VIDEO GAME REVIEW: Newest ‘Phantasy’ offers cliches on- and off-line
Before there was “Halo 2” online multiplayer, before there were console based massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs) like “Final Fantasy XI,” before “World of Warcraft” took the PC by storm, there was a game called “Phantasy Star Online.”
In the heyday of the ill-fated and perpetually mourned Sega Dreamcast, “Phantasy Star Online” made its mark as one of the first online console RPGs and, although the gameplay was repetitive and simplistic, the online component made the game a feverishly addicting experience.
The game was so successful, that developer Sonic Team continued to pump out one slightly improved version after the other until every current-gen console supported its own iteration of “Phantasy Star Online.”
After playing numerous, near-identical editions of the same game for years, fans demanded a true sequel and many longed for a return to the offline, story-based format the series had followed before it made the leap to the Dreamcast.
Finally, fans from schools both old and new have been rewarded with a title that combines the best of both role-playing worlds and succeeds, for the most part. Unfortunately, the experience feels more like an enhanced retread even though several new elements have been added to the tired “Phantasy Star” dynamic.
Much like a “Zelda” game without its signature puzzle-filled dungeons, the original Dreamcast-based “Phantasy Star” was completely useless without the option to join other players in an online adventure.
Sonic Team’s original attempt at supplementary offline content failed to deliver anything outside of isolated level-grinding, but “Universe” rectifies the problems of its faulty forbearer in a number of effective ways.
Presenting players with a full-fledged 40-hour offline RPG, Sonic Team has made sure a network connection was not necessary to enjoy role-playing in the form of a light, anime-influenced space opera.
Divided into 12 “chapters” that each play out like an episode of a Japanese television series (complete with an introduction with poorly translated theme music and a “next time on” -style preview of the subsequent chapter), the game’s offline mode presents a narrative mired by every Japanese RPG convention in the book.
Players assume the role of Ethan Waber, the 15-year-old son of a Guardian, the title given to the member of an unofficial intergalactic peacekeeping organization. Waber apparently blamed the organization for his father’s death, but after experiencing life as a Guardian following the surprise attack of a mysterious invasion force known as SEED, Waber begins to see the “Final Fantasy VIII” -inspired mercenary group in a positive light and eventually enlists.
The plucky laser-sword for hire eventually gets caught up in the larger conspiracy regarding the SEED and their connection to an ancient civilization and an android-based top secret government organization.
Despite its cliché-laden storyline, the game’s offline mode does an excellent job of fleshing out Waber’s planet-spanning exploits through some seminal in-game cinemas and a few impressive FMV sequences. The voice acting in these sequences varies from adequate to awkward and poorly timed, with voice acting for Ethan that has the game’s protagonist coming across as embarrassingly hyperactive.
Much like its crude predecessor, the justification for purchasing “Phantasy Star Universe” comes about when the ‘ole modem is plugged in. Character creation has an exhaustive number of options and players can first choose between creating a human, newman, beast or CAST character.
While humans represent the ideal choice for players that want to be evenly skilled, newmans have notable proficiency with magic “technics” while beast characters specialize in melee combat and the android CAST’s remain the definitive choice for players that want to use firearms.
All of the standard online role playing game character creation options are available when it comes to modifying character appearance and a quick trip to the various “clothing” and “makeover” shops littered about the Ghiral system can fix any of the lingering design decisions players may have questioned in retrospect.
After choosing from one of the game’s three weapon-based “classes,” players will have the option of traveling between the Guardian’s colony, Parum, and Neuidaz to engage in a variety of missions with up to six party members.
Although the online portion of the game introduces the well-worn “Phantasy Star” template plenty of addicting new features like the ability to synthesize and create items, raise a MAG-like robotic companion that can eventually accompany players into battle, switch weapon-proficiency at any time, and create player-owned shops,”Universe” still remains a shallow experience in the shadow of other online RPG juggernaughts like “Star Wars Galaxies” or the aforementioned “World of Warcraft.
Although the $10 a month online fee may be difficult to justify for players looking for a deeper online experience, “Phantasy Star Universe” still represents a step in the right direction for Sonic Team’s premier role-playing property.