Phantasy Star -0- was quite the nostalgic event for players of Phantasy Star Online 1, 2 and 4 players, so I hear. If that’s you, stop reading this and go to Gamestop and grab one of these. If you haven’t heard of Phantasy Star Online, let alone Phantasy Star, stay tuned.
Phantasy Star -0- is a real time RPG set in the future of Earth, after an event called “The Great Blank,” where all knowledge of life before then is completely gone, despite proof existing of a civilization before the blankage. Since the event, the Earth has been overrun by pollution that mankind has absolutely no way to control. The best we can do is send out packs of “Hunters,” men and women dedicated to fighting hostile animals and helping people outside the safe walls of cities. These hunters are armed with powerful technology to tackle the many threats beyond the gate. The basic concept is repetitive gameplay throughout a series of “rooms” collecting card keys to open gates to make it to the end of the environment, completing a Quest or taking on a massive Boss Hostile. The gameplay is the same every room you pass…. but just like in the Online series of the Gamecube and Dreamcast, it never gets old. Sure, going back to old maps can be a drag, but repeat quests are optional. SEGA managed to replicate the thrill of playing the game for the first time in each room, despite being far in the game. This is either genius, black magyk, or both.
The gameplay is pretty simple. You use the control pad to walk and run, and you do things with a custom “Action Pallet” that you can edit in your settings. You have room for several items, spells, ad your weapon attack (as well as a heavy attack and a Barrel Roll). The custom controls are great, but you only have room for 6 actions, and you HAVE to have Weapon Attack (or you can die. Choose.). As the good people of NP once said (or something like) “Let’s go to menu, bag, items, healing items, re- Opps! Your dead.”. This only ads to the fun in a way, making you have to face tough decisions and plan well.
The Online Multiplayer option is a tad weak, though. It functions as if someone is controlling your partners. It’s not exactly breathtaking, but you’ll be content enough playing the single player to stray tward this unless your curiosity gets the best of you, ro you find yourself in dire need of EXP and don’t want to go through the same dungeon again without anything added.
PROS
-Great General Gameplay
-Amazing Story Line
-A diverse list of weapons to choose from
CONS
-Small pallet for so many actions
-No major healing point within the main hub
-Weak multiplayer
Overall Rating: 9.5
The flaws are very small and easy to get over. This is a must have game.
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