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Phantasy Star Online Version 2
The official fix for PSO addicts. - Review By Retrovertigo - Page 2/2
PSO breaks language and time-zone barriers. |
More Good
Like I've been saying, PSOv2, is very much like the first PSO,
but thankfully, there are some aspects of this new sequel that sets it apart
from the original game. PSOv2 is more online gaming oriented, and
all of the new features are only available online. The new modes of
gameplay are the Battle Mode and Challenge Mode. Battle Mode is the
much-anticipated player vs. player (or team vs. team) competition. You can
use traps, in addition to the conventional PSO warfare to wreck havoc
on your opponents. Rules can be set and adjusted at the guide counter.
Challenge Mode is a more difficult version of the original explorative
gameplay of PSO. You cannot return to the city before you complete a
stage and when the first team member's hit point reach zero, the game is
terminated and everybody is transferred back to the guild hall. However, if
you do complete the Challenge Mode, you will be rewarded with a prize. Make
sure to have some empty slots in your inventory before completing the stage,
or you will not be given the prize.
Other good news is that players online have stated that the broadband
adapter is compatible with PSOv2, so if you were lucky enough to get
your hands on one of them you can supposedly use it. However, Sega does not
officially support the BBA, so you won't any instructions or technical
support for setting up the BBA with PSOv2.
The Bad
The online mode is where the new features are prevalent. Unfortunately,
unlike PSO, PSOv2 requires an existing Internet Service
Provider (ISP) as well as a monthly fee. Currently, the fee is five dollars
a month, but must be purchased in three-month bundles. Fifteen dollars
isn't a lot for someone like me who has graduated from college and is in the
"real world." However, it might be a problem for young gamers, who don't
have a credit card of their own or have to rely on mom or dad to help out in
that area.
I'd be lying if I said that I had an easy time setting up an online game of
PSOv2. I was one of those guys who originally signed up for SegaNet
after NFL 2k1's release last year. Call me an impulse buyer. Call
me thrifty, as I got a lot of waived fees from the ailing ISP as they
attempted to hook in gamers with sweet deals, which eventually turned into
disaster as the SegaNet ISP had to call it quits in August and was acquired
by Earthlink, which I am now a subscriber to.
Changing my dialup information from SegaNet to EarthLink was a little
trickier than I was expecting. What I ultimately had to do was stick in one
of my Official Dreamcast Magazine discs which had the Dreamcast web browser
and changed my settings there. I then swapped discs back to PSOv2
and tried again. I'm not sure how I would have corrected this if I didn't
have a Dreamcast web browser program, because I couldn't find that
information in the manual.
The PSO main interface. Full of goodness. |
Earthlink is Sega's recommended ISP, and the game runs fairly smooth without
a lot of lag, but I do not know how compatible it is with other ISPs.
I was a little disappointed that all of the new features were online only.
It is not possible to play on the new levels or in the new modes without
being online and have a minimum of at least 2 people.
PSOv2 also has a "multiplayer" game called Go Go Ball, which can be
found in lobbies 11-15 in all of the ship blocks, however it's a relatively
simple game of walking your character into a huge "mouse-ball" (which is
really a humongous mouse from the other online Sonic Team game, Chu Chu
Rocket) and "kicking" it into the opponent's goal. It might be fun with a
lot of people, but I didn't think it was all that enjoyable.
If you bought the first PSO and only enjoyed the offline game, do not
worry about "upgrading" to Version 2 as the purchase is not worth it
unless you plan on playing online.
Phantasy Star Online Version 2 is a great game, but is so much like
the first game that the new features aren't worth the purchase unless you're
a gung-ho online gamer. If the Dreamcast had a hard drive like the Xbox
will, PSOv2 would have probably been a downloadable patch, instead of
a stand alone game.
I was really hoping that PSOv2 would feature some new options like a
4-player split screen much like what the Nintendo GameCube version of
Phantasy Star Online is reported to have, but no such luck.
The Final Word
I really loved Phantasy Star Online, but I don't feel that
Phantasy Star Online Version 2 is worthy to be considered a "sequel,"
as it's more of an update to the original game. As I said earlier, if this
game was released on a console with a hard drive, I definitely wouldn't have
shelled out the $40 for the game, and would have been very disappointed if
PSOv2 wasn't a downloadable update.
When going to the store, with the intent to purchase PSOv2, keep in
mind that the extra features and levels are only accessible online, and that
a monthly fee is required to play. Five dollars a month really isn't a lot,
but be aware that the first PSO was completely free (as long as you
had a compatible ISP). If you think you will enjoy the new battle and
challenge modes, and the ability to advance your character to level 200,
then this game is for you. If you enjoyed the online gameplay of PSO
but don't know if you'd enjoy the new modes, stick with the original
PSO.
Phantasy Star Online Version 2 is a good game, and it does offer new
online gameplay, unfortunately you'll have to pay a monthly fee to access
any of it.
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega
Genre: Action/Adventure
Highs: New items and enemies = new challenges. New online gaming features:
Battle Mode, Challenge Mode, and Go Go Ball.
Lows: Monthly fee. New game features and levels only available online.
Other: 1-4 Players (online), VMU Compatible, Standard Controller, VGA Box, Net Support.
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Final Score:
(out of a possible 10)
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