The Energon Pub

[Senor Hugo]

Ok. So. With the acquisition of a 360 I've been perusing the games that are out for the sucker.

I was in Game Crazy, when I saw Phantasy Star Universe, for $19.99, new. I look over at the PS2 version and see it's still $39.99. So, seeing as how I absolutely loved the Dreamcast version, Phantasy Star Online, I bought the game.


Little did I realize that would be my undoing.

This game, I can't decide if it's terrible, or if, deep down, it's as awesome as Phantasy Star Online was. When I think back on PSO, I remember talking, killing creatures, and fighting a dragon.

But in PSU, theres wayyyyy more talking. Whats even better, when you get to the very first save point. It's been roughly 30 minutes. 25 of those minutes cut scenes. Instead of giving you a combat tutorial early in the game where it could actually be used. They play the game for you in a cut scene.

The plot is shallow as hell. For those of you who haven't played the game. Let me explain, you start off as a guy named Ethan Weber, he hates the Guardians who are the peacekeepers in the game. He hates them because his dad was a Guardian, and he got killed on the job, leaving his mom a single parent, who ended up dying soon after giving birth to his little sister(whom I might add, is one of the worst looking characters modeled in the game.) Anyway, he hates the Guardians because blah blah blah insert generic RPG plot here.

By the end of the first level, after saving one single solitary person, he forgives the Guardians instantly, and then goes and joins the Guardians 30 seconds later.

Also, theres a hell of a lot of talking. So much talking thats what you'll end up doing 90% of the time in the game. Talking, and yes I know talking is a huge part of an RPG, however, they take it to access, not to mention, if you have anyone in your party, and they talk, it blocks your view of the screen, so you could be running into a monster, or a pit, ect.

This is all in single player story mode, I haven't gotten around to the online play yet, as I'm betting it's 100% better than the actual game itself.

Also, about the chapters, known as "Episodes". They actually try to make the game like a TV show. Credits before and after each and every friggin' level. They even have a narrator and cheesy music talking about the next level; "Next time on Phantasy Star Universe, who is this mysterious person? Will Ethan be able to make it to the dance on time? Find out all this and more, next time!"

Dear god is it annoying, thankfully, you can skip it all.

So, if anyone is thinking about getting this game for single player. Let me know, I'll show up at your door and headbutt you.

Multiplayer however, looks to be like the PSO we known and may or may not love. Plus, if you can get the used 360 version for $14.99. It's not a bad buy.

[TheMuffin]

So it's like KOTOR II compared to the first one?

[Senor Hugo]

So it's like KOTOR II compared to the first one?

Only with more talking, less force powers/magic. And stuff thats confusing as hell. I can't even use healing pots on my teammates unless I use a super healing pot.

Edit: The healing pots describe stuff like "heals the person who uses it" or "heals the person who uses it for full HP and nearby allies"

So if you're at full health, and your other members are really low, you need to burn one of the high class healing pots, healing them, but getting no health yourself.

[Spoon]

Ah, that game has a single player thing?
Here I was figuring it was multiplayer only. But yeah, I tried the multiplayer demo beta thingy of some time ago (which was a wooping 2 days! Hot damn 2 days of pure multiplayer joy !1!!) but it sucked balls.
My gamemagazine (which is pc games only) gave the port a 5.6 or something along those lines.
The only thing I give it bonus credits for is the fact that you can have those cute little girls with elven ears.

So yeah, it sucks

[Senor Hugo]

Ah, that game has a single player thing?
Here I was figuring it was multiplayer only. But yeah, I tried the multiplayer demo beta thingy of some time ago (which was a wooping 2 days! Hot damn 2 days of pure multiplayer joy !1!!) but it sucked balls.
My gamemagazine (which is pc games only) gave the port a 5.6 or something along those lines.
The only thing I give it bonus credits for is the fact that you can have those cute little girls with elven ears.

So yeah, it sucks

Yeah, I thought that was weird. IGN gave the PC version a 5.5 something. 360 a 6.4, and the PS2 a 6.6.

But I'm gonna subject myself to more of the game, just on the hope that it gets much better.

[Spoon]

Ah, that game has a single player thing?
Here I was figuring it was multiplayer only. But yeah, I tried the multiplayer demo beta thingy of some time ago (which was a wooping 2 days! Hot damn 2 days of pure multiplayer joy !1!!) but it sucked balls.
My gamemagazine (which is pc games only) gave the port a 5.6 or something along those lines.
The only thing I give it bonus credits for is the fact that you can have those cute little girls with elven ears.

So yeah, it sucks

Yeah, I thought that was weird. IGN gave the PC version a 5.5 something. 360 a 6.4, and the PS2 a 6.6.

But I'm gonna subject myself to more of the game, just on the hope that it gets much better.

lol I know that feeling. But I usually end up getting really depressed when I finish a really poor game. Realising that all this time I played it in the hopes that it would become better... only it didn't. and I could have spend that time playing much much more enjoyable games

[Senor Hugo]

lol I know that feeling. But I usually end up getting really depressed when I finish a really poor game. Realising that all this time I played it in the hopes that it would become better... only it didn't. and I could have spend that time playing much much more enjoyable games

Yeah, I hate it when that happens. Damn DBZ Sagas.

But I unlocked "Extra Mode" which is basically story mode, without the crappy human main character, in which you now create a custom character and go through the missions. Friggin' awesome.