Orion
11-03-2002, 09:33 PM
This was asked for, so here it be. Enjoy.
"November 01, 2002 - If there are two things GameCube is sorely lacking, it is good RPGs and online games; both of which Nintendo itself has not been working hard to remedy via internal development. Instead, Sega, a company known for pioneering the online console front, teamed up with Nintendo to bring GameCube Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, a vastly improved semi-sequel to the previously released Dreamcast titles. The online RPG features a host of new gameplay features, brand new levels and bosses, more functionality, and a great deal of other extras that the franchise has never seen before. It's the best PSO yet, and given the fact that it's only online title for GameCube (with none on the horizon anytime soon) and a decent RPG to boot, it's something all owners of the system should clamor for.
After spending a fair amount of time on Sega's network, the charm of the online community and balanced, multi-faceted gameplay has gotten its hooks into us. It's a highly rewarding experience that we recommend to RPG fans. However, like so many great things in life, such pleasures come at a price. The decision is not so much "Is PSO Episode I & II worth buying?" Instead, the only question you need to ask is, "Can your bank account handle it?"
The Facts
GameCube's first and only title to support online gameplay
Real-time battle mechanics; cast magic and coordinate attacks in a perpetually active world
In-game PSO supports four players simultaneously
Huge community with thousands of players -- visit various lobbies, hang out, chat, form guilds, trade items, engage in Lobby Ball matches, or duel one-on-one
Feature-rich: create shortcuts for chatting, custom symbols, converse without typing, trade "ID" cards, send mail, and much more
Versatile character creation tool with four classes and 12 different character types
Choose from three races of characters including human, newman, and android
Episode I brings content from both previous Dreamcast games
Episode II makes the new title more than just a rehash, featuring brand new levels, bosses, weapons and quests
Explore six diversely-themed worlds, including the new beach and mountain territories
Four-player splitscreen offline mode
Progressive scan support
Dolby Pro Logic II support
For use with 56k modem and broadband adapter
Supports third-party keyboards
$8.95 a month-to-month service fee
Gameplay
Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II is an online role-playing game that takes elements of the previous Dreamcast versions and expands upon them. It's not an entirely new game, but Sonic Team, the developer, likes to think of it that way; Episode I is a slightly tweaked and upgrade version of Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Online Version 2, and Episode II is completely new, designed for the GameCube release. For those not familiar with the series, PSO is a leaving, breathing world, a futuristic paradise that gamers with Internet access can escape to. There are some basic storyline elements: a peoples' home planet is destroyed and pioneer mission to find a new world is formed. With a few catastrophes and twists, there's enough to reason to feel compelled to explore the dangerous worlds before you, but mostly, as the name of the series indicates, this is an online game. After experiencing it ourselves, there's no question that PSO is only worthwhile if you can enjoy the online community.
The dynamics are pretty straightforward. The whole process of playing PSO begins with creation your character. You can choose from a total of 12 different character types that fall under three character classes: Hunter, Ranger, and Force. In that order, the classes accommodate powerful close-combat, long-range support, and magic casting and variable support. Depending on what kind of fighter you create, you'll be able to handle different weaponry and body armor. It affects your health, magic reserves, and a number of other things. There's a ton of diversity, which goes even deeper once you choose the appearance of your character, which can vary in countless ways. We'd have to say we're very satisfied with the character creation tool. From body proportions to hair color, the process is intuitive and flexible. It also has many more additions since it resided on Dreamcast.
Once you create your perceived self in the world of Phantasy Star, things become very interesting. The dynamics of your ability to use items, weapons, and magic are readily apparent when you team up with other players in the online world. Hunters will have to look danger in the face and provide hand-to-hand combat support, while Rangers will have to sync up attacks from afar. The fighting engine is completely real-time, as it would be in a real world. There's no pausing, save for retreating to a safer area. It sets the stage for really intense battles. This is something that may clash with fans looking for the traditional turn-based RPG, but trust us; Phantasy Star Online is not a world that would benefit from such a thing. However, this battle system requires a few important things -- flexible controls, a good camera system, and the ability to easily communicate with your team members.
Let's start from the top. Regarding the control system for battling, Sonic Team has created something pretty accommodating. Basic attacks include quick, light assaults and heavy, but slower ones. You can link the two together into three-tier combos. For example light-light-heavy or light-heavy-light would be combo attacks. Timing plays a part in performing them, however, and it's all diversified by the weapon type your using. In other words, combo attacks do require skill and dexterity. It's not a sloppy system by any means. There are a total of six slots for battle shortcuts using B, A, and X buttons in addition to holding the R-trigger in combination. It's hardly a perfect system, but it works and it's intuitive. If you need to change weapons mid-battle, this can be easier and faster than you may imagine. Just tap the Z-button to access the menu and use the C-stick to surf through it and select what you want; meanwhile, you can dodge enemy attacks and run for cover with the left analog stick. It takes some time getting used to, and may very well cause you to go cross-eyed, but the functionality is appreciated. It also could have gone deeper. There's no ability to hold the R-trigger and L-trigger at the same time for a third set of customizable actions. Furthermore, players MAGs -- a small creature that aids every player -- gain uber-powerful "photon blasts" that become mapped to the R+A action set. When you earn it, you have total control over when you use it, but you'll be unable to access whatever action you set in that place until that time.
Then there is the issue of the ever-troublesome third-person camera. For Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, you are able to control the camera with the L-trigger. This works moderately well in single-player, but when you throw in the fact that there are multiple enemies on-screen at once as well as teammates, the problems become apparent. It becomes difficult to keep track of what is going on. It also becomes a battle on its own to just to target the enemies. To alleviate some of this stress there is a subtle lock-on that happens automatically, but it's nothing as intelligent as something like Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time. In fact, quite often it becomes downright frustrating because you can't target the enemy you'd like to. Even worse, the gigantic size of the bosses presents much larger problems. There have been times when the camera has displayed blank canyon walls while we fumbled in the search to locate the boss's location. Fortunately, these rare moments only represent a minute portion of the gameplay time, but they most certainly exist and we look forward to a time when Sonic Team refines the system.
Also, in the midst of these strenuous battles and throughout the whole online adventure, it becomes very important to communicate with teammates. Topics can vary wildly from trading newly acquired items, requesting support, suggesting a retreat, etc. And, just in general, experiencing the community is half the fun. Naturally, to enjoy this you need a way to communicate. Sonic Team has come up with several ways to accommodate this. First off, there is a software keyboard built-in. You can use your GameCube controller's analog stick and D-pad to surf around the keys to type. You can also pre-program shortcuts to the D-pad/C-stick and the F1-F12 keys (also on the software keyboard). Unfortunately space is limited for characters, so the phrases you piece together can't be too long. So, there is yet another option. You can piece together pre-made phrases. This function has a bit of artificial intelligence to it, so if someone dies a suggested reply might prioritize itself on the list. Again, though, usage is limited and requires a lot of memorization to make it useful. There is also symbol communication, which lets you send messages in the form of smiley faces and the like. You can even build your own "logos" and custom faces, but that will only get you so far.
The best solution of all, of course, is to play with a keyboard. In fact, after having to deal with the frustration of typing without a keyboard, we can honestly say that Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II is almost not worth playing if you don't have a keyboard. We know that's a hard pill to swallow, because how big a difference can idly chatting really make? The truth is that the difference is huge. Community is what makes PSO a worthy investment. Without it, it may still be a better than average RPG with real-time battle mechanics, but it will lose its sweetness very quickly.
This brings us to a very important point in our appraisal of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II: the cost for the total package. Purchasing the game, a keyboard, a modem or broadband adapter, and paying the monthly fee of $8.95 is a hefty investment. If you do the numbers, you will easily end up pouring over $100 into PSO just to get started. If you're going to get into Sega's online world, you must be prepared to stick with it for the long run.
The good news is that for those who have the money, it's a very worthwhile investment. Not only are there six worlds to quest through -- ranging from forest to cave to futuristic seasides -- but there are downloadable quests that will be available frequently. For the launch of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II Sega created a quest which sent players on a journey to find the rare treat "cake" in a remote part of the land. The lobby where you meet was adorned with giant pumpkins and the landscape had "trick or treat" Jack-o-Lanterns that would do things such as turn you small if you didn't give them a treat. With incentives like this, there are plenty of reasons to tune frequently. Also, the aspect of increasing your power and stature in the world by leveling up is major replay value on its own. The only complaint we have is that eventually you will have visited the locales of the world many times. Eventually the battles do become redundant with the only dynamic being who you're fighting alongside and how you go about it.
A final feature worth mentioning is the all-new inclusion of split-screen multiplayer for offline use. No you can't play splitscreen with a friend in the online world, but you can when you're not connected via the Internet. This is mostly useful for practicing, building up your bank account, and acquiring experience. Sonic Team may consider it a replacement for the online world, but it by no means is. It's a welcome addition, but if you're not going to play the game online, it really isn't worth investing in.
The end verdict then is that Sega's new online RPG is a very rewarding experience if you have the money to invest in all the needed peripherals and services. The charm of the communities, the fact that it's the first and only online GCN title, and the important detail that it's one of the console's best RPGs at the time puts PSO Episode I & II in a class of its own. If your bank account can take the hit, definitely make the investment. That goes for those experienced with the Dreamcast version. If you haven't exhausted yourself on the gameplay style, there are enough new additions to what is the best PSO yet to make it buyable.
Graphics
There's no escaping the fact that Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II is a port of an existing Dreamcast engine. Certainly Sonic Team has done a lot of GameCube-specific tweaking to improve the visuals quite a bit over the DC version, but with no major overhaul in place it has a decidedly outdated look to it. Textures are moderately detailed, but they are also often blurry and showcase plenty of seaming problems. There are also some notable collision detection problems and nasty pop-in occasionally. We managed to get trapped inside of a pumpkin in the lobby, for example.
On a more positive note, however, Sonic Team has a pretty stunning art vision that overpowers a lot of these flaws. Vividly colored and running at 60 frames per second with some obvious influences from Blade Runner, the whole game has an amiable neon-glow to it. At certain points, highly futuristic buildings stand tall next to beautiful vistas of green jungles or seasides. There are a lot of subtle environmental effects too -- rain, fog, and even water effects. We love the look, and can't wait to see how it may evolve in the future. In multiplayer there are some obvious sacrifices on effects such as reflections and the like, but at least the framerate holds up for the most part.
HDTV enthusiasts will also be pleased to hear the title benefits greatly from the implementation of progressive scan support. The already vibrant art design becomes even more crisp and clean.
Sound
There is no voice featured in PSO Episode I & II, so much of the sound design focus was on soundtrack composition and effects. For the music, Sonic Team has created some pretty rich themes for the various environments. There really weren't any we disagreed with and the quality is very well done. It's even interactive, so as you travel into different situations the music changes in a heartbeat. Also, as a special treat when you go on special quests there are bonus tracks Sega fans will hear such as music from Sonic Adventure 2, for example. It's pretty catchy at first, but unfortunately it repeats itself and can also become annoying. In those instances, it would have been nice to have the option to shuffle back to the regular music.
For sound effects there's a lot of futuristic beeps and buzzes, electrical tones, and the like. It's quite fitting for the worlds and there are a lot of enemy-specific sounds that are very clever. On one level you'll hate them because you know it means danger, but on the other hand you'll also have the benefit of recognition. All this is featured in Dolby Pro Logic II if you can support it, which actually sounds pretty nice. Especially for environment effect -- you'll hear the ocean crashing around in you the seaside level, for example.
Overall, a job well done.
Closing Comments
As a PSO amateur, my first real online time with the game turned out to be much more thrilling than I expected. I had played plenty of PSO offline, but the repetitive nature of the quests and lack of interaction with other players gets old quickly. I then tried out multiplayer in the GameCube version, which certainly improves the situation, but again the fun wore thin eventually. Online, I can tell you, the experience is completely different and the sense of being in a whole new world shines through brilliantly. This is where PSO becomes addictive and rewarding. The options are many, ranging from having experts help you learn to teaching lower-level beginners the tricks you've picked up.
There's no question in my mind to buy this game. I love leveling-up my experience. I've always been drawn to RPGs because of this, and it's no different with PSO, even if I fight the same enemies. Using new weapons, learning new skills, and fighting in a team setting online is diverse enough to keep me occupied.
The only concern is that Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II is a very big investment, and in my opinion not worth playing without a keyboard (and a broadband connection helps too). Even if you get past the money issue right now you must face that there is no keyboard available in the United States, so you'll have to import or wait until a third-party hardware vendor remedies this situation. This limits PSO's appeal greatly. So, these are big issues to consider. Don't rush into becoming a part of the online world if you're not prepared to deal with some of this frustration. I don't recommend playing without a keyboard.
Beyond that, however, Sega's online RPG is a dream come true for GameCube. That's why it gets an Editor's Choice award from me. If you can find a way to get involved, definitely pick up the title.
-- Fran Mirabella III
Presentation
Online, offline, hang out in the lobby, futuristic menus, intuitive and flexible controls. Very slick. 9.0
Graphics
Breathtaking art design, 60 fps, environmental and weather effects. Engine execution presents problems: failed collision, texture seaming, average texture work. 7.0
Sound
Atmospheric soundtrack that fits each environment very well. Dolby Pro Logic II support and lots of cool sound effects. Great, but not groundbreaking. 8.0
Gameplay
GCN's first and only online title. A balanced and addictive RPG. Great community value. However, single-player can be boring and split-screen appeal is limited. Play it online -- with a keyboard. 9.0
Lasting Appeal
Downloadable quests, ever-changing world, meet new people in the lobby, GBA downloads. You'll want to keep coming back, but can you afford the monthly fee? 10.0
OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 9.0
"November 01, 2002 - If there are two things GameCube is sorely lacking, it is good RPGs and online games; both of which Nintendo itself has not been working hard to remedy via internal development. Instead, Sega, a company known for pioneering the online console front, teamed up with Nintendo to bring GameCube Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, a vastly improved semi-sequel to the previously released Dreamcast titles. The online RPG features a host of new gameplay features, brand new levels and bosses, more functionality, and a great deal of other extras that the franchise has never seen before. It's the best PSO yet, and given the fact that it's only online title for GameCube (with none on the horizon anytime soon) and a decent RPG to boot, it's something all owners of the system should clamor for.
After spending a fair amount of time on Sega's network, the charm of the online community and balanced, multi-faceted gameplay has gotten its hooks into us. It's a highly rewarding experience that we recommend to RPG fans. However, like so many great things in life, such pleasures come at a price. The decision is not so much "Is PSO Episode I & II worth buying?" Instead, the only question you need to ask is, "Can your bank account handle it?"
The Facts
GameCube's first and only title to support online gameplay
Real-time battle mechanics; cast magic and coordinate attacks in a perpetually active world
In-game PSO supports four players simultaneously
Huge community with thousands of players -- visit various lobbies, hang out, chat, form guilds, trade items, engage in Lobby Ball matches, or duel one-on-one
Feature-rich: create shortcuts for chatting, custom symbols, converse without typing, trade "ID" cards, send mail, and much more
Versatile character creation tool with four classes and 12 different character types
Choose from three races of characters including human, newman, and android
Episode I brings content from both previous Dreamcast games
Episode II makes the new title more than just a rehash, featuring brand new levels, bosses, weapons and quests
Explore six diversely-themed worlds, including the new beach and mountain territories
Four-player splitscreen offline mode
Progressive scan support
Dolby Pro Logic II support
For use with 56k modem and broadband adapter
Supports third-party keyboards
$8.95 a month-to-month service fee
Gameplay
Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II is an online role-playing game that takes elements of the previous Dreamcast versions and expands upon them. It's not an entirely new game, but Sonic Team, the developer, likes to think of it that way; Episode I is a slightly tweaked and upgrade version of Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Online Version 2, and Episode II is completely new, designed for the GameCube release. For those not familiar with the series, PSO is a leaving, breathing world, a futuristic paradise that gamers with Internet access can escape to. There are some basic storyline elements: a peoples' home planet is destroyed and pioneer mission to find a new world is formed. With a few catastrophes and twists, there's enough to reason to feel compelled to explore the dangerous worlds before you, but mostly, as the name of the series indicates, this is an online game. After experiencing it ourselves, there's no question that PSO is only worthwhile if you can enjoy the online community.
The dynamics are pretty straightforward. The whole process of playing PSO begins with creation your character. You can choose from a total of 12 different character types that fall under three character classes: Hunter, Ranger, and Force. In that order, the classes accommodate powerful close-combat, long-range support, and magic casting and variable support. Depending on what kind of fighter you create, you'll be able to handle different weaponry and body armor. It affects your health, magic reserves, and a number of other things. There's a ton of diversity, which goes even deeper once you choose the appearance of your character, which can vary in countless ways. We'd have to say we're very satisfied with the character creation tool. From body proportions to hair color, the process is intuitive and flexible. It also has many more additions since it resided on Dreamcast.
Once you create your perceived self in the world of Phantasy Star, things become very interesting. The dynamics of your ability to use items, weapons, and magic are readily apparent when you team up with other players in the online world. Hunters will have to look danger in the face and provide hand-to-hand combat support, while Rangers will have to sync up attacks from afar. The fighting engine is completely real-time, as it would be in a real world. There's no pausing, save for retreating to a safer area. It sets the stage for really intense battles. This is something that may clash with fans looking for the traditional turn-based RPG, but trust us; Phantasy Star Online is not a world that would benefit from such a thing. However, this battle system requires a few important things -- flexible controls, a good camera system, and the ability to easily communicate with your team members.
Let's start from the top. Regarding the control system for battling, Sonic Team has created something pretty accommodating. Basic attacks include quick, light assaults and heavy, but slower ones. You can link the two together into three-tier combos. For example light-light-heavy or light-heavy-light would be combo attacks. Timing plays a part in performing them, however, and it's all diversified by the weapon type your using. In other words, combo attacks do require skill and dexterity. It's not a sloppy system by any means. There are a total of six slots for battle shortcuts using B, A, and X buttons in addition to holding the R-trigger in combination. It's hardly a perfect system, but it works and it's intuitive. If you need to change weapons mid-battle, this can be easier and faster than you may imagine. Just tap the Z-button to access the menu and use the C-stick to surf through it and select what you want; meanwhile, you can dodge enemy attacks and run for cover with the left analog stick. It takes some time getting used to, and may very well cause you to go cross-eyed, but the functionality is appreciated. It also could have gone deeper. There's no ability to hold the R-trigger and L-trigger at the same time for a third set of customizable actions. Furthermore, players MAGs -- a small creature that aids every player -- gain uber-powerful "photon blasts" that become mapped to the R+A action set. When you earn it, you have total control over when you use it, but you'll be unable to access whatever action you set in that place until that time.
Then there is the issue of the ever-troublesome third-person camera. For Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, you are able to control the camera with the L-trigger. This works moderately well in single-player, but when you throw in the fact that there are multiple enemies on-screen at once as well as teammates, the problems become apparent. It becomes difficult to keep track of what is going on. It also becomes a battle on its own to just to target the enemies. To alleviate some of this stress there is a subtle lock-on that happens automatically, but it's nothing as intelligent as something like Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time. In fact, quite often it becomes downright frustrating because you can't target the enemy you'd like to. Even worse, the gigantic size of the bosses presents much larger problems. There have been times when the camera has displayed blank canyon walls while we fumbled in the search to locate the boss's location. Fortunately, these rare moments only represent a minute portion of the gameplay time, but they most certainly exist and we look forward to a time when Sonic Team refines the system.
Also, in the midst of these strenuous battles and throughout the whole online adventure, it becomes very important to communicate with teammates. Topics can vary wildly from trading newly acquired items, requesting support, suggesting a retreat, etc. And, just in general, experiencing the community is half the fun. Naturally, to enjoy this you need a way to communicate. Sonic Team has come up with several ways to accommodate this. First off, there is a software keyboard built-in. You can use your GameCube controller's analog stick and D-pad to surf around the keys to type. You can also pre-program shortcuts to the D-pad/C-stick and the F1-F12 keys (also on the software keyboard). Unfortunately space is limited for characters, so the phrases you piece together can't be too long. So, there is yet another option. You can piece together pre-made phrases. This function has a bit of artificial intelligence to it, so if someone dies a suggested reply might prioritize itself on the list. Again, though, usage is limited and requires a lot of memorization to make it useful. There is also symbol communication, which lets you send messages in the form of smiley faces and the like. You can even build your own "logos" and custom faces, but that will only get you so far.
The best solution of all, of course, is to play with a keyboard. In fact, after having to deal with the frustration of typing without a keyboard, we can honestly say that Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II is almost not worth playing if you don't have a keyboard. We know that's a hard pill to swallow, because how big a difference can idly chatting really make? The truth is that the difference is huge. Community is what makes PSO a worthy investment. Without it, it may still be a better than average RPG with real-time battle mechanics, but it will lose its sweetness very quickly.
This brings us to a very important point in our appraisal of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II: the cost for the total package. Purchasing the game, a keyboard, a modem or broadband adapter, and paying the monthly fee of $8.95 is a hefty investment. If you do the numbers, you will easily end up pouring over $100 into PSO just to get started. If you're going to get into Sega's online world, you must be prepared to stick with it for the long run.
The good news is that for those who have the money, it's a very worthwhile investment. Not only are there six worlds to quest through -- ranging from forest to cave to futuristic seasides -- but there are downloadable quests that will be available frequently. For the launch of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II Sega created a quest which sent players on a journey to find the rare treat "cake" in a remote part of the land. The lobby where you meet was adorned with giant pumpkins and the landscape had "trick or treat" Jack-o-Lanterns that would do things such as turn you small if you didn't give them a treat. With incentives like this, there are plenty of reasons to tune frequently. Also, the aspect of increasing your power and stature in the world by leveling up is major replay value on its own. The only complaint we have is that eventually you will have visited the locales of the world many times. Eventually the battles do become redundant with the only dynamic being who you're fighting alongside and how you go about it.
A final feature worth mentioning is the all-new inclusion of split-screen multiplayer for offline use. No you can't play splitscreen with a friend in the online world, but you can when you're not connected via the Internet. This is mostly useful for practicing, building up your bank account, and acquiring experience. Sonic Team may consider it a replacement for the online world, but it by no means is. It's a welcome addition, but if you're not going to play the game online, it really isn't worth investing in.
The end verdict then is that Sega's new online RPG is a very rewarding experience if you have the money to invest in all the needed peripherals and services. The charm of the communities, the fact that it's the first and only online GCN title, and the important detail that it's one of the console's best RPGs at the time puts PSO Episode I & II in a class of its own. If your bank account can take the hit, definitely make the investment. That goes for those experienced with the Dreamcast version. If you haven't exhausted yourself on the gameplay style, there are enough new additions to what is the best PSO yet to make it buyable.
Graphics
There's no escaping the fact that Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II is a port of an existing Dreamcast engine. Certainly Sonic Team has done a lot of GameCube-specific tweaking to improve the visuals quite a bit over the DC version, but with no major overhaul in place it has a decidedly outdated look to it. Textures are moderately detailed, but they are also often blurry and showcase plenty of seaming problems. There are also some notable collision detection problems and nasty pop-in occasionally. We managed to get trapped inside of a pumpkin in the lobby, for example.
On a more positive note, however, Sonic Team has a pretty stunning art vision that overpowers a lot of these flaws. Vividly colored and running at 60 frames per second with some obvious influences from Blade Runner, the whole game has an amiable neon-glow to it. At certain points, highly futuristic buildings stand tall next to beautiful vistas of green jungles or seasides. There are a lot of subtle environmental effects too -- rain, fog, and even water effects. We love the look, and can't wait to see how it may evolve in the future. In multiplayer there are some obvious sacrifices on effects such as reflections and the like, but at least the framerate holds up for the most part.
HDTV enthusiasts will also be pleased to hear the title benefits greatly from the implementation of progressive scan support. The already vibrant art design becomes even more crisp and clean.
Sound
There is no voice featured in PSO Episode I & II, so much of the sound design focus was on soundtrack composition and effects. For the music, Sonic Team has created some pretty rich themes for the various environments. There really weren't any we disagreed with and the quality is very well done. It's even interactive, so as you travel into different situations the music changes in a heartbeat. Also, as a special treat when you go on special quests there are bonus tracks Sega fans will hear such as music from Sonic Adventure 2, for example. It's pretty catchy at first, but unfortunately it repeats itself and can also become annoying. In those instances, it would have been nice to have the option to shuffle back to the regular music.
For sound effects there's a lot of futuristic beeps and buzzes, electrical tones, and the like. It's quite fitting for the worlds and there are a lot of enemy-specific sounds that are very clever. On one level you'll hate them because you know it means danger, but on the other hand you'll also have the benefit of recognition. All this is featured in Dolby Pro Logic II if you can support it, which actually sounds pretty nice. Especially for environment effect -- you'll hear the ocean crashing around in you the seaside level, for example.
Overall, a job well done.
Closing Comments
As a PSO amateur, my first real online time with the game turned out to be much more thrilling than I expected. I had played plenty of PSO offline, but the repetitive nature of the quests and lack of interaction with other players gets old quickly. I then tried out multiplayer in the GameCube version, which certainly improves the situation, but again the fun wore thin eventually. Online, I can tell you, the experience is completely different and the sense of being in a whole new world shines through brilliantly. This is where PSO becomes addictive and rewarding. The options are many, ranging from having experts help you learn to teaching lower-level beginners the tricks you've picked up.
There's no question in my mind to buy this game. I love leveling-up my experience. I've always been drawn to RPGs because of this, and it's no different with PSO, even if I fight the same enemies. Using new weapons, learning new skills, and fighting in a team setting online is diverse enough to keep me occupied.
The only concern is that Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II is a very big investment, and in my opinion not worth playing without a keyboard (and a broadband connection helps too). Even if you get past the money issue right now you must face that there is no keyboard available in the United States, so you'll have to import or wait until a third-party hardware vendor remedies this situation. This limits PSO's appeal greatly. So, these are big issues to consider. Don't rush into becoming a part of the online world if you're not prepared to deal with some of this frustration. I don't recommend playing without a keyboard.
Beyond that, however, Sega's online RPG is a dream come true for GameCube. That's why it gets an Editor's Choice award from me. If you can find a way to get involved, definitely pick up the title.
-- Fran Mirabella III
Presentation
Online, offline, hang out in the lobby, futuristic menus, intuitive and flexible controls. Very slick. 9.0
Graphics
Breathtaking art design, 60 fps, environmental and weather effects. Engine execution presents problems: failed collision, texture seaming, average texture work. 7.0
Sound
Atmospheric soundtrack that fits each environment very well. Dolby Pro Logic II support and lots of cool sound effects. Great, but not groundbreaking. 8.0
Gameplay
GCN's first and only online title. A balanced and addictive RPG. Great community value. However, single-player can be boring and split-screen appeal is limited. Play it online -- with a keyboard. 9.0
Lasting Appeal
Downloadable quests, ever-changing world, meet new people in the lobby, GBA downloads. You'll want to keep coming back, but can you afford the monthly fee? 10.0
OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 9.0