Customer Reviews

Phantasy Star 0

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This game is FANTASTIC. I'm a fan of the classic 2D Phantasy Star games and the online series. I even have my fair share of experience in the Phantasy Star Universe. PSZ offers 14 character types 350 new weapons/items and has a gameplay style much more similar to PSO rather than PSU. It has 7 areas, and the offline story mode can be played from 3 different perspectives so that gives it some replay value. According to SEGA there's a total of apx 60 hours of offline gameplay if you play all three perspectives (races). Online gameplay is great, and can lead to countless hours of Phantasy Star goodness. You can play in a random group of people (that meet ur search criteria) or with friends, you can even play online quests alone if you like. The story is intriguing enough, I don't want to give any of it away though, you need to experience it for yourself. The game does a great job of capturing the classic feel of PSO, while still maintaining some of the newer stuff from PSU. Graphically it has some of the best graphics to be seen on the DS and the best online play of any DS game I've ever played. SEGA utilized a similar communication method to that of PictoChat to use online. It works great; you can draw anything you like, save shortcuts, or copy other people's chats and save them as your own. I HIGHLY recommend this game for DS and DSi (yes this game will play online with a DSi you just need WEP security, no security, or a Nintendo WiFi USB connector).

Two things cinched this for me...

The return of the original character classes from PSO, and MAGS!

The tried and true addictive gameplay, free online play, cross-connectivity with Japanese gamers, and new, easy to use visual chat, were just bonuses.

It's almost as if Yuji Naka came back.

I like the new charge attacks, and the fact that you can switch from normal to heavy techs by holding the button down longer. Speaking of techs, I'm glad to see real force characters make their return. PSU ruined forces with a dependency on weapons to cast them.

Yes, my friends. This is a true sequel to PSO. It just feels... right.

The only thing that nags this ol' Phan is that with a game this good, you really want to play it in comfort in front of the TV. I'd really love some kind of a cable that would allow it, or a kind of 'Echoes of time' port. Better yet, a stand-alone Wii version.

As it its, I can't see this cart ever leaving my DSi. At least not until I pop it into the DS XL.

If you're a PSO fan, this is what you've been missing.

I will put it nice and simple. Phantasy Star 0 is the true spiritual successor to the original Phantasy Star Online (hereafter known as PSO) that debuted on the Dreamcast and later ported over to the Gamecube, Xbox consoles and the PC version Blue Burst. If you were a fan of PSO, this game will draw you back into those wonderful memories of grinding away hours upon hours of leveling up, finding loot and having fun with your friends. While PS0 does take the battle/beat system of PSO, they have gone and improved on it as well by including PSU's Photo Art system.

While the game is rather fun, especially with the limitations with the DS, even this game has its flaws. Such flaws include not having a quick swap panel system, but is remedied by an alternative method, having only a Level 100 cap like in the original PSO, opposed to ver 2 and Episode I & II editions where the cap was level 200. And most importantly, while it's not Sega's fault; Nintendo's online WFC system. Because of how its handled, you can only match-make with either random people or join up with your friends, (after swapping your friend-codes with them.) And lastly, I'm sure this must be due to the limitations with the DS, but the character creation system isn't as robust as to PSO or even PSU for that matter. There are very few options to choose from when creating your character so expect to see clones running around during online play. :(

If you were a fan of the days of PSO and want to relieve those memories with this new installment, I highly suggest picking this up. While it has its flaws, it's easily overlooked as this game will once again suck your life away as you burn the midnight oil trying to find those red rare items. :)

Hopefully if this game sells well, Sega will make a sequel, and improve on it. (Hint: Sega, increase the level cap to 200!)

This is amazing, a new, better update of the Phantasy Star Online formula. They have added a lot, and I was shocked they were able to do so much for a DS game, but they really pulled it off. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a new Phantasy Star Online on consoles in the future.

Let me just start by saying I am one of the biggest and long time players of the Phantasy Star Online series (from Dreamcast on), and that may have helped in my decision and review.

I got this game hoping it would be just like the Phantasy Star Online series rather than leaning towards the Universe series (which I also loved and played endlessly, but just wasn't the same.) So this is one of the big attractions to me since it doesn't stray away from the classic feel at all.

GAMEPLAY:
Definitely where this game shines, plays just like the classic PSO series and the weapon, item and monster selection is great. Check out the PSO World website for more info in that area. Offline is great (haven't played online yet) and missions still have areas that you may miss if you don't go back, so it adds a mix/non linear to the missions of you want more xp and items. Only downside is talking cutscenes can be a bit long and awkward at times, but its tolerable.

DIFFICULTY/LEARNING CURVE
As a veteran of Phantasy Star games I can only say the learning curve is nothing for players familiar with the series but I could imagine a bit of a learning curve for ones that are new. The mission difficulty is rather easy as a Force starting out which means its easy for all. Some boss' are harder and may require a death then return but isn't TOO frustrating.

GRAPHICS:
The graphics are decent, I never expected much from DS because I never enjoyed what the DS produced in that area. However, the in-mission graphics and animations are tolerable due to the gameplay being incredibly fun.

SOUND:
Sound quality is normal of DS sound however the music still has that PSO feel and doesn't get on my nerves. The fighting, pick up, and voice sounds are well done in this version.

TIPS:
Your partners may die often, especially on boss', so Moon Atomizers are good to always have. You can only take 3 scape dolls in your inventory so be aware, if you find a fourth when you're out you are kind of screwed (I just fed one to my Mag).

Overall a great game and I highly suggest it to anyone familiar with the series and suggest it for ones who love RPG's.

I had never played the previous PSO incarnations, but I was curious about this game. It's ridiculously fun and addictive, and has kept me entertained for WAY too many hours. Unlike other RPGs, this is definitely NOT a story-based game. The single-player mode is pretty much an excuse to level your character. The real fun is the online mode, where you team up with other players (via friend code or random matches) to complete missions. It's a fun and casual online RPG, unlike most time-sink MMOs.

There are a few problems with the game, however. There are only a few levels (around ten, I think), and you WILL get tired of playing them over and over. I've been playing this game on and off for about a month and the single-player mode is all but dead to me. Playing online is fun because of the cooperation factor, but I'm definitely getting sick of these same few levels. Considering how much fun I've had with this title, it was money well spent. Grab it!

Years ago, there was a game called Phantasy Star Online Episode 1 and 2. That was the game I bought a GameCube for. The game that made me fall in love with gaming... And now it's back, in all of it's handheld glory.

The game's story mode, which centers around completing quests to solve the mystery behind the "Great Blank", a great war that destroyed the civilization of Earth 200 years ago. The story itself isn't too bad. Multiplayer has the more or less the same kind of quests: start quest, go to field, clear the monsters, kill the boss. It pretty much the same good ol' runs in PSO with an added objective. There are plenty of quests to keep you busy, but doing the same areas over and over again might make some people bored, I know I didn't.

The old classes are back, with two new ones: HUmarl and HUnewm. Although there are not so many customization options, there's a lot of gameplay to be had with all three class/races.

Combat is pretty much the same, save for an added "evade" action. You basically hit the corresponding button (A by default) to attack, and link attacks consecutively up to three times. There are a variety of weapons, so you can choose the one that fits your style.

Techs are more simpler than before, there is only one tech to learn for each type (one for resta, one for foie, one for grants, etc.), you can cast them normally, or charge them to do a powerful version. I miss the old rafoie...

One thing I absolutely LOVE: MAGs! I've missed those cyber companions, and I know you have too. You can now feed them every item in the game: weapons, armor, you name it! They have plenty of evolutions, photon blasts, and lotsa love to be given.

The controls are a little clunky at first, but you'll get used to them; You'd assign the three buttons (Y, B, and A) commands, and three more for the R button (R+Y, R+B, R+A); they're pretty much the same as PSO. Touch screen is not used to control the character and such, it displays the stats, map, aand... The chat feature. Similar to PictoChat, you can spend some spare time making emotes and show off your pixel skills online; endless fun. There's much fun and creativity to be had there.

Graphics are pretty good for a DS game, although I was a bit disappointed, since I've seen better on the handheld. Character models are cute, weapon models are detailed, and the background is a little blurry. Cute anime character portraits, it you're into that.

Music is reminiscent of PSO, the tempo changes once you encounter hostiles. The music is nice and ear-catching, but can be bland at times... The sound effects are a little... Retro. Ai was a little surprised when I heard the foie and monster cries, but it does the job nevertheless.

Great online multiplayer, cute graphics, captivating music, ALL PSO. This is a must get for the DS, especially if you're a fan of PSO. You won't be disappointed.

Presentation: 5/5
Graphics: 4/5
Sound: 4/5
Gameplay: 5/5

Total: 5/5

It's a fun diversion, and the online multiplayer is addictive, but it does get a bit repetitive in solo mode. There's lots of options for customizing your character and weapons.

The story is shallow and asinine, but the story isn't really the point of a game like this. Get this if you're into online multiplayer; otherwise, it's not really for you.

I was pleasantly surprised! I got it due to wanting something for the DS that was online and somewhat large in scope--what I got was a great single-player story as well! The frequent use of short anime sequences goes a long way in conveying an interesting story, and like any game with character customization, the replay is through the roof.

You can choose from an assortment of different character types across three classes (a human type, a robot type, and a goofy this-game's-verision-of-elf type), all of whom play similarly with enough difference not to make repeat playthroughs too monotonous.

Speaking of monotony, the gameplay is about as fresh as one could hope given the game's restrictions in 4-player, Nintendo WFC-enabled play. Three of the DSes four face buttons are mapped to skills--holding R allows an additional pallette of three skills for the buttons, totally six skills, easily usable at any time. The player has two attack types (weak and strong) that can be chained together to form simple combos with the right timing. There's also a dodge button for avoiding attacks. Once enemies are killed or little keycards are found, a door is opened and you can move to a new zone, each of which is a self contained small area with enemies and the chest. All in all, it's reasonably simple, but stays fun due to a decent enemy variety and a frantic rate of enemy spawning. It's a lot of run once you get the timing down and can slice through the ordinary mobs accumulating tons of loot.

Speaking of loot, there's a ton here. Every time you clear a room's monsters, you're greeted with a treasure chest filled with goods. Each player, when playing multiplayer, gets their own chest filled with their own (only grabbable by them) loot, so there aren't any worries about other players stealing. There are a lot of different weapon types, all with different timing and upgradability by combining your weapon of choice with another item. There's armor, there are little stereotypical anime creature things that you feed old items in exchange for increased stats...all things considered, there's really a lot here. Like any action-based role-playing game, it can get a bit tired after long play sessions, but there are a good 30+ hours of content here on a single-character playthrough; depending on how willing you are to replay with different characters, this game could take you months to finish. There are also Hard versions of all the quests with high-leveled creatures.

All in all, it's a solid game with a lot of solid systems at play. The story is fun, there's just nothing about it that really elevates it to 5/5 status...fun, but you never feel the need to sing its praises.

From the very start i loved this game. It has a great story mode that is a little wordy at times, but is still really fun. I do like how PSzero is similar but different from pso. The game play is very close with a few tweaks. The mag system can be used more often and mags can be given any item (not just support items). If you loved PSO then PSzero is definitely worth the time and money i spent on it. I would recommend.