Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II Comments by Tom Bramwell
Review - Tom goes online with the Cube. Phinally.
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Because buying an Xbox Live package means you can play other games too (and you even get some thrown in, albeit demos), but in the Cube's case you're buying an adapter for one game. There are no other online games and we haven't the foggiest when the next one will turn up... Plus you won't need another memory card, or any other bits and bobs, and I bet there's no flipping pop-up or slowdown!
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"how about a "quit all menus" button, Sega? And don't bind "Cancel menu" to "Use health potion even if you don't need to""
Z-button people! I know it's small, I know it's clumsy but please try the buttons before moaning... ;) (what's next, you claiming you constantly use 'start' to enter the menu? :P) Besides you CAN bind your Monomates to the X-button and keep A and B for attacks. (Even smarter put items under you R-set). Note for the doubters; get your hands on Shining Soul (GBA) which if you like it, is the exact equivalent of Phantasy Star Offline. If you don't like Shining Soul steer clear of PSO. If you do like it, I'll be seeing you on EU/Arcturus3-1. |
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PSO definitely has packaged a rather fine magic inside its unwieldy and sometimes irritating gameplay. For me one of my gaming highlights was playing early on in the Dreamcast days and first reaching the final boss (of Chapter 1). Must admit I'd be tempted to revisit if the Xbox version doesn't look like a lacklustre, dodgy port (as some forumites have worryingly hinted)
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JabbaDaHut
02/04/03 @ 17:05
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Heh - Makes Steel Battalion look almost good value for money....And I totally agree with the score Btw...
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.::: Oh grow up you all, just because you like a game doesn't mean it's worth a high score. Besides it's a 6/10, that's above average which makes it a good game right? (If not than I hope you're all getting better grades at any form of college)
Besides, Shining Soul was receiving scores of 5 and 6 and I heard nobody complain about them. Just compare Shining Soul with Phantasy Star Online. It even has the four player option AND the limited ability to do some kind of summon next to being nearly identical. PSO is a limited game which isn't pushing any boundaries. That DOES NOT mean it's no fun. Quit getting off on scores. Sheesh. :P |
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mustardkid
02/04/03 @ 23:35
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pffft if you ask me it's repetitive and pointless and mags are just freudian willy extensions. so don't you wave yr stag cutlery at me ... i'm not impressed
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Im going to have to comment, as i did get a keyboard and a modem JUST so i can play PSOv2, and i dont regret it for a second.
Your argument that it hasn't changed much since the dreamcast release is valid, the graphics are pretty poor in terms of polygons and textures, and the pop-up does suck.. ..however, the item popup is there on purpose, it speeds up the internet games a bit, you see it only updates the 'room' your in, and the items which are within your sight meaning even on the dreamcasts 33.6 modem you can play it without any lag. which is also why badguys always 'fade out' and 'fade in/pop out' and why they always stand still when inactive rather than 'roam' by default. they could of taken it out, but then the broadband people would have a big advantage (being able to see dropped items from a mile off) but despite this i think PSO is still one of the most beautiful games, it might be carved out of a limited number of polygons but everything is so stylized and 'cool', just look at the weapons, you pick one up, equip it and think to yourself "wahey - this is wicked" only to constantly notice that "that high level geezer" has an even better looking weapon! (why did that sound dirty?) its a very magical game and when ripped apart, yes, it isnt perfect, but its far greater than the sum of its parts and for many this will be there only chance to see ragnol before it vanishs forever. |
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"Because buying an Xbox Live package means you can play other games too"
The hunter's licence is supposedly extra on top of xbox live isn't it? "but in the Cube's case you're buying an adapter for one game. There are no other online games and we haven't the foggiest when the next one will turn up..." Buying console hardware for initially a single game is hardly a new thing now is it. ;-) "Plus you won't need another memory card, or any other bits and bobs," I bet plenty of gc owners didn't need another memory card either, its a shame sega or nintendo haven't done a gc to usb adaptor for keyboards like ms have supposedly done for the xbox especially since that also has the voice chat stuff as well. |
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PSO virgins will find the package unwieldy and confusing to start with, and the online element a bit inaccessible. It's worth persevering with if you've got a regular group to play with online, but otherwise it just plain is not.
As a former virgin, erm, I mean newbie ;), I found the game took some getting used to, but that's only fair for a game that you'll most likely play every week, or more accurately, every day. If it was simple to pick up you would probably be seeing the faults of that simplicity rather quickly and be tearing your hair out wishing for something that makes more sense in the long run. Finding fun people to play with, more likely people who have picked up a keyboard, is no problem and obviously adds to the fun of the game. The cost was a factor, and still is, but for the kind of useage that this game is getting I don't regret it. Pirotic, thanks for the explanation on the pop up, et al. :) |
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This guy is so fucking smart. He posts in a couple of forums he found through google that he'll return the game if we don't give him gameshark codes (like if we wanted more one cheater among us, or like if he returned the game we'd loose a celebrity on our online enjoyment). Not only that, but he posted in those forums asking for cheats, and the said cheats to be sent to his email... Probably because he won't check back on the 30 forums he posted the same crap. The only problem is, he forgot to leave his email ^^;
Smart guy. He "finished" PSO and everything... LOL |
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"I'll get you for this you twiddly brats" (while twisting and waving his fist)
As far as my conscience goes, you, a kid by the age of 5, could very well be lying (I don't have online, buh-uh), so I'd never give ou anything. Not only that, but when called a cheater (which you are, with online or not) you promise to, and I quote "fuck you all". Unless you are a 20 year old, blond busty and sexy female, I think I'll pass the chance of having sex with you though. Sorry. |
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Sleepy Magpie
09/08/03 @ 01:21
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"zero data"
-That just about sums it up nicely. Funny how these things work out. |
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