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Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II (GameCube)

Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II review

Game: Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II
Platform: GameCube
Genre: Action RPG (Sci-Fi)
Developer: Sonic Team

Reader review by heroofthewinds

July 09, 2004

MMORPG's seem to be on the rise, except on the Gamecube. However, fear not, for there is one game that IS online. Whether or not it is worth your hard earned(or begged)cash, remains to be seen.

At thirty bucks a pop for an online adapter, and ten bucks a month, it may seem insane to buy all that just for a single game on an online deprived system. However, right when you pop in the disk and turn on the power, you'll notice that there's something different about PSO. Like any MMORPG, you begin by customizing you character's class and appearance. However, rather than choosing every little detail such as class, job, and sex, you select premade character classes, each with different stats and abilities.

Another change from the norm is that this game takes place in the future. Guns, light sabers, and other such weapon exist to choose from. The class you choose will dictate what weapons you use. Hunters are short range characters that use blade weapons, Rangers specialize in guns, and Forces rely on magic.For example, while a Hunter may do great with a saber, a Force or a Ranger might not be too effective with the same weapon.

The variety of weapons is also fairly large. Hunter weapons range from the standard saber, to daggers, polararms, melee swords, and long range disks. Each weapon has it's own attributes, such as speed, power, range, and accuracy. They all have different levels of power, and look totally different.

Along with weapons, you also get a large amount of armor to equip. Shields affect evasion, while frames raise defense. A little creature, called a mag, raises your stats. You dictate what stats it raises by feeding it different items to strengthen it. As it grows, it begins to change in appearance and ability. Each mag gets a ''Photon Blast'', which charges up during play.

When you get to the battlefield, you'll notice a differance in combat aswell. Attacks consist of an action bar with various attacks or items assigned to them. When you attack, you use three strike combos with varying attack power. You either hit with light but accurate attacks, slower but stronger heavy attacks, or special attacks with different effects. The types can be chained together at the user's descretion.

After you progress through the game, you'll begin to find rare weapons and sometimes armor. These are much more effective than their standard versions. They look different, and sometimes perform different. This drives the game; people in the online game thrive on rumors of the next rare weapon to be found. However, some of these weapons are near impossible to find, with odds that compare to winning the lottery jackpot.

The only real problem with this game is the chat system. The clunky in-game system forces you to hunt and peck each letter. The graphics are ok, but they could be much, much better. Ultimately, the only real factor that should affect your decision is if your wallet can handle it or not.

Rating: 9.5/10

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