![]() Imagine if the vast world of Phantasy Star Online 2 actually looked like real, distinct worlds. ![]() I think Phantasy Star Online could see a similar benefit. (Hell, there were some new game concepts thanks to more vertically-oriented maps.) All the layers of "game" were still there, with a vastly improved exterior. Monster Hunter: World partially improved on the past entries because it felt real, while still being distinctly Monster Hunter. We want these worlds to feel real, like we're actually exploring a brand-new far off planet. The visual look of these worlds is part of the verisimilitude. There's a reason that WoW and Final Fantasy 14 update themselves continuously. The Coral Highlands is a magical location that feels like it should be under the sea, with beds of anemones twisting underfoot. The Ancient Forest looks like it's growing out from within the roots of a huge ancient tree. There's care put into the illusion of the world. The core loop of the game is the same, but the world itself feels fully realized. Take the jump from Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate to Monster Hunter: World, which is nothing short of astounding. Imagine if Sega gave a new Phantasy Star Online some further resources. The look of PSO 2 harkens back to its launch date. There were only six years between Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Universe, and another six between that and Phantasy Star Online 2. It originally launched in 2012, and textures and environment design stretches anywhere from "decent" to "last gen." It's time for Phantasy Star Online 3Īs I was slashing my way through Dagans, Diggs, and Dinians, I found myself thinking that it was time for Phantasy Star Online 2 to update itself. But I also can't ignore the fact that Phantasy Star Online 2 is clearly showing its age. Ultimately, I'm glad folks in the West are finally getting the chance to play Phantasy Star Online 2. And everyone is full anime, with massive glowing swords and axes, armor missing most of the protection, and flips and flourishes to make you look badass. Most of your exploration is done in discrete levels, usually split between 2-3 stages and a boss room. The combat still revolves around slashing and dodging. Humans, Newman, and CAST are still here as playable races, joined by the new Deuman. Playing Phantasy Star Online 2 for the first time, I'm oddly surprised at how much hasn't changed in the formula. I enjoyed it, I moved on, and I acknowledge that others are still big fans of the game. Since then, Phantasy Star Online has always been that thing hovering in the recesses of my mind. In that instance, I didn't go as deep, likely because following a short free trial you had to pay a monthly subscription, and I was poor. I revisited the series when Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II launched on the original Xbox. I dropped countless hours into exploring the forests of Ragol, slashing away with my very cool, lightsaber-sounding sword. I had not played Diablo at that point, so PSO was one of my gateways to that style of game. ![]() When Phantasy Star Online first launched on the Dreamcast, I had the copious amount of free time that comes with youth, not to mention access to a trove of Dreamcast games.
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