A 'Phantasy' that's not so 'Final'
The newest installment of the Sega classic has long-term playability.
Published Nov. 20, 2009
The early days of crappy 3-D "Sonic" titles weren't the only things Sega was up to on the Dreamcast in 2001.
"Phantasy Star Online" was a stupidly fun, anime-inspired, hack-'n-slash RPG dungeon crawler with largely absent story elements in a futuristic world. Players could create their own highly customized characters among three different races — including robots, which aren't exactly a race per se — and several specialties as a member of the shoot-first-ask-questions-later Hunter's Guild.
The interesting and varied weapons, like daggers made from the arms of monsters and double-sided lightsabers, made playing the same fields over and over again a fun experience, because you could always find a new one to show off to your friends.
The online play was where it really shined though, especially because it was free and utilized the Dreamcast's built-in modem. Hanging out in lobbies and joining games on Sega's servers to go on monster-killing sprees was always a good way to blow time.
I'd be lying if I said I hadn't spent many early morning hours with my eyes glued to the television, tying up the phone line playing "Phantasy Star Online." There's nothing like raining down destruction with an upgraded Spread Needle on a pair of Hildebears.
Over the past eight years, Sega has tried moving new PSO-inspired titles on other platforms, most recently on the Nintendo DS. "Phantasy Star 0" does a good job at bringing the series back to its roots — and confusing people with its initials — while keeping some of the annoying features of the series' most recent outings.
Although it has a more kiddy appeal, the game keeps true to the essence of "Phantasy Star Online" tons of items to equip, character customization (including voice types!) and multiplayer fun time. Visually, it's one of the better looking 3-D games on the DS and you'll be reminded of it every time you come face to face with a dragon or any other big-ass boss.
It's amazing to think that such a tiny DS cartridge actually contains as much as "Phantasy Star 0" does, but there are some aspects holding it back from being really great.
Like the last installment in the series, "Phantasy Star Portable" on the PSP, this title is bogged down by lengthy dialog and easily forgettable characters; it makes me miss the story-absent adventures of "PSO." The only thing that makes the endless and frequent droning bearable is the ability to skip through it via the X button, but those useless stops in the action really bog down what would be a pleasant experience.
However, "Phantasy Star 0" has something that its PlayStation Portable brother should have had that makes it a whole different animal: the inclusion of online play. Utilizing Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, players can connect with three others and go through group missions, if you can find a wireless connection the DS actually wants to connect to.
Although it's not as intricate of an online service as the previous console installments, it gets the job done and doesn't cost anything — unlike the Xbox Live and monthly fees required to play "Phantasy Star Universe."
Of course, because it's on the DS, there is some touch screen use with the stylus; during both local and online multiplayer it can be used to communicate with other players.
This title is a real treat for the handful of people who can't get enough dungeon crawling in their day, but missions often take longer than the situations where you might be playing a portable system.
The difficultly, especially during boss battles, is far too much for anyone not used to the non-instruction of the "Phantasy Star" sub-series. So, only hardcore fans are going to be able to get anywhere through the single player mode.
Due to the large amount of customization, slightly varying storylines based off the chosen race of your character — if you're into that kind of thing — and large assortment of weapons, "Phantasy Star 0" offers more replayability than many DS titles out there. The returned inclusion of online play is by far the most important addition from the PSP title's lack of what is basically the fundamental element of the series, and anyone looking for the game's real experience should take advantage of it.
