Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II

There have been very few games that have taken advantage of the Xbox Live service since it has launched. Of these few games, only a handful of them are even worth your time. Microsoft needed something to fill in this huge void of a non-existent Xbox Live game drought. A few months ago they released a bonus pack to MechAssault, which is really good, but not the same as a new game. Finally Sega’s Phantasy Star Online Episode I&II is released for the Xbox, and it is a truly welcomed addition. Needless to say, if you own a Xbox and have an Xbox Live subscription, pick this game up as soon as you can!

Phantasy Star Online Episode I&II is the original game that was released on the Dreamcast as well as the new additions made for the GameCube. Xbox players get the best of every world, since they can use the voice chat to talk to other characters, instead of a cumbersome keyboard. For people that are looking for a huge epic story line, then they don’t need to look at this game, since Phantasy Star Online’s biggest draw is you play with other humans around the world. This is the most addicting thing about this game, it is hard to put the controller down to do anything else, because you want to see how high you can level up with your team of other human characters.
Before I go into any details about this game, I want to make it clear that you have to have an Xbox Live account in order to play this game, online or offline. Also you have to purchase a Hunters License. The charge is $8.95 a month, but you get the first two months free.

The gameplay is the exact same as the Dreamcast version, since the Xbox controller resembles the DC controller a lot, and the buttons are in the same positions. If players have ever played the Dreamcast one, they will be familiar with the game within minutes. There is a lot of different places to explore in this game, and it even gets expounded because of all of the new levels in Episode II.

Players begin the game by create a character. There are so many things that you can do when you are in this mode, there are many different classes, Hunter (melee), Ranger (long range), Force (magic user), and races to choose from. After gamers choose what type of character they want, they can further customize it by changing the appearance to fit their wants.

The game is all about leveling up your character so you can do better in a team effort to go through the game faster and more efficient. Once players get up to a certain level they will be able to go to other difficulty levels. The reason why players will want to do this is simple. The more difficult the game is, the better rewards the gamers will receive. For instance, in the first level on normal mode, players will find normal “starter” weapons, but on hard or above, they will find rare and more powerful weapons. So there really is an incentive to continue to play this game over and over again.

One thing that I figured the Sonic Team would have done is fixed the camera for the previous games. The camera is not bad, per say, but it really could have been improved on. At times the camera is jittery, and it is hard to keep your eye on the action, especially if you move around a lot. Even though the camera can be annoying at times, it never becomes a hindrance to the wonderful gameplay.

If players are not comfortable with using the headset for the main communication, they can purchase a USB adapter at the official Xbox web site. This was unexpected, since Microsoft said they would never support a keyboard for any game, that the voice chat would be enough. This is a good thing to have at times, but I really prefer using the voice over stopping and typing on the keyboard what to do. Just beware that you will run across some annoying kids who don’t know when to shut up, but that is why there is a glorious “mute” button.

The music for this game is really nice and fits into each of the game’s environments perfectly. What is really nice is the addition of Dolby Digital 5.1 to the games sound, as the different environmental effects will be heard more clearly. What is a disappointment is that the custom soundtrack capabilities were not used. It would have been extremely awesome to go though the Planet Ragol jamming to your favorite artists, while fighting the huge bosses. The sound effects are nice, and have that “futurist” tone to them, from the buzzes and the beeps.

The bad thing about the game is that the game’s engine is beginning to show its age. When this game was released a couple years ago on the Dreamcast it was one of the best looking games around. So when it is released for the Xbox, you would have thought that the graphics would have had a bit of an update. The textures are a bit blurry at times; there is the occasional popup, and collision issues. This is not huge issue, but it will get annoying at times. The thing about it is that even with all of these issues, the game still looks good. The color usage is really stunning, with all of the neon lighting and exotic environments.

Phantasy Star Online Episode I&II is rated T for Teen for violence and blood.

Gameplay: 8.7
The game plays exactly like the previous versions, which is a good thing. The game is really easy to pick up on, and players will be playing like a pro within no time. The only thing that can be a hamper is the camera control. There was a few times when I got surrounded behind a wall with 5 enemies hitting me.

Graphics: 8.1
The game is starting to look a bit dated. You would have thought that the Sonic Team would have updated the engine a bit to take advantage of the Xbox, or at least bump up the frame rate. Even though this game does look a bit dated, the color use in all of the different environments will stun you.

Sound: 8.6
Phantasy Star Online really benefits from having Dolby Digital 5.1 support. Players will hear things that they never would have in the previous games. It is amazing how using this really brings out the gameplay much more.

Difficulty: Medium
The game can be very easy or hard depending on what level you are at. The harder game mode that you play in, the more rewards that you will receive, so it is an even trade off.

Concept: 9.0
This was the first console online RPG and it was a breakthrough hit on the Dreamcast. Now that it is on the Xbox it is still making innovations, because using the headset is a lot better than stopping and typing in commands to your teammates. This makes the game a lot more strategic, and better to play.

Multiplayer: 9.6
Phantasy Star Online Episode I&II is all about multiplayer. The game includes a single player mode, but it is not as fun as hooking up with three other people playing though the game. This is a great choice to bring to the Xbox, and shows the true potential of Xbox Live.

Overall: 9.0
Buy it now! The only reason why it is not a good game to buy, is that you will become totally addicted to it and lose track to time. If you can look over the $8.95 price tag per month, after the first two free months, then by all means pick this game up. You will not regret it!