Phantasy Star Portable

Sega’s been really busy with their long-running RPG franchise in the past while, first releasing this, Phantasy Star Portable, in Japan, and then Phantasy Star Zero on the DS, and then getting their localizations underway.  The demo for PSP, which takes you up to the first boss then leaves you to explore the multiplayer option as much as you choose, has been available for download on PSN for a good portion of the last week now.  With turn-based combat pushed aside a long time ago, being replaced with the real-time combat of MMO entries Phantasy Star Online and Universe, how does this fare on the handheld?

I do have to say that I’m impressed so far. To make me want to play a demo over and over again in anticipation of the release for the full game is quite a feat.  I’m definitely not all that experienced with the PSO-like systems since most of my experience has had to do with playing offline multiplayer at my friend’s house.  I do remember enough of PSO though to know that they’ve greatly improved things in the long run, but I’ll get to that in a bit.

Phantasy Star Portable is like a Sequel to MMO Phantasy Star Universe, with the story picking up not long after it.  In this game you’re playing a new recruit to GUARDIAN, and in your first mission your task is to eliminate the cause of a number of robot malfunctions in a certain area of the GUARDIAN base, along with your mentor and a new CAST. (Cast being the name they give humanoid robots in the PSO timeline.)  In the demo you can only play story mode up to the first boss, but you already get quite the story progression as you come across mysterious woman that could be behind the malfunctions.

Most of the gameplay improvements aren’t new to you if you’ve been playing Phantasy Star Universe, but if you’re an old PSO player that hasn’t touched Universe than you’re bound to love some of the things they’ve done.  First off, moving around is much faster than in the first game, and for you ranger enthusiasts, you can now move and shoot at the same time. (Meaning no more getting ganged up on because you’re stuck shooting in one spot as you get surrounded.)  Targeting is done a bit differently; Where in the original targeting was automatic, holding down the L button will target the closest enemy in front of you and also tell you, in the form of a red reticule, when you are in range.  You can also strafe while targeting, which if you’re a ranger type person like me allows you to spread and hit multiple targets as well.

Along with your usual repitoire of spells you also now have photon arts that can be linked to certain types of equipment.  This gives your weapons special attacks and elemental attributes that can also inflict status ailments on your enemies as well.  The use of technique points has also been abolished in exchange for photon points, which works the same as TP except that it’s linked to your weapon instead. (In other words, each weapon has their own set amount of PP that gets used up as you use photon arts that you’ve linked to said weapon.)  Also new is that photon arts and techniques level up as you continue to use them, unlike in PSO where you had to buy or find a higher level disc and have a high enough mind strength stat.

Along with your base EXP. level now, you also have a class level. You now gain class EXP. whenever you complete a mission in both story and multi mode, which in turn will level your class. This gives you not only an additional stat boost but also raises your proficiency with weapons associated to that class. You are able to switch between the basic classes: Hunter, Ranger, and Force, and also advance to higher classes such as Fighmaster, (I kid you not, it’s listed as “Fighmaster” and not “Fightmaster”) and Gunmaster.  This is a welcome addition as now you are no longer committed to staying to a single class, and can advance to higher ones.

The action pallete from the first game has been improved as well.  Instead of just having six slots for various attacks, techs, and items, which are all assigned to a certain button, you now have six slots for items and six slots for weapon configuration. (You can now hold two weapons at once, although some weapons take up both hands. You can use your “left hand” weapon by holding down the R button)  Each weapon usually has a basic attack which is executed by pressing the square button, and its linked photon art is used with the triangle button.  You can change your weapons or use items on the fly by holding down the circle button, selecting the weapon set you want to switch to/selecting the item you want to use, and releasing circle.  Although in the heat of battle, it takes a bit more time to heal yourself with an item than it did with the one button press in PSO, I find this a lot better.

I only have two beefs with the game so far right now, one being the “city” areas being replaced with menus, which is something I’ve never been used to before.  The other is the fact that things get screwed up when you change weapons on the action pallete slot that you’re currently using. You’d think that if you changed a weapon in the pallete that you currently had equipped that it would automatically update it, right? But it doesn’t; You have to reselect it in order to use the new configuration, else you’re going in weaponless.

And that’s all I have to say so far.  I’m absolutely digging this right now, and if you’re an old PSO vet, or maybe you haven’t played any of them past Phantasy Star IV, I would highly suggest giving this a try if you have a PSP.  Go ahead and download the demo, as it will definitely keep you busy up until its release.

Phantasy Star Portable is developed by Sonic Team (They did something right for a change!) and Alfa System, (The same company that also brought you Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology and Radiant Mythology 2) and published by Sega.  PSP has been out in Japan since last July and is currently slated for release in North America on March 3rd.