At a recent Phantasy Star Portable 2 promotional event held in Akihabara, Sega revealed some details for its long-dormant next installment in the multiplayer RPG franchise: Phantasy Star Online 2. The revelation came in the form of a video (a very rough off-screen version of which is posted after the jump), which reveals a few elements like randomly-generated hunting areas, third-person shooter gameplay and -- an entirely new and completely thrilling addition to the franchise -- the ability to jump. We know! It's madness.
You can check out a few screenshots of the upcoming action-RPG over on 4Gamer, or check out some translated blurbs from the event on Andriasang. Hopefully, we'll learn more about when we can expect the PC-exclusive title in the near future, as its alpha test is scheduled to begin sometime this summer.
@SeriousSam24 Don't panic! It's... it's just an oversight. Sega wouldn't forget something like that... right? Because... because they recognize how much we enjoyed PSO, and Sega respects their fans so... so...
Ahh the good old days of running around this game for hours upon hours on my Dreamcast. Chatting it up and waiting for newbs to drop their weapons in a dungeon so I could swipe them and disconnect. Soon, I learned the error of my ways and decided to play the game fair. It was a much more fun experience. My body is ready.
As much as I adored the game on my Dreamcast, I'm not really sure how I'd be able to stomach it a second time without some dramatic changes. I tried to go back once, and it just wasn't as nearly as fun as I remember. Sure, some of it was the fact back then it was new, exciting, and I was playing with my friends from school.
I will still always remember to two notable things my friends and I did. I got one of the first of the Spread Needle the day it unlocked, and somehow my friend got a Twin Brand off V.Hard Falz (that was his name right?) months before anyone else ever saw one. He just had really odd luck with the double weapons, he'd go down to the third dungeon, grind out all 4 floors and walk away with at least 5 Double Sabers. o_O
@Jennacide What items you found came down to what badge you had.. I had the Stag Cutlery, but got rid because it was pink (double saber) with a Whitehall character.. think yellowboze found the most meseta.. Oran found the most 4 slot armour
@Mazrael Skyly finds Hunter items. (swords, etc) Greenill, Viridia, and Purplenum for Ranger items. (rifles, mechguns, etc) Pinkal for all force items. (wands, staffs, etc)
That's pretty damn amazing since you actually were close.
@The Only Girl I think PSO owned 8 months of my life.. back then I was a monogamer.. I haven't played for about 9 years - except for a short stint on Ep2
I'm really excited for this. I'm a bit of a newcomer to the PSO/PSU/PSP/PS0/PS#%&$ series, and so I've never had the full multiplayer experience. All of the games in the series seem to be dying now, even PSP2. Hopefully, I'll be able to get this soon after it releases, and I'll finally be able to play the game like it was meant to be played!
PSO how I missed you! Being a dreamcast v1, v2, and GCN vet, this is by far my most anticipated game. I almost cried when it was announced awhile ago!
Not having MAGs in the trailer I hope is just an oversight, and the dynamic music is supposed to be making a come back, wish more games had that feature.
Please let there be mags, please bring the races from phantasy star zero, please do not incorporate a complex minimal menu like phantasy star portable, please make the rappies cute, fuzzy, and yellow, please let me be able to make emoticons, please let people be able to kick others from parties and blacklist, please incorporate guild card, please DO NOT be Phantasy Star Universe 2...
@Jenks Um, play in a group of four people to cooperatively fight baddies in an endless quest for levels and loot? Sure it's not a perfect analogy but the formula was there, and it was fun.
@WiNGSPANTT from TopTierTacticsco I'd go with the original Monster Hunter. MH draws a lot of comparisons to PSO, certainly a lot more than Borderlands I expect.
I loved PSO back on the Dreamcast (though relatively recent attempts to play the game again via Blue Burst have made me realize how aged the game is in terms of controls), and will be looking forward to this one. I skipped out on Universe after hearing the reviews and couldn't play through much of Zero before getting frustrated with the controls, though, so I'm hoping they fix the problems that pervaded that game while delivering an experience on par with the original. While jumping doesn't seem super-useful off-hand (though I'm sure they'll add some level of verticality to their map designs and probably have some fights necessitating its use), the 3rd person shooter controls for ranged attacks could easily remedy the problems that made me tend to play melee-oriented characters. All in all, here's hoping this turns out well.
I'm aware of Blue Burst but putting this on consoles is a much better idea (and any PSO vet knows the "we won't be able to continually update" argument isn't going to fly this time around. Sega started up the servers and never re-entered the room until someone noticed a power leak a few years later).
PC is by far the best choice for it. That is if you want actual updates for the game instead of unlocking what is already on the disc. Both PSN and XBL have ridiculous turn around times when it comes to getting updates approved. In order to have streamline updates having the game on PC is pretty much required.
I wouldn't have thought it was possible to improve much on the original Phantasy Star Online, but this video makes it look like someone has. As for the missing Mags, I never really cared about them one way or the other; you could get some OK bonuses from them, but they were too random, and it was a minor pain having to carefully feed them to get the upgrade path you wanted.
Oh how I want to be excited for this...it looks like they got what I loved and made it all devil may cryish...but its still sonic team...they haven't gotten things right since...well, dreamcast...sure they've had almost's...but still. Oh heck, this video is worming its way in as we speak, I can't wait to go online!...I hope I don't have to pay too much a month for this...or pay at all...
I'm kinda bummed to hear this is PC-only, but seeing as I just built a new PC a couple months ago, it doesn't really matter. I just hope there's no monthly fees and it's actually good...
It'd be nice to see it on a console AND without fees (that'd be bi-winning), but we all know it won't happen. Or will it? Well, either way, it's coming. It'd be hilarious if the game sucked really bad. The nerd rage would be epic. Of course, I'd never wish for that. We want this to succeed. Just don't let Sonic Team near it, Sega.
OS: Japanese Windows XP 32bit*, Windows Vista/7 32bit/64bit* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 or higher Memory: Windows XP: 1.5GB or more, Vista/7: 2GB or moreHDD space: 8GB or More Monitor Resolution: 1280 × 720 or higher Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7800GT or equal card Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c or higher Internet access: Broadband (ADSL, fiberoptic, etc.) *must be latest service pack
