I'm condidering getting PS0. But, right now, I'm addicted to The World Ends With You and Chrono Trigger. They're like crack. Curled up in a ball, shaking and sniffling, in a puddle of my own urine...crack.
Phantasy Star Zero Updated Hands-On
We get an updated look at the game Sega is calling a successor to Phantasy Star Online.
As a role-playing game, there are worse reputations you could earn than being referred to as a "direct successor to Phantasy Star Online." The revolutionary console online RPG on the Dreamcast holds a special place in many gamers' hearts to this day, so it's probably no surprise that expectations are high for the upcoming Phantasy Star Zero on the DS. We first saw the game at least year's Tokyo Game Show, and today at TGS 2009 we got another glimpse at what to expect from the game.
The PSO trappings are apparent right away in Zero--from similar races like humans, Newmans, and Casts, to a similar art style that's full of heavily armored androids and supercute combatants. In addition, Phantasy Star Zero will be playable online with up to three other players. Even better, you won't be region-locked, so your teammates might hail from all around the world.
Despite its multiplayer accessibility, there's a single-player game at the heart of this game--three separate storylines for each of the races in the game. Producers told us that each storyline features different settings and situations and will require around 20 hours to complete--bringing the single-player gameplay experience of Zero in at somewhere around 60 hours. Playing single-player missions will earn you tons of gear (more on that in a bit) but will also allow you access to the 20 to 25 multiplayer quests that you can tackle with other players.
In our brief time with the game, we played as a low-level Cast--a ranged weapon specialist. We played in a group of three and took on a few simple quests that mainly involved killing lots of space worms and the like. We had two attacks available to us--a light attack by pressing the A button and heavy attack with the Y button--and for an even stronger attack we could hold the Y button and charge our weapon. In a nod to action games, you can execute a leaping roll by pressing the B button, good for quickly getting out of an enemy's way.
Though we faced only a few weaker enemies in our time with the game, loot was plentiful. The developers behind the game have taken into consideration the rampant loot ninjas from PSO and made sure that drops in Zero will allow everyone to get in on the fun. So if you find a chest that drops six items, each player will have six individual items that will drop only for them.
A multiplayer game at its heart, Zero is also counting on the ability of players to work together in combat. To that end, the developers have introduced the concept of chaining attacks to defeat more powerful enemies. Chaining attacks requires individual team members to execute three-hit combos in succession with their teammates--doing so will build up a chain that causes extra damage to an enemy. In addition, there's a quick chat system reminiscent of the DS's Pictochat system that will let players communicate with one another by drawing or writing on the lower screen and sharing with other players with a tap of the "send" button.
Phantasy Star Zero is due for release later this year. Stay tuned for more on the game in the coming weeks.
55 comments
PSP version doesnt ,as ussaly it happens cause of lazy Sony, doesnt have online mode. For DS graphs are uber good. For psp - nothing new realy. So DS users win ALL , PSP get close to nothing at all. Also that chat is pretty epic... xD
I can't stop playing !! Online at home and offline at my pauses @ work SO GREAT THANK YOU SEGA
I can't stop playing !! Online at home and offline at my pauses @ work SO GREAT THANK YOU SEGA
I've never played that much Phantasy Star games, just the first one released for gamecube and really liked it! I wish i could play that game again but is kinda hard to find them this days.. For what I see in this game seems pretty impresive, and graphics are awesome. 60 hours of gameplay? Seems alot for me if we're talking of a ds games... hope this doesnt mean repetitive story mode or something like that :s I cant wait to play this with mi gf >.
aint the best but good for ds users like me to experience phantasy star game on the go. but psp versions are way better
wow here say that this game will come 2 days later of my virth day who know my birth day will gains a premium(THE FIRST)
it looks great bit havent played it i hope it's great. many players say its crap im yust waiting for this one game to come out!!
This game really sucks. I was prepared for some sickass combat and open wide worlds. I didn't get a game that lived up to my expectations. The gameplay feels repetetive and the worlds are flat and boring. There is only ONE town with shops, and the rest are repeatitive combat areas. Bad game. Bad game.
I've been playing the Japanese version for several months now. I don't understand too much about what's going on, as I suck at Japanese, but I definitely plan on buying this when it's finally released in English. The singleplayer's pretty good, but the multiplayer blows away anything I've seen on the DS so far.
Phantasy Star is my favorite series, I am 27 years old and have proudly played every PS game out there and encourage others to do as well! Keep it up Sega and I hope that the future brings many more PS titles!
Good to see news on this game. I thought it wasn't coming. If you haven't played Phantasy Star Online before, go here: http://www.schtserv.com/
An RPG, with real-time combat, that can be played online with players from all over the world, on a Nintendo DS? I can't wait.
I tried the Japanese Version. This game's gameplay is like the Phantasy Star Portable except with an added the Online Multiplayer. I played for only a while since I couldn't read much Japanese. P.s This game is VERY FUN even though I played a while. I was using a cast.
If this ends up being craptastic like PSU then I'm giving up on the Phantasy Star franchise
ive played phantasy star portable, it rocks, and now on the ds!? cool! I cant wait for touch screen feutures and cool gameplay
@ RTS____EX Hackers only matter if you're playing against them. In Metroid Prime: Hunters, you could be so good at the game that the hackers would take a very long time to even lock on an aim, but you can never beat them. And then on MarioKart DS is terrible when they just continuosly use Bullet Bills to gain an impossible advantage. But then there are games like Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time which you play co-operatively through the whole game except for when playing head-on quests. Thats basically what Phantasy Star Zero is explained as. Hopefully its as they say, then I have total faith in it.
aww man, i just remembered the hackers on Prime hunters and Mario Kart... DS online isnt that good JUST because that... those arent gamers! and deserve to die!
hmm this sounds interesting i didnt play PSO i did play PSII i think, way back on DC lol it was rly old tho from like the 80s i think but pretty gud
Trust me, I've got it, you'll be addicted for a few plays through the game, searching for new weapons is always fun, but around level 65 it starts to die a little
sounds good iv heard of people hacking there ds to play import games they tried this game and they said it was decent
never played phantasy star, but I have to say im impressed so far. this just might might turn out to be one of the best multiplayer one the ds. Im definitley getting this game.
i dont expect too much because this is a DS game, but I will do anything for Phantasy Star, its by far my favorite series of rpgs. I wish they wouldnt make any more 3D games would re-make PSIV and to make a new 2D RPG something maybe PSV, but I am excited for PS0
I hope to hell that there is awesome customization like there was in the GameCube game.
reminds me of the old PSO.. :) please be better than PSU haha looks awesome though! cant wait for some awesome online gaming with this
Can't wait for it, hope it is as good as PSO or better. This (PSO) game brought me and my friends together for hours of gameplay even if it was split screen (GC Version).
if we can play with people from around the world, this is the on the go rpg i've been waiting for! don't screw this one up!
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Phantasy Star Zero
Not Following
- Publisher(s): Sega
- Developer(s): Sonic Team
- Genre: Role-Playing
- Release:
- ESRB: E10+
Phantasy Star Zero Navigation
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