Phantasy Star in general

What's everyone's PSO character like? I'm a Whitil FOmarl with lightish blue hair. :)

edited 21st Dec '10 11:32:42 AM by lalalei2001

Pink-haired Huney. :P

Getting the urge to play PSO again. If anyone still plays, or is interested in playing on SCHTHACK, I'd love to have someone to play with. I can do both the Gamecube and PC versions.

Also, beat Phantasy Star Portable 2. Also looking for someone to play with there.

One of these days I plugged the notebook on the television to play PSIV with a joystick and the awesomeness made me shit bricks, felt like the old times

I'll add my voice to the chorus of fans who would like to see Sega return to its roots with this series and make an old school, turn based, classic JRPG with modern graphics. I'd like to see a new game, not a reboot or remake. Just call it simply "Phantasy Star V".

And I don't want any bizarre combat systems, overly long cut scenes, or gimmicky high concept stories (all of which have plagued JRP Gs over the past decade). Just a classic JRPG please. I don't know why that's apparently so hard for Sega to do.

And this isn't just a dig at Sega and Phantasy Star. The general state of modern JRP Gs is very sad. The last JRPG I played that I thought was any good was Skies of Arcadia for the Dreamcast that came out over 10 goddamn years ago!.

-Drool-

Transitioning from Phantasy Star Portable 2 to PSO Blue Burst is...

It's pretty awkward. I will say that.

They're very different games. PSP 2 has a faster and more complex combat system, and a greater focus on single player, whereas PSO has a slower, timing-based combat system, but has more complex enemy behavior, a much better soundtrack, and is designed so that the vast majority of the content, story included, can be done in multiplayer.

I figure I'll get used to it with a little practice.

By the way, pausing disables the slow-down effect you get when you're near enemies. Just in case you need to run away.

It also helps for avoiding mines.

So I have a copy of Sonic's ultimate Genesis collection and with it all 4 Phantasy Stars. I plan on giving the series a go this summer; it will be my first time playing.

I'm kinda confused on the chronology though. Does IV come after II but before III? Should I play them in that order or in release order? I mean it has a running storyline for all 4 games right?

edited 18th May '11 9:44:09 AM by J.C.Lately

Best pretend 3 didn't happen. It's generally accepted as 1 -> 2 -> 4, with 3 taking place in another system(but still being related to 2).

Personally speaking, I'd actually say to start with Phantasy Star 4 first, since it's the most accessible to gamers these days. PS 1 is pretty outdated by today's standards(although it was still fine for its time) meaning you might get bored of it more easily and PS 2 while good, is EXTREMELY difficult and both games are probably near impossible these days without a guide of some sort to help, since it can be really hard to tell where you need to go. PS 2's battle system is also a little harder to adjust to compared to the other two games, which are more typical of turn-based JRP Gs. It's still really good but PS 4 you'll more likely have an enjoyable experience with and it'll probably get you into the series more easily.

Phantasy Star 3 don't even bother with unless you REALLY want to play it.

edited 18th May '11 10:02:14 AM by Vertigo_High

Oh, I'm well aware how archaic the early games are to play, and I've accepted that I'll have to play with one eye on gamefaqs. And that the grinding will be legendary, particularly in the second one. I'll just throw on some podcasts while doing it or something. I'm more concerned with getting the complete story and what would be the best way to absorb it.

edited 18th May '11 2:18:01 PM by J.C.Lately

Then go in order if that's the case, or you can just look up the stories online.

It' not just the grinding that's the killer in PS 2, it's the way the stats work(to where you can say level up 3 levels yet the enemies still seemingly do the same amount of damage), the long and confusing dungeon layouts,and how some normal enemies are just flat out cruel(there's only like, 3 or 4 bosses in the actual game itself). I think it got more manageable for me as it went on though.

I feel a bit off for reviving such an old thread, but I've been getting into this series as of late and thought I'd reach out and see if there are any other fans hanging around. I can see the necro, but it's a well-intentioned necro that beats out making a redundant topic.

Self-justification aside - I've been chipping away at the first game, and recently I got my hands on Portable. Phantasy Star 1 is a really good retro RPG - the mazes aren't great, but the pseudo-3D in those sections are great and the graphics are pretty good for the time it was released in. To my knowledge, it was released before Final Fantasy 1, and I honestly think it holds up better graphically.

Phantasy Star Portable is more of an action RPG for the PSP, which is apparently a port of Universe without online connectivity. Very grindy imo, but I like grinding so it's okay. I'm curious about the series' different settings, so I'm interested in seeing what Portable had to offer. It already has a decent character creator, so I'm happy about that.

Are there any other Phantasy Star fans out there? I'd love some feedback on the fan favorite instalments of the series.

I liked the original quadrilogy, but it's the only Phantasy Star series I liked. My reaction to PSO was even starker than my reaction to Final Fantasy's shift to real time: "No. I do not want an MMORPG, if you want to use the license for something at least use it for something in the spirit of the original games."

I actually like all of them a fair bit. I liked PSI the least, but even it was a fun ride story-wise - the gameplay was more of a "That was fun, let's never do it again" for me. By contrast, believe it or not I enjoyed PS 2's gameplay: it was hard and brutal, but when I picked it up again after some time (look, I first played it when I was five...), I was up to the challenge and a little grinding didn't bother me. And PSIV was PSIV; absolutely stunning in all respects.

So what about PSIII? Believe it or not, I enjoyed that too, though it helps that I only played it years after the Genesis era was over. I give the writers mad props for trying to pull off the impossible with the limited cartridge space they had available, and I honestly think they did pretty well at doing the four-paths thing.

Oh wow, this thread is old, and here's a major necro:

Sega Ages: Phantasy Star planned for a September launch on the Nintendo Switch in Japan for 925 yen.

Quoting from the linked article cause I'm lazy:

Wow. Wonder if they'll make it available on Steam in the US at some point, like the rest of the quadrilogy?

Question for those who play Phantasy Star Online 2: What's your opinion on Persona? Like, the character with the cool tux armor?

Phantasy Star Online 2's New Trailer Shows Off Upcoming Muv-Luv Alternative Collaboration

Phantasy Star Online 2 coming west for Xbox One, PC

Switch as well.

Actually Switch version is Japan-exclusive...for now.

Only one image comes to mind.◊

Nice. I'll definitely be getting it on PC.