Phantasy Star

blueskies · Oct 27, 2009

I've never played a Phantasy Star game. I'm slightly interested in playing through the first 4, 1 on master system, 2-4 on genesis. I have IV on cartridge, and was going to play that one first, but (here's my actual question) does the order matter, story-wise? Is this series like Final Fantasy, where the stories aren't connected but the 'universe' is cohesive throughout? Thanks, just curious about some old games I never played till now.

jdev · Dec 5, 2009

The story doesn't really matter (there are some connections between the storylines, but it's four separate stories), but Phantasy Star IV is so much better than the rest it might be hard to play the rest after playing that.

On a more or less unrelated note, I was pretty upset when I found out that the "new" Phantasy Star game was going to be a third person shooter MMORPG. Phantasy Star IV was a great RPG, and probably my second favorite Genesis game, after Shadowrun.

Kalisiin · Dec 7, 2009

No, but there ARE story references back to the other stories. As for the order, my favorite is Phantasy Star 2. Then 4. Then 1. and last, 3. PS3 kinda actually sucks a bit. the story is a bit lame, I think, and to me, story is everything in an RPG.

But Phantasy Star 2 is, IMNSHO, the best. And that is because the story is so tight!

I can see why a younger person might be more attracted to PS4, because there is more eye-candy...but it lacks in the same amount of MIND-candy that PS2 has in abundance.

Not only that, but, in PS2, you actually can get very emotionally attached to certain characters, and well, I'm not going to spoil it...but there are things that occur in the game that may well even bring out a tear or two...I know I cried.

On a parallel note, my other favorite RPG series is the Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest series, and that one, no doubt, hands down the all-time best is DQ5 (the original - not the remake...but please, give me the DeJap translation - I really HATE my games not being in English, I'm a stickler for that.) The same reason PS2 is my fave of THAT series is why DQ5 is my fave of that one. The story-line is very tight, a damn good story, and you get very emotionally attached to the story and characters. To ME...that is what makes a good RPG.

It's all about the MIND-candy, not the eye candy.

jdev · Dec 7, 2009

I was talking more about the gameplay. The graphics in PS2 weren't really much worse than in PS4, but the gameplay got consistently better throughout the series.

Kalisiin · Dec 8, 2009

jdev said:
I was talking more about the gameplay. The graphics in PS2 weren't really much worse than in PS4, but the gameplay got consistently better throughout the series.

And I have no idea what you mean by that.

"Better" is a relative term. do you mean things like having to level-grind less...or do you mean, like, later games having it set literally so that you are HANDED good things without having to WORK for them? Is that how you define "better?" A lot of young gamers DO define "better" that way. I don't. And if you are strategic about level-grinding, in games where it is necessary...you do a little bit every so often, so that, at the end, you've done most of it already, and thus do not get "bored." Young folk seem to get "bored" way too easy.

That said, PS1 is the best 8-bit game in the history of 8-bit gaming...far better than any 8-bit game has any right being!!

blueskies · Dec 11, 2009

thanks kalisiin, I haven't played any of these yet, but I'll probably start with the early ones just to play in order. I know what you mean about mind vs eye candy, seems games these days forget about those who think and cater to those who want to look at the flashy colors.

I can definitely get into a game with a good story and 'system' regardless of the graphics. It makes you use your imagination a little bit!

jdev · Dec 11, 2009

The gameplay is better because menus are easier to navigate, combat has better flow, and PS4 has aged better in general than PS2. I don't really care much for flashy graphics either, but at least I haven't turned any of my posts into a personal attack on someone else just because I had a difference of opinion.

As for grinding: it's stupid. I don't mind grinding in games in general, but games which allow you to make battles easier by leveling, but also allow you to win battles through good strategy are far superior to games which pad out their length by forcing you to kill 100 enemies in order to get the necessary HP/Weapon/Armor to beat the next boss.

Kalisiin · Dec 11, 2009

jdev said:
The gameplay is better because menus are easier to navigate, combat has better flow, and PS4 has aged better in general than PS2. I don't really care much for flashy graphics either, but at least I haven't turned any of my posts into a personal attack on someone else just because I had a difference of opinion.

As for grinding: it's stupid. I don't mind grinding in games in general, but games which allow you to make battles easier by leveling, but also allow you to win battles through good strategy are far superior to games which pad out their length by forcing you to kill 100 enemies in order to get the necessary HP/Weapon/Armor to beat the next boss.

Not an attack. Merely stating a difference of opinion. If you choose to take it as an attack, so be it. But my observation stands...many younger gamers go for the eye candy over the mind candy...and want things HANDED to them without having to WORK for it...call this the prejudice of the old-school gamer, one of the original dungeon-grinders...back when dungeon-grinders were a hell of a lot tougher than any made nowadays.

Still, it is not an attack...not against YOU, personally...or anyone else. Merely stating my own opinion. and if I can't do that...without being accused of "attacking" well, then, you need to stop taking everything so personal when someone simply disagrees with your opinion.

Posts merged

QUOTE(blueskies @ Dec 11 2009, 12:11 AM) thanks kalisiin, I haven't played any of these yet, but I'll probably start with the early ones just to play in order. I know what you mean about mind vs eye candy, seems games these days forget about those who think and cater to those who want to look at the flashy colors.

I can definitely get into a game with a good story and 'system' regardless of the graphics. It makes you use your imagination a little bit!

Certainly hope you DO play the earlier ones first, in my not so humble opinion, they're better.

Get some graph paper for PS1, you'll need it, as the dungeons are 3D versus the top-down look.

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