Phantasy Star Universe - PS2/PC bound! Options

[DivA]

[Kazicht]

I'm really impressed with the combat speed. Looks like we could look forward to some intense battles.

[Alisha]

i havent been able to watch it yet but rwead on psow that the clip shows dimenians,gibbles and the arena for you fight dark falz as well as PvP? :O is it true?

[unitself]

Latest news from an article from computerandvideogames.com
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In a recent interview with IGN, Miyoshi-san explains that, while Phantasy Star Universe has an online mode, it's offline that's the core component of the game. The offline mode in PSU is story-based and Miyoshi-san says that Sonic Team "went back to the roots of what makes a good RPG" for the mode in an effort to deliver a strong offline RPG on top of which the online component is added. He also reveals that the team is aiming to give players a certain amount of freedom but wants to ensure that we don't get side-tracked from the main story. It sounds too like certain sections will be replayable, although it's a little unclear precisely what Sonic Team's plans are in this regard.
Phantasy Star Universe is of course in development for PS2 and PC (Miyoshi-san believes the game can "reach a wider audience" by being on these platforms) and both versions of the game will feature the same content although "PSU was created with the controller in mind", says Miyoshi-san. "As for the PC, you can also plug in a game controller so you get the same experience. In addition, you will get better graphics and higher resolution."

Downloadable updates are planned, although currently Sonic Team is only looking at new quests which, for PS2, "will be downloaded directly to your PS2's memory before play". And cross-platform play online remains unconfirmed, but apparently such is possible from a technical point of view and he says that the team would like to do it if they can.

Stacking up Phantasy Star Online against Phantasy Star Universe, Miyoshi-san says that the biggest difference between PSU and PSO is the lobby structure. In PSO it was simply a chat lobby but for PSU Sonic Team has created an entire city where you can meet up with people and chat to them. He likens it to an MMO where "you have a city with tons of people roaming around, exchanging items, chatting and hooking up with parties to go on quests or head out to dungeons" and explains there'll be different floors in the city with each floor designated a particular purpose - e.g. shops on one floor, transportation on another.

Touching on combat and the introduction of the duel-wield system in PSU, Miyoshi-san says that players can now wield a gun in one hand and a sword in the other and explains that the team has taken PSO's action palette "into each individual weapon so that each weapon has its own palette system through which you can improve the weapon as you play." Apparently this adds "another layer to the strategy element" and he adds that whereas in PSO you could have up to a three-hit combo in PSU this has been increased to six. Miyoshi-san also briefly talks about SUV weapons and Nanoblast, saying that the former is a type of race and the latter a part of the beast race and allows beasts to transform. Into something. Other than a beast. We guess.

And finally, speaking a little further about PSU's online mode, he says that players will be able to "select which planet or world you want to go to based on the quest that you pick" (there are apparently four worlds or planets in the game and the offline world and the online world are identical although Miyoshi-san says that enemy level will vary between the two modes) and that "Just like PSO, you can save a guild card and send out party invites to your friend." We don't have any friends but we're sure we'd like the guild card stuff if we ever got to use it.

That's that. No confirmed release date for Phantasy Star Universe yet but Takao Miyoshi says that the Japanese version will definitely hit first.

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[DivA]

[DarkEpyon]

It does seem a tad squirrely, but at least it won't be an offline mode with a shitload of plot holes. Whether online mode is just "added in" or not, I seriously doubt it would influence anyone's buying decision.

[Vitamin D]

Well online games aren't played for their stor anyway, the stories are truly just icing on the cake haha. If it there's multiplayer fun with friends, i'm positive there's nothing to worry about. Im guessing that the offline mode for me would be like something to do during maintenance, or if I'm having connection troubles haha.

[Crushinator]

I think the term "add-on" may have been a translation misinterpretation. Sonic Team no doubt knows that the core PSU audience is PSO devotees, and if they shirked on the online mode there'd be hell to pay.

I still am fully confident that this will be the greatest game to ever grace the PS2.

[Alisha]

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/phantasystariv/media.html

developer interveiw
good stuff but i could barely hear it buts thats probally because i lost hearing in 1 ear

randoom maps and spawn locations sounds like good stuff though

random spawns would of been a riot in the seabed im sure you guys remember the choas with the delbiter in the narrow hallway

[Knightsword]

To bad sega is chaining the quality of the pc version to that of the ps2, as with the ps2 ffxi I bet the ps2 psu will look like crap

[DarkEpyon]

If it means the two can play together, I say it's a worthy tradeoff.

[Wiryu]

I hope you guys are right about this game being beautful. I hope for my first PS experience to be an excellent one ;)

[donkeybeatz]

I think you guys should check out the official site this time. Namely, the Network section. They show Cast customization! And lobby info! With chat bubbles and stuff! And something about rooms! Just go check it out!

[DivA]

one of the casts reminds me of RAcaseal...chat boxes ~ that's promising, but what's with my room ~ is that like a personal room that can be customized? from the look of the different images, each looks different in color, style & texture......i wish the images were bigger though..

[DarkEpyon]

Hmmmmmm.... those casts look interesting. Can February hurry up and GET HERE?