After many years of study, scientists are still unable to adequately explain the addictiveness of the Phantasy Star Online series. The action is the very definition of repetitious; enter a room, kill all the enemies, gather dropped loot, move on to next room. The series' jump to a next-gen console has yielded few changes, but for the most part, Phantasy Star Universe is the same game we've been playing since it came out on the Dreamcast six years ago. In other words, Sega gave fans exactly what they've been asking for.

One is the loneliest number
The biggest complaint with PSO was that the single-player offline game was a dull and lonely experience. PSU remedies this, but fans of the series might find the solution a bit unsatisfying. PSU offers a fully developed, lengthy single-player campaign that is completely unrelated to any of the other game modes and that strays from the Diablo-esque kill/collect pattern that we've come to expect. Instead, players take on the role of Ethan, a snot-nosed (literally) teenager with a chip on his shoulder and a talent for hunting monsters. Ethan is recruited to become a Guardian, an elite sort of local law enforcement, and immediately pressed into service. Strange creatures, dubbed "SEED" for their plant-like appearance, have begun invading the surrounding planets, and Ethan and his pals are on the front lines of the investigation. It's a relatively generic RPG, with the usual leveling up and boss fights and such, and while Ethan can eventually become any kind of player you'd like him to be, the fact that you're forced to use a pre-designed character prevents you from becoming too deeply involved in the action. Still, it's a relatively small sacrifice to make in exchange for a fully fleshed-out single player experience.

I've got friends in monster-infested places
Despite its lack of Achievement points and its relatively shallow gameplay, the online mode is undoubtedly where most PSU players will end up spending their time. There's a brand new race to try out (Beasts) as well as plenty of new weapons and special moves. Players can also hold a weapon in each hand, making swapping between a brand and a gun much easier than it used to be. Unlike PSO, the action won't simply be a group version of the offline game; there's no central storyline here to follow. Instead, you'll be presented with a number of missions of varying difficulties. Completing certain missions or rising to a specific level will open up new missions and new difficulties, and net you experience points that are put not towards your character's level, but the level of their class. In other words, completing a mission as a Hunter will raise your Hunter experience; this becomes important when you discover that for a small fee, you can swap classes whenever you like. If you think a particular mission would be easier as a Ranger, feel free to try it out; experience earned as a particular class is saved, so you lose nothing by hopping between them. Such flexibility makes slogging through the same missions over and over again (a hallmark of PSO) less like mindless grinding and more like exploration.

Must…find…loot…
Any Diablo clone rises and falls on the quality of its loot. PSO doled out the rare items just frequently enough to keep you playing, but PSU takes a slightly different approach in that it places the emphasis on rare synthesis items instead. Although you can find or buy the common version of just about any weapon or piece of armor, to get the really rare stuff you'll have to make it yourself by synthesizing it from a recipe. Not only does this greatly expand the list of weapons you'll eventually have access to, but it virtually guarantees that you'll never see another player that's outfitted quite like you are, adding to PSU's overwhelming customization options.

About that small fee…
Much griping has been done over the fact that in order to play PSU online you must first purchase a Guardian's license for $9.99 a month, and it's a fair complaint. However, one can only hope that the money is going towards all the "future content" that Sega references in the PSU literature. Although the game mentions three planets, only two are accessible right now, and certain weapons grades are similarly off-limits. There's more than enough content to hold you over until the downloads are available, but if you still don't want to pay the monthly fee, then you might want to rethink playing the game at all. The offline experience is fine, but not strong enough to stand completely on its own.

Phantasy Star Universe is part action-RPG, part addictive collection-fest, and all good. Slaves to PSO will find that PSU's new approaches take a bit of getting used to, but will ultimately appreciate the depth they add to the gameplay. Newbies…well, prepare to have your life sucked away.

- Maj1013