Phantasy Star Universe
October 31,2006 - Phantasy Star Online is one of those treats that emerged early this generation, and evolved at an astonishing pace throughout. By the time the final incarnation of its original form was released; GameCube's Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II Plus, it had gone from being bare-bones thumb-candy to a content-packed load of concentrated addiction – a severe change for a game that was still, technically, on its first installment.

Now, six years and a spinoff after its original 2000 Sega Dreamcast release, Phantasy Star’s true sequel has hit the shelves. From the start, Phantasy Star Universe promised to be a drastic improvement over any given form of its predecessor, with more content, more customization, and many, many more hours of gameplay. Also interesting is the broad platform release of the game: there is a PC version, a current-gen version for the PS2, and a next-gen version for the Xbox 360.

Regardless of what version you buy, what you end up with is an interesting package with some surprising ups and disappointing downs, none of which could have truly been expected going into this game.

When you first boot up Phantasy Star Universe, you have two modes available: Story Mode and Online/Xbox Live. You'd think Story Mode is pretty self-explanatory, but it's not; it actually has you playing a full-length adventure as Ethan Waber, main character and second-generation member of the GUARDIANS organization. You also fight alongside GUARDIANS teammates Karen Erra and Hyuga Ryght (and anyone else the game throws you in with for any given episode) in missions that span PSU's three planets and one space station. The presentation of this mode is actually quite inventive, packaging itself as “playable anime”, complete with intro and ending videos (popularly referred to as OPs and EDs), and previews that play for each of the 12 episodes/chapters you will play through. The story is pretty solid, and the characters develop as well as can be expected over 12 episodes, giving players a whole new way to experience the original PSO formula.

The other option, Online/Xbox Live mode, is self-explanatory. This is where you will create your own individual character and play through the online quest, structured like the PSO you know and love. The subscription fee for Universe is $9.99/mo, which is a dollar up on current versions of PSO, not to mention that there's no free trial month this time around. On the upside, character design options are far more plentiful, making it easier to add your own distinct look when you take PSU online. There's not much more to be said for the online; PSU really is a much larger PSO with far more ground to cover and dungeons to explore.

A third, vaguely-named, “Extra” Mode, is unlocked when you finish episode 4 of the Story Mode. This is an offline version of the Online/Xbox Live mode, where you create your own character and play offline with a host of AI teammates. The problem with this mode is that your Online/XBL and Extra Mode characters are not interchangeable, meaning your online characters can only be played online, and vice versa. This is a serious burn for players who might go extended periods of time without their subscription – or even Internet access in general. Making this even more insulting, Extra Mode does not include any form of offline multiplayer, which is one of the features that made the Ep I & II versions of PSO such a complete package. Furthermore, the argument could easily be made that Extra Mode shouldn't even have to be unlocked.

On the plus side, Universe's gameplay seems to be establishing a familiar and welcome tradition for the young PSO series. Much like the approach taken by the Final Fantasy series throughout its first seven installments, PSU contains the same core gameplay of its predecessor, with a serious overhaul in terms of customization. Instead of customizing every button to do a specific command, you're working with a series of preset equipment and item menus that take some time to get used to, but are highly intuitive and efficient once you do. Rounding out this customization system is a new dual-wielding mechanic, allowing you to carry both a ranged and melee weapon at the same time, with selection of your secondary weapon being as simple as holding a button as you attack. The customizable presets allow you to have up to six different weapon combinations (or two-handed weapons) at the ready, so you're effectively prepared for any situation you may land in.

Visually, the game looks really good on any platform, but the Xbox 360 version does stand above the rest, giving the player a true sense of PSO having arrived in the next-gen. The anime-style presentation in the Story Mode, along with the sheer size of just about every environment you'll come across in the game (save for your own bedroom), gives you a real sense of how much bigger Universe is than PSO, without really changing the excellent overall style PSO carried with it.

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