Review Thread

[DeathMachine]

Shouldn't "Below all RPGs" come before "Above PSU"?

[Immovable One]

I consider this the PSO sequel we should've had but didn't (PSU blech!).

We get the return of changing BGM (with the addition of the new rare monster bgm), the addition of the dodge roll and the requirement to charge to perform photon arts (which makes them more of a tactical move rather than PSU's mindless spamming), the return of individually unique bosses that are more than just huge mobs with lots of hp, and surprisingly a story mode that's actually interesting.

My only complaints are the few options for character customizations. Plus it's still missing the classic Phantasy Star outfits I'm always dreaming they include in these games (I just wanna look like Wren, Lyla, or Rika for the love of god!)


And the interface is..... well it's almost perfect, but I think the top screen could've used some of its space for things like information of what's being targetted so that the bottom screen coud've more buttons for like.... extra hotkeys. It might not bother most of you, but I'm an interface design student so I kinda learned to make these things disturb me XD

Another thing that impressed me are the NPC AIs. They actually fight monsters in the distance, heal members with half their total HP, and chain their Photon Blast! Add to that the ability to assign tactics that affect their behavior. Why didn't you do this before!?

Overall, bravo!
We got a winner here Sega!
Now makes us Phantasy Star V!

Oh yeah, I'll give it a 9 out of 10 because of those few nitpicks.

[the_importer_]

Shouldn't "Below all RPGs" come before "Above PSU"?

My bad :P

[Risingsun]

I have a question. The only really similar games to this on the DS are the FF Crystal Chronicles games. You know both are loot focused 3-D multiplayer games with great graphics on the DS. So for those who played Ring of Fates, is it better than RoF? and do you think PS0 will be better than the upcoming crystal chronicles game Echoes of Time, why now also has an online mode?

[Akaimizu]

Well, considering that I liked Phantasy Star Online's combat better than I liked Ring of Fates, I'm already feeling this is better. It moves and controls better, plus you have the mag feeding back (though it seems to eat around 5 items at a time instead of the old 3).

I don't know. Somehow Ring of Fates didn't rub me the right way. Some of its combat seemed a bit cludgy in comparison to its Gamecube prequel, where it did well in others. I also felt it was a little strange to use abilities holding the R-trigger, while your character stands there while you try to use the stylus. For me, I think it's not a good idea to force a player to quickly switch between using two thumbs and using the stylus, in an action game. The style should be used for maybe puzzles, only, or where there is a break in the action (or the gameplay changes to a style only the stylus would be used for a while).

Back to PS(Mortal Kombat Fatality code)ø. The areas loaded at one time, are smaller. You do go between areas a lot in the game. However, it seems to eliminate the idea of jumping down 1 level to another. So while you do go between areas, it sort of affords a nice aspect of seeming like your level is one big sprawling area separated by gates (part due to art design and making openings look like they go somewhere). Though the levels are somewhat randomized, they do a pretty decent job of keeping each area look unique, making it much easier to remember where you've been. However, the size of one area can easily be large enough to put ranged weapons to good use. The overhead map functions quite well, and does a pretty good job of showing where everything is. Even though the draw distance is pretty close to the max distance of your view of the room. (For those familiar with PSO. Here's an example in PS Online where it wasn't. For instance, when you beat the first Dragon Boss in Forest and you had to run all around that cave to find the boss boxes that never drew in until you got close to them.) You have less of that here. However, big drop boxes that often appear when you defeat the enemies in an area, are shown on your map, when they come up.

So far, I can say it's an ambitious DS title that does feel like a followup on the PSO formula. The old Grinders are back the way they were. Simply use it, select the weapon, and boom it's +1. If you have stacks of that grinder, you can keep pressing the button on the weapon to use more of them. I'll say it's easily an 8/10 for the effort, so far. However, that's not my final answer.

[parabolee]

I gave it a 9. The only thing stopping it from being a ten is the flaws in the online play. It's too hard top get a game with friends (no method of communication outside a game), and too light on communication options when playing with strangers (the ability to stay in a group after a quest would be nice too).

There are a few other very minor flaws so far, but for the most part it is a serious contender for best game ever

Hopefully they make improvements to the online for the English language release.

[Risingsun]

I gave it a 9. The only thing stopping it from being a ten is the flaws in the online play. It's too hard top get a game with friends (no method of communication outside a game), and too light on communication options when playing with strangers (the ability to stay in a group after a quest would be nice too).

There are a few other very minor flaws so far, but for the most part it is a serious contender for best game ever

Hopefully they make improvements to the online for the English language release.

Call me crazy but it seems like a lot of people we expecting too much from the online portion for this DS game. I mean when you look at it from the perspective of a PSO fan, im sure its missing some key things that are sure to be disapointing. But if you look at it from the perspective of a DS owner, Im blown away by all that its doing. I can't think of many DS games that have done online better than PS0 has, (maybe mario kart). So i think its a bit lacking has a game in the online phantasy star games, but ridiculously full featured for a DS game.

[parabolee]

Call me crazy but it seems like a lot of people we expecting too much from the online portion for this DS game. I mean when you look at it from the perspective of a PSO fan, im sure its missing some key things that are sure to be disapointing. But if you look at it from the perspective of a DS owner, Im blown away by all that its doing. I can't think of many DS games that have done online better than PS0 has, (maybe mario kart). So i think its a big lacking has a game in the online phantasy star games, but ridiculously full featured for a DS game.

I hear you, and I would agree, but the amount of work that would have gone into what is missing compared to how much better it would have been...

For a DS game, the online is amazing. But the inability to communicate fully with strangers or a simple method to message online friends (especially since we can see that they are online), is such a HUGE "oh my god, so close" thing that is disappointments.

I guess I foolishly presumed that when we were told we were going to able to play with strangers that meant including the awesome pictochat functions.

However so far PS0 is my favourite handheld game of all time. Not surprising since PSO is my favourite game of all time.

[Aeternus]

I gave it a 9. The only thing stopping it from being a ten is the flaws in the online play. It's too hard top get a game with friends (no method of communication outside a game), and too light on communication options when playing with strangers (the ability to stay in a group after a quest would be nice too).

There are a few other very minor flaws so far, but for the most part it is a serious contender for best game ever

Hopefully they make improvements to the online for the English language release.

Definitely NOT going to be any changes for the english version besides being in english of coarse. Best thing we can hope for is a 2nd DS version that streamlines what has been mentioned. I have yet to try online mode yet as I have been too busy leveling and playing through story mode, but I am disappointing to hear that you can't send messages to friends when they are online [as well as continue with your party after a quest, that one puzzles me] but being a ds game with limited server infrastructure holding the game together, I see how it would be a hard hurdle for developers. All things considering, there simply isn't another handheld game that completes with it's features for this sort of game, so i'm really hoping there will be another version eventually.

[Shiroyu]

The no-chatting-with-strangers thing is 100% Nintendo's fault; it's not Sega's fault it's not in the game, but if they were able to, they definitely could have. Hell, we should be lucky with what we have. As far as I know, this is really the ONLY game on the DS that allows such a thing.

Reviews should not take down a point because it doesn't allow "real" communication with strangers, because that's essentially the standard for games on Nintendo consoles now. If anything, they should raise a point because it offers at least some form of communication. <_<