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Online gaming has finally arrived on the Gamecube. Despite some glaring flaws, Phantasy Star Online is an enjoyable experience for anyone interested in online action.
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Born on the Dreamcast and bearing little resemblance to previous Phantasy Star games, PSO takes gamers into the world of Ragol. Fleeing on the spaceship Pioneer 2 from a dying planet, players are given the task of exploring the world of Ragol and discovering its mysteries.
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The Gamecube version of PSO sports several new additions, the most notable of which is Episode 2. Featuring completely new levels and creatures, the new levels are vastly improved over the originals, featuring a much better design that makes the old levels look dated. Other new additions to the Gamecube port include a trade window, making trades safer and easier, more variation between class statistics, and a slightly better balanced battle system.
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Players start off by creating a character from a combination of three unique classes and races, totaling twelve different characters in all. Forces are adept at techniques (magic), Rangers with guns, and Hunters with close combat weapons, including swords, knives and the like. As for the races, Androids cannot use techniques but excel in defense, offense and hit points, Newmen have the strongest techniques, and Humans are middle ground, being more well-rounded in comparison to the others.
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After a quick briefing, gamers are given the task of battling through the worlds of Ragol, which range from lush forests and deep jungles to fiery caves and forgotten ruins. Various creatures native to Ragol confront hunters at every turn. At the end of every level, players will face off against powerful bosses, including a dragon, an infected computer, and evil incarnate.
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As the gameplay revolves around fighting and leveling, you’ll need solid equipment. Weapons and upgrades can be purchased through the stores on Pioneer 2, but most of what you need you will find through defeating the creatures of Ragol. The downside to this is that finding good weapons is mostly a game of chance, as the rare system is based almost solely on luck. Some players could play for hundreds of hours without finding decent pieces of equipment.
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The gameplay loses much of its entertainment value for the solo gamer. Rangers and Forces are ultimately support characters, making playing as a solo Ranger or Force more of a chore than anything else. Hunters are a little better, but still suffer from the lack of teammates. This limits replay value for someone who intends to be playing alone. Ultimately, PSO’s gameplay is built around online and multiplayer play, which will turn away many solo gamers.
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The online portion is where the game really shines. Besides the natural pluses to playing online, like meeting new people and always having someone to fight alongside, online gamers are treated to limited-time quests (like the special holiday NiGHTS quest), cool downloads (including exclusive mini-games for the Gameboy Advance), and special quests available only online. Players will also find themselves advancing through Ragol and leveling with much more ease, thanks to the benefit of teammates.
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However, the online portion has major drawbacks. Even after purchasing a $35 modem or broadband adaptor, you have to pay $8.95 a month to play for minimum updates and mostly-unchanging worlds. Even more glaring is the lack of a keyboard released in the United States, making chatting a long and tiresome process. Currently, gamers only options for a keyboard are pricey imports which go anywhere from $80 and up.
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Still, Phantasy Star Online Episodes 1 & 2 is a solid upgrade to the series and a solid online venture for the Gamecube. You won’t be blown away, but if you can justify paying $35 for a Gamecube modem for a single game with no future online games in sight, you will not be disappointed.
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Pros:
- Online play for the Gamecube
- Potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay
- Beautiful new levels for the Gamecube version
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Cons:
- Can be costly for the modem, online play, etc.
- No North American keyboard
- Unbalanced solo play
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