xD

[Kurosu]

PSII, because this game was actually hard to me when I played it (but I was quite young), and I liked the mindless grinding and the confusing multi floor dungeons.
Although PSIV had a better presentation overall, I liked PSII's grim atmosphere.

Maybe I should dig out these games sometime, I have the GBA PS collection cartridge somewhere and possibly a working GBA, but that doesn't even have PSIV on it now that I think of it.
Kind of ridiculous to leave out the installment that many people consider the best in the series, surely a lot of people refrained from buying it because of that reason.
Another one of SEGA's magical choices I guess.

The first time I played PSII was on the Mega Drive though, so I bought the cartridge for nostalgia reasons when I saw it was released, even though I never really played it much.
PS1 on it was a bit too retro for me, and I didn't even have the patience to get past the first dungeon in PSII again, lol.
PSIII on it didn't seem all that good either, but I only checked out the beginning part and it didn't draw me in.

[Zorafim]

I'm going to have to go with PSIV. It was just a more playable game. The difficulty was just perfect for me, the pacing was swift, the story was clearly told... It's basically a game I can sit down and play and enjoy, without being frustrated with having to grind or deaths I can't avoid. I do love PSII, but I'd have to actually set down time and effort to play it start to finish.

[Roger Triton]

I will say that I did not play PSII all the way through (there are tons of videos on YouTube to watch it though. And a speedrun!). I did play PSIV all the way through atleast once, and played it a bit here & there several more times.

PSII is more a jRPG in terms of difficulty in comparison to DDS (Digital Devil Saga) series. Tough games! Persona, on the other hand, is easier.

PSIII was IMHO an abortion LOL so I'm lucky you didn't mention it

Oh did anyone pay the $80+ cover charge for PSIV when it came out? I remember it in the game store for so long, it was the last copy & yes $80+ for just one game.

[Drac_Mazoku]

Well, I paid 130$ for my Sealed copy of Phantasy Star IV a few months ago at least

[Jenni Porshakin]

Well I recently purchased the Genesis collection for my psp. I had played and beaten both games years ago (I'm 33), but this time I did them simultaneously. These games are both fantastic, and really represent the pinnacle of the 16-bit rpg(at least imo).

That being said I feel that Phantasy Star II is the superior game. I will immediately concede that virtually everything about the combat system in PS IV is superior to that of its predecessor! No denying that macros, skills, and combos create a more fluid fighting experience, but offense isn't everything.

PS II is a hard game. The dungeons are intricate and inspired, the enemies are frequent and powerful, and exp/meseta is earned never given. While PS IV showcases the advancement of the series technological, PS II presents a much more enigmatic experience.

Everything in PS II feels more epic from the death of Nei to the showdown with Motherbrain, Alys and the Profound Darkness pale in comparison. Don't even get me started on the endings and soundtrack! I know that this is often a heated debate among fans, and I'd enjoy hearing your opinions.

This should go without saying but from past experience with this site I know it can't, to have a valid opinion on this subject you must have played both of the games in question.

Aside from the difficulty & endings, I feel PS4 is superior to PS2. If there ever was a remake of an 'offline' PStar game though, it should be #2. Just because I think they could graphically shoot it past PS4. And add a lot of side areas & story to kind of like it back to PSO2. That is a side topic for another thread...

[Drac_Mazoku]

Well, granted we didnt got it in America, there's already a remake of the second game in Japan. It was a low budget title, but it was a very well made remake that didnt kill the spirit of the original (except for Nei's ears).