Phantasy Star Portable 2 coming

[MrPOW]

Man, the designs look much more impressive overall when compared to past PSU titles. Is it a new character designer?

I think they have new designers period, since in PSP the exclusive weapons were also 10x cooler than the original PSU weapons. I think perhaps it might be artists from Alfa System rather than Sonic Team doing the design work, although that's pure conjecture. While I like PSU, one of my big complaints is that there didn't seem to be nearly as many really cool, iconic weapon designs as there were in PSO. Thus, while we're seeing many PSO weapons show up in PSU, I really doubt we'll see many PSU weapons in the next online PS game. Many of PSP's exclusive weapons, however, instantly made me sit up and say, "Okay, thats cool. I want that." Even the new non S-ranks are badass.

So yeah, just based on the awesome weapon designs from the first PSP, I have been saying ever since that if Alfa System could make another PS game with much more original content we would really see them shine. Well, here we go. I think most of the new content in this game will impress people. I am very, very anxious to see the new areas.

[Burnsro]

I was going to say Accretia-ish, but since most people have only ever heard of Gundam...

Looks even more like, no EXACTLY like Tekkaman Blade a.k.a. Teknomaaaaan!
http://images.google.com/images?q=tekkaman+blade

[yeongene]

i saw this on gamefaqs and i thought it was a bit note worthy.

I just saw some more scans from the Famitsu issue and I noticed something that may possibly be included.

If you look at this scan, bottom right, with all the characters gathering.

http://www.psuxxx.info/uploader/src/up2521.jpg

To me it looks much more of a town area, probably the quest guild center where, if you remember in PSO, you would have to go to get quests with parties or yourself. It doesn't look like everyone has a weapon equipped. I'm not sure of this next one, but if you look at the top of it, it looks like the name of a NPC, "Emi" and it looks like you can talk to her.

Just an observation, I could be wrong.

[misstigress]

Source: 1up.com

Okay, now I'm getting excited. They're adding elements from PSZ and the game is sounding more like a proper sequel with new content.

Words can't describe my excitement over this announcement. (And it takes a LOT for me to say this.)

It looks as if they're incoporating many elements from both PSZ and PSO. I LOVE the new character models, also. The graphics look sleek in contrast to the first Phantasy Star Portable (well, from that minuscule screenshot they do), and I just hope this game meets my expectations.

It sounds as if the difficulty may be more in line with Phantasy Star Zero's difficulty level, which would be absolutely great.

I guess we'll have solid facts to work with once more information is revealed, but I do enjoy speculating, as much as I hate to admit it.

i saw this on gamefaqs and i thought it was a bit note worthy.

I really, really hope this is true. While this is subjective, I miss having a central gathering lobby in Phantasy Star Portable, and it's part of the reason I like Phantasy Star Zero better -- having a city/lobby at least contributes to the feeling that you are playing a pseudo-MMO and not a level-based game. (All we actually need is one central gathering area that flows in the same vein as Dairon City or the Pioneer Colony; anything else would just be overkill with the exception of a casino maybe.)

[yeongene]

I really, really hope this is true. While this is subjective, I miss having a central gathering lobby in Phantasy Star Portable, and it's part of the reason I like Phantasy Star Zero better -- it just has more of that "MMO-feel" to it, if you know what I mean.

I don't want a hundred disjointed lobbies that disperse everyone over a bunch of areas -- I just want one central gathering hub so that the the feeling of existing in a multiplayer world is there, rather than the sense that I'm in a level-based game. I tend to derive a sense of isolation from playing the current PSP, which should be remedied if Sega actually incorporates an infrastructure mode/lobby system in PSP2.

i think someone replied back.

Yes there will be lobby actions and lots of new symbols in chat. You can see them on the other famitsu page. It seems you can talk to players in lobbies and dance along side them. :3

[misstigress]

i think someone replied back.

I found the thread you're talking about (and looked at the screenshots the poster was referencing), and I have to agree that it looks as if this installment will be a full-blown sequel rather than a spin-off with a lack of content. (I'm struggling to retain my usual degree of skepticism here, but it's difficult, I admit. Especially since I did like PSZ quite a bit, and this looks quite similar from what I've seen/read. )

The only problem is the fact that the waiting is going to drive me insane.

[Phaesphora]

i saw this on gamefaqs and i thought it was a bit note worthy.

I just saw some more scans from the Famitsu issue and I noticed something that may possibly be included.

If you look at this scan, bottom right, with all the characters gathering.

http://www.psuxxx.info/uploader/src/up2521.jpg

To me it looks much more of a town area, probably the quest guild center where, if you remember in PSO, you would have to go to get quests with parties or yourself. It doesn't look like everyone has a weapon equipped. I'm not sure of this next one, but if you look at the top of it, it looks like the name of a NPC, "Emi" and it looks like you can talk to her.

Just an observation, I could be wrong.

I think 'Emi' is the Romanization for Amy, as the other characters in the screenshots seem to be named Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. I suspect that they are all player-controlled characters, so I'd wager it's just a lobby like in PSU. Never know, though...

/obvious

[misstigress]

I think 'Emi' is the Romanization for Amy, as the other characters in the screenshots seem to be named Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. I suspect that they are all player-controlled characters, so I'd wager it's just a lobby like in PSU. Never know, though...

/obvious

I have to agree; look at the 1UP.com article and notice that the author states the following:

...and fully redone character designs for all of the game's default classes.

As far as the lobbies are concerned, as I stated in an above post, I'm trying to remain skeptical until I have official confirmation of this, but the areas depicted in the pictures certainly looked like lobbies, and I honestly doubt that every player decided to unequip his or her weapon(s) so they could emote while in a mission area. (Well, you can't even emote in the original PSP, but I'm thinking of PSU.) It seems logical to assume that we're looking at a lobby of sorts, but, as I said, I'll just wait (impatiently) for an official statement.

EDIT:

Well, after examining the screenshot again, I can't tell if they're emoting or their animations are related to the chat content contained within the bubbles, but, either way, I think the point still stands since you can't see any equipped weapons in the picture.

[Ragol Sinner]

im puzzled as to how no one is mentioning the bad part of this- where the F is all those missing download missions for the US version? 10 bucks says they stick it in there as new content. what a bunch of bums, the missions are just sitting there and they wont give them to us to extend our game play, considering there are missions missing already from the console title. why didnt one of thee hackers with their 9999 weapons find a way t pug them into the us versions? yes, wishfull thinking, but damn i would love to see idiot sega's reaction to that one...

so another version is good, yes, but ill be damned if is just a "missing levels we should have had already" game- that would suck monkeys nuts, to say the least


-ed

[misstigress]

I was going to say Accretia-ish, but since most people have only ever heard of Gundam...

My understanding is that Sega has launched a website to announce that they are launching a website on 24 August. Someone will undoubtedly correct me.

EDIT: Burnsro beat me to the Zeta punch.

I guess I'm not the only person alive who has played RF Online.