History Videogame / PhantasyStarOnline

* BittersweetEnding: Pretty much every single Episode. [[spoiler: Episode 1 ends with the player defeating the Dark Falz and setting Red Ring Rico's spirit free, however this still means that Rico died due to the possession and you never actually find out what happened to the people of Pioneer 1 but it's suggested they're all dead. Episode 2 has a repeat with the player defeating Olga Flow and freeing Heathcliff Flowen's spirit, but once again killing the innocent host and leaving with no real answers to anything. Episode 3 only makes it worse by revealing that the players [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration ''really were defeating the Falz and Flow over and over again'']], making them strong enough to escape their bonds and wreak havoc on the universe had Rico and Flowen not pulled a HeroicSacrifice. However it does end with Pioneer 2 finally getting ready to colonize Ragol after 50 years. Episode 4 is about the only story to have a somewhat happy ending since none of the main characters die.]] Damn.

* GuideDangIt: The Tails chao. It requires you to go back the forest after you complete "The Fake In Yellow" quest but before you talk to the receptionist. Then you stand where the rappies are staring at and a chao appears (with SambaDeAmigo music playing). You then go back to Pionner 2 and put the chao on your GBA.

* Foreshsdowing: In the story intro that sets up the plot, the cause of the mysterious explosion of light that makes Pioneer 1's populace disappear can be seen vaguely. [[spoiler: It's [[BigBad Dark Falz]], ''towering'' in a cloaked form over the Pioneer city.]]

* EasyModeMockery: Zigzagged. Playing on Normal for episodes 1 and 2 will cause you to miss certain things in the final bosses and in the case of episode 1 will net you a slightly more pessmestic ending, but you can't actually choose to play on Hard until you beat the game on Normal or, in the case of multiplayer, reach a certain level. [[spoiler: In episode 1 you will can only fight the Dark Falz's holy form on hard and above, and defeating it will set Rico's spirit free. If fought on Normal the Falz will just keel over in its second form and her signature red ring will fall to the ground in a tragic fashion. With the Olga Flow he will not use his special attack that turns you into Flowen.]]

''Phantasy Star Online'' is a [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame Massively Multiplayer Online]] {{Action RPG}} released for the Sega Dreamcast, then for the PC, Xbox and Gamecube that carries on the legacy of the VideoGame/PhantasyStar franchise.

* ArtEvolution: ''PSO'' brought with it a major shift in the art style for the PhantasyStar series; the games of the tetralogy tended more toward a generic anime style evocative of [[TheEighties the late Eighties]] and [[TheNineties early Nineties]], not counting the ''Generations'' remakes.

* GenreShift: ''Phantasy Star Online'' itself is a shift from the {{Eastern RPG}}s of the [[PhantasyStar tetralogy]]; ''Episodes I, II, and IV'' were straight-up [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame Massively Multiplayer Online]] {{Action RPG}}s. ''Episode III'' was a MMOCCG ([[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame Massively Multiplayer Online]] CollectibleCardGame), using cards that had powers of many of the previous two games' monsters and weapons.

* SeriesMascot: Rappies, [[PhantasyStar continuing their role from the tetralogy]].

* {{Video Game 3D Leap}}: Prior to ''PSO,'' every game in the PhantasyStar franchise was 2D.

** Not completely nameless, as you you can see her name if you open your chat window. Of course, there's no reason to do that on an offline quest, unless you really want to know the names of the NPCs.

'''Episode III''' is a CardBattleGame sequel about two rival groups- the government-approved Hunters and the rebellious Arkz faction- and their battle for control over the revolutionary C.A.R.D. (Compressed Alternate Reality Data) technology.

* LostForever: For those versions that can no longer go online since the official servers shut down, all online-only items are now Lost Forever (excluding the use of a cheat device to spawn them).
** The Ragol Ring and Kireek's scythe, the Soul Eater, require the player to perform quests in a specific order and give a specific series of answers. If you screw it up, those items are impossible to attain on that character/difficulty level. Worse, the two items require the player to give different answers to the same question, so you can only ever get one on a specific character/difficulty level.
** The Ragol Ring is really bad in this regard, since dying while it's equipped will remove it from the game. SO not only is it easily missable, but it's unusable too.

* ShoutOut: A number of weapons and items reference the original games; the ''Neiclaw,'' the ''Falclaw''/''Rika's Claw'', the ''Elsydeon,'' and the ''Prophets of Motav''. There's also weapons and items that reference other Sega series; the [[FantasyZone Opa Opa]] makes another appearance, for example, this time as a Mag.

'''''Phantasy Star Online''''' is a [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame Massively Multiplayer Online]] {{Action RPG}} released for the Sega Dreamcast, then for the PC, Xbox and Gamecube that carries on the legacy of the VideoGame/PhantasyStar franchise.

* ArcWords: Sort of- several boss themes (usually FinalBoss themes) have names with "IDOLA" in them, for some reason. This has led some to believe that an ''Episode IV'' boss, Shambertin, is the TrueFinalBoss for that episode; His theme is "IDOLA-The Fanatic Viper".

* SummonMagic: Upon hitting level 10, 35, and 50, [=MAGs=] learn a Photon Blast, a powerful summon technique that does damage, heals, or buffs you based on your [=MAG's=] IQ.

** Some monsters have rare variants. They're stronger and have nastier tricks up their selves, but getting rare drops from them are a cinch. It's just getting them to spawn is the hard part.

* UselessUsefulSpell: Megid, an extremely high-costed single hit spell that ''might'' kill the enemy. However, either get the right items or play a [[BlackMagicianGirl FOnewearl]], and it'll penetrate.

* ArcWords: Sort of- several boss themes (usually FinalBoss themes) have names beginning with "IDOLA", for some reason. This has led some to believe that an ''Episode IV'' boss, Shambertin, is the TrueFinalBoss for that episode; His theme is "IDOLA-The Fanatic Viper".

* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:Ino'lis]] in ''Episode III'' after she inadvertently [[spoiler:causes the death of her crush]].

* HyperspaceArsenal: As with most [=RPGs=]' inventory systems, but more obvious in ''Phantasy Star Online'' and not readily explained.
** Justified by the technology of the time... all items can be compressed into a capsule form. The fact that you have 30 spots for items, no matter the size implies that you can hold 30 fully compressed capsules.

* InfinityPlusOneSword: There's at least one per weapon type. The Tsumikiri J-Sword, the Double Cannon, Guld Milla, and the Psycho Wand are probably the most notorious of the bunch. Their drop rates are so infinitesimal, by the time you get them (assuming you ever manage), you've probably reached the level cap with at least one character, making them more of a BraggingRightsReward than anything.

* LostForever: For those versions that can no longer go online since the official servers shut down, all online-only items are now Lost Forever (excluding the use of a cheat device to spawn them)

** Seat Of The Heart, the downloadable offline quest for Episode II. It's an EscortMission through the Temple, Spaceship and Control Area, with the last stretch in the East Tower. There are plenty of cutscenes and telepipes are disabled. Thankfully you can stop and save your progress after the Spaceship and continue on later, but it doesn't help that Elly isn't the most resilient FOneweral.

** Orga Flow[[spoiler:en]]

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:Red Ring Rico]] accidentally unleashes Dark Falz, and dies for it. The ''players'' would have caused an even worse case: [[spoiler:by defeating Dark Falz over and over again, they only caused him to grow stronger and stronger. Eventually he would have had enough power to completely break free from his bondage in the Ruins and destroy the universe]].

* DifficultySpike: Playing online is harder than offline. Plus you'll get less experience points. Though on the flipside, when you do hit a wall offline, you can't just ask other players to help out, so you may be more likely to have to [[LevelGrinding grind]] for a while. Sadly, some of the best quests for grinding quickly are only available online too.

* ApocalypticLog: In ''Phantasy Star Online'', Red Ring Rico's log goes from helpful tutorial to an increasingly depressing ApocalypticLog as the game progresses. Heathcliff Flowen pens his own in ''Episode II''.

* WasOnceAMan: [[spoiler:Part of Rico's human body can still be seen as fused into Dark Falz's first two forms, [[PainfulTransformation horribly mutated and writhing in pain]]. You can still see Rico's red ring]] on one of the arms if you look closely. As for Flowen, we get an idea of what happened to him thanks to ''Episode 2's'' [[ApocalypticLog Apocalyptic Logs]]. One tidbit of NightmareFuel: We learn that the mutation begins as the wounds inflicted on Flowen by Dark Falz's infant form shift and change shape ...]]