E3 06: Phantasy Star Universe Hands-On

LOS ANGELES--Earlier today, during a visit to Sega's E3 booth, we were able to spend some quality time with a playable demo of Phantasy Star Universe on both the PC and the PlayStation 2. The two levels in the demo, titled "Secret in Relics" and "The Divine Maiden" were played alongside three non-player characters, but in the finished game you'll have the option to group with up to five other players.

Both of the levels in the E3 demo were quite short and tasked us with rescuing characters who were being threatened by a handful of different types of enemies from the game's roster of 70-plus. For the most part, the real-time combat in Phantasy Star Universe requires you to do little more than string together combos of light and heavy attacks using two buttons, but you can also switch between any combination of melee and ranged weapons on the fly (it's possible to dual-wield), and we regularly felt the need to do so.

The flying boss at the end of the second level, for example, needed to be brought down to earth by having its wings shot out with a ranged weapon. This was most easily achieved using the game's first-person aiming system, which we were able to switch on and off simply by clicking the controller's right analog stick. Once we'd damaged the boss's wings enough, it came down onto the ground, where, along with a couple of the NPCs from our group, we were able to do some real damage with melee attacks. In the finished game, you'll be able to customize and enhance many of the 200-plus different weapons to make them more effective against certain types of enemies, but none of this functionality was present in the E3 demo.

Another feature of Phantasy Star Universe that we didn't get to see in action on this occasion was its lobby system. Sega's plans for the game's lobby system sound similar to those that Tecmo implemented in Dead or Alive 4 for the Xbox 360--when you decide to host a game, you'll create a lobby that takes the form of a room that other players can visit before deciding whether or not to play alongside you. You'll be able to decorate and customize your room using items that you've acquired in-game.

Further information on Phantasy Star Universe is scarce at present, save for the fact that PC and PS2 players will be able to play together. We'll bring you more details on the game, which is currently scheduled for release this fall, as soon as they become available.