Phantasy Star Online Version 2 Preview

The GameCube version of Phantasy Star Online was playable at this year's E3 expo. While the game wasn't overly impressive in its current state, the port took Sonic Team only a month to perform--and it served to concretize to onlookers the fact that the second version of the popular online RPG--Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2--is indeed coming to the GameCube.

The title of Sonic Team's highly popular online RPG is more than a bit misleading. While the game is set in the Phantasy Star World and features characters, monsters, and items from the venerable RPG series, its gameplay systems are anything but traditional. Historically, Phantasy Star games have been prototypical console RPGs--they're largely story driven, and they feature turn-based combat engines. But even though the series hasn't seen an installment prior to PSO since the Genesis days, it's logical that gameplay has changed to reflect both its modern release and its massively multiplayer capabilities. Phantasy Star Online plays more like a real-time Diablo-style action RPG than anything else, requiring from players a good deal of twitch competence.

Like its predecessor, Phantasy Star Online Version 2 will unfold via a third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective. The world of Ragol--upon which the game is set--is divided into several main areas, each with its own unique visual theme and own inhabitants. The total for Version 2 is six, with two new areas called "spaceship" and "shrine." The areas are fairly varied; your quests will take place on forests, ruins, caves, and castles, and, if the Dreamcast version is any indication, all the locales will be resplendently modeled, boasting impressive architecture and fine textures.

The game lets you choose from three races--human, newman, and android. It also lets you choose from three classes--hunter, ranger, and force. Though it seems logical that any race, class, and gender combination is possible, this wasn't the case with the original PSO; the game actually imposed many limitations. Androids, for example, can't choose the magic-using force class, while newmans can only be hunters if they're females. Whether Version 2 will add any new classes is yet to be announced.

Between quests, you'll be able to lounge in the game's lobby, where you can form parties, purchase and trade items, and confer with fellow adventurers. PSO Version 2's lobbies will be a bit more lively than those of its predecessor, though. Sega is implementing a soccer game that you can engage in, as well as an area where you can duel others. As the original PSO lacked any sort of player-vs.-player component, this feature should be rather welcome.

The build of the game that we played was little more than a direct port, with a handful of features added. The most immediately noticeable casualties of this are the game's graphics: It's obvious that they weren't optimized for the hardware (as Sonic Team head Yuji Naka confirmed), and they looked very basic. The final game, however, is planned to boast wholly optimized visuals, fully taking advantage of the GameCube's hardware.

The GameCube version will also boast a four-player split-screen mode, which will let players form parties, while sitting in the same room. According to Sonic Team's Yuji Naka, such a feat wasn't possible in the Dreamcast version; it simply lacked the hardware power. On the GameCube, though, each player's window will boast Dreamcast-quality graphics, guaranteeing a painless four-player experience.

As Nintendo's network plans aren't concrete at this point, the GameCube version of Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2 will likely run off of SegaNet--Sega's proprietary network. Also, whether or not four players can connect to online games from the same console is yet to be determined. Given that PSO was basically designed as a four-player game, however, it seems pointless to include such a feature. As per Sega's recent announcement that PSO Version 2 will be a pay-for-play affair, it's quite possible that the GameCube version will be no different. However, the final word will come when Nintendo announces its own online agenda for the GameCube. Till then, the fate of GameCube Version 2's online mode is indeterminate.

All in all, the game that we played was identical to the Dreamcast version, aside from the odd, blurry visuals. This shouldn't color your ideas about the game, however; the game's presence on the show floor was more symbolic than anything else. We've no doubt that Sonic Team will whip the game into shape for its GameCube release. We'll more information for you as soon as it becomes available.