Phantasy Star Universe Review

[Tebunker]

http://www.gamingtrend.com/Reviews/review/review.php?ReviewID=741

Just wondering what others think about the game, the review and the series overall. I had high expectations for this title, I was really hoping that they would take the gameplay a little further. I do think that when you take the game as a whole it's not too bad, but there are a lot of things that make you scratch your head.

[denoginizer]

I liked the multiplayer.  It is a grindfest but it can be fun with a good group.  It is basically the same gameplay as the Dreamcast version with bigger mission areas.  I just was not willing to play an extra monthly fee to keep playing online.  If I want to play a subcription based game I'll just play WoW. 

Personally I thought the single player portion was terrible.. 

[Mikagami]

You don't go into PSU blind.
End of story.
You go into PSU after playing PSO to death.

You don't go into the game expecting a revolutionary new system that will blow your mind away.
You don't go into the game expecting it to compare to every other MMORPG out there right now and expect for it to come out on top.

It is a fun game for those that know exactly what the game is.
New worlds, new race to play, new classes.
Same old combat system with a few improvements added.

Able to switch your class at any time on one character FFXI style? Plus in my books.
Replacement of Mag's with Pm's? Mehh.
Addition of ultimate racial abilities? (nanoblast for Beasts, SUV's for Casts, Crea weapons for the rest) Plus plus.
Item crafting? Blehhhhhhh. Minus.
New environments, bosses, weapons, skills, more outfits, alot more customization on character creation, AND an ACTUAL offline story? Big plus.
Locking in game content and releasing it as "updates" Miiiiiinus.
Ability to whore out your purchased PSU game dvd to everybody you know since it has no CD key function? Hahaha yep, that's a plus.

PSU is the new same ol game.
For those that did not enjoy it before, not for you.
For the rest of us, bliss.

Universe 14, I'm on quite frequently.

[Purge]

Note: Mikagami plays the PC version, so 360 users won't find him.

And that whoring thing doesn't get you a hunters license, it just means everyone doesn't need to go out to buy a copy.

I don't know if it constitutes piracy, (as some mmorpgs "give away" the software) but Mikagami doesn't do it. Hell, he's in London Ontario. There's no one to GIVE it too.

I remember him laughing his arse off about it on the phone though... it's almost unheard of to not have to type in a sentence or two of gibberish to install a game.

Oh, and he's an addict. 

Mik, remember to breathe when playing.. oh and the costumes thing? I'm gonna mail you a barbie game or two.. that'll be right up your "little miss dressup" alley. 

[EddieA]

I've only played single-player PSO and PSU, and PSU is a huge improvement over PSO.  It's not a great game, but it's a fun action-RPG.

[Farscry]

Ditto on EddieA. I actually agree with the scores/reviews the game has been getting, as it's really more a niche game in my view. Fortunately I'm in that niche, so I love it, but I can see and understand the various aspects that most people would find limiting and/or unenjoyable.

[Mikagami]

Yep.
PSU for PC.
The CD key less ness was related to the PC version as well.
Monthly subscription for playing it online regardless.

As for the original topic, it is a fair review.
You either love or hate the game.
There doesn't seem to be a middle ground with this title.

[Tebunker]

Oddly, I thought I took the middleground as much as possible. Didn't hate the game, just didn't think that enough attention was paid to the singleplayer and that the SP portion felt stodgy and old. The formula works for Multiplayer games, but there are far better single player titles available for the systems.

[Mikagami]

It is not much of a story mode, but at least it is there and it is a major improvement over what PSO offered.

Everybody I have encountered either defends the game with their life, or complains to no end about what it is and what it should be.

I love the game, and Bronze was very fair score.

[Farscry]

It was a good, fair review Tebunker. Guys like Mik and I love the game, but in some ways it's because it's an update/facelift of PSO rather than a complete reboot.

[Jack Burton]

Two questions:

1) Can you play multiplayer on one xbox (ie split screen)

2) Does the online portion require subscription fee?

[Purge]

1: dunno
2: yes, a hunters license is required.