All games come and go. Some last longer than others, some just last a day (or even a few hours). But generally, if a game lasts more than a week, you know you are onto a winner. But what about if a game lasts for more than a month – or EVEN a few years! There has got to be something wrong (or right) about it mustn’t there! Enter the PSO world! 

For the most part, the game is essentially the same game that featured on the Dreamcast a few years ago. But now dubbed Phantasy Star Online: Episode I and II, this incarnation is a sort of remix. Episode I features the original PSO V2, whilst Episode II is a new adventure which takes you further into the mysteries of the planet Ragol. Keep in mind, the off-line portion of the game and its stories are secondary to the online aspects of the game.

As in past iterations, the game begins with the creation of your chosen character. You can choose from three character classes: Hunters, Rangers and Force. Hunters primarily focus on bladed weapons, Rangers are proficient with guns and the Force characters are adept at magic casting but also have a useful range of “wand” weapons. Each class has four variations, and each of these has its own strengths and weaknesses, bringing the total number of options to twelve.

As in past iterations, the game begins with the creation of your chosen character. You can choose from three character classes: Hunters, Rangers and Force. Hunters primarily focus on bladed weapons, Rangers are proficient with guns and the Force characters are adept at magic casting but also have a useful range of “wand” weapons. Each class has four variations, and each of these has its own strengths and weaknesses, bringing the total number of options to twelve.

When you initially go online, you select from one of several ships, each containing a few waiting area blocks. To get a game started, you can either find three other players to join you & create the team or join a game already in progress. During the game, there are two main areas, the adventure section and Pioneer 2 (essentially the place where you can go purchase new items, store money and items at your bank, equip your weapons or trade items).
The game play mechanics remain identical to their Dreamcast roots; in other words, it's still basically a straightforward “Gauntlet” style shoot 'em up. Melee fighting involves small combos of heavy and light attacks dependent upon timing. The driving force of the game is still to find items (the rarer the better), upgrading your Mag (an additional item you equip and feed to help improve your stats accordingly), whilst mashing monsters & gaining experience points which levels up your character. Also a welcome addition is the ability to play the game in split-screen multiplayer, however, the highlight of the game is still going online, made even more interesting on the Xbox version with the addition of voice chatting.

Visually, PSO is pretty enough without being truly spectacular, however, there are obvious graphical differences between the two episodes being that episode one is essentially the Dreamcast version. Episode 2 features some lovely looking stages, such as the beach, mountain & jungle levels, where attention to detail is very apparent.

In conclusion, PSO is all about teamwork & co-operation. When you find a good group of friends to play with, it becomes an actual adventure – one that is so addictive and hard to put down. There are so many rare items to find (and be the envy of all your mates), so many different styles of combat to try & some fantastic stages with incredible boss fights to conquer. The game engine may be a few years old, but a classic it will always remain.




* There are a couple of factors to take into account in order to play Phantasy Star Online EP1 & 2 and both the Gamecube & Xbox versions vary in system, but what is consistent with both versions is that you must buy a Hunter's License. On the Gamecube version, you are given one months trial, where as on the Xbox version, the first two months are free. Then after the time expires a monthly cost is set at £5.99. And while you don't have to buy a Hunter's License to play offline, on the Xbox version you “must” have an Xbox Live account in order to play Phantasy Star Online's single-player mode as the first option you encounter is the “select Gamertag” option.*