Phantasy Star Online 2

Phantasy Star Online 2, released on PS4, PC and PSV, is the next installment of a series of online RPGs from Sega, which was born on the Dreamcast console in 2000. Unlike many of the previous parts, which were created on the foundations of the original, this time the authors started from scratch. As a result, a completely new graphic engine was designed and every element of the game was drastically rebuilt. It is also the first title from this series created especially for PCs, and not just a conversion from consoles.

Mechanics

Players take on the role of members of a large explorer organization called Arks. The organization uses a fleet of ships, known as Oracle, to travel through space and explore unknown planets. We start the game by creating our character. There are three races to choose from - Human, Newman, and CAST. Then, we have to decide on one of the available classes - Hunter, Ranger, Force, Braver, Bouncer, Summoner. Phantasy Star Online 2 offers a wide range of possibilities for creating the appearance of a hero. It is even possible to manually modify the shape of any part of the body.

The game offers a huge galaxy to explore, full of planets with lots of monsters to kill and tasks to complete. Interestingly, the shape of most locations is generated randomly, so that multiple visits to a given place won't be boring. Several teams can take part in a single mission at the same time, with a total of 12 players.

The game is regularly diversified by random events. For example, during a main quest, we can suddenly receive an order to finish a certain number of enemies or save an ally. The combat is definitely more arcade than in the previous editions of the series. This is best seen when using rifles and pistols. The camera then moves behind the character's back and the targeting works like in traditional shooters. Moreover, the offensive possibilities and the level of artificial intelligence of enemies have been increased.

Last updated on 14 December 2012