Sega opens up Phantasy Star Universe

When Sega announced Phantasy Star Universe at E3 last May, it failed to mention a few major details--namely the game's platform and release date. Thanks to the upcoming issue of Shonen Jump magazine, we now know that the game will be hitting the PlayStation 2 and PC in Japan this winter.

Phantasy Star Universe will take place throughout the Graal solar system, which consists of three planets and various races such as the Numans. After a century of peace following a lengthy period of war, civilization now faces an invasion from a new alien force named the SEED, which has begun attacking different colonies in space.

Two of the main characters will be Ethan Weaver and Karen Era. Fans may remember Ethan as the brown-haired youth who appeared in the trailer from the E3 presentation. The purple-haired Karen was also featured in the same trailer but has since gone through some character design changes.

Ethan is a 17-year-old trainee at a planetary security organization named the Guardians, and Karen works as his instructor there. Ethan and Karen, along with some friends, are charged with the duty of protecting humanity from the mysterious alien life forms.

Because Phantasy Star Universe has been promoted as a new installment to the Phantasy Star RPG series and has a solid storyline, it's a good bet that the game will play as a stand-alone title rather than an online game like Phantasy Star Online series.