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Phantasy Star Universe

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Phantasy Star Universe
Logo
Developer(s)Sonic Team
Publisher(s)Sega
Platform(s)PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360
ReleasePS2, PC:
Japan August 31, 2006
United StatesCanada October 24, 2006
European Union November 24, 2006
Australia November 30, 2006
Xbox 360:
United StatesCanada October 24, 2006
European Union November 24, 2006
Japan December 12, 2006
Genre(s)Action RPG
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Phantasy Star Universe (ファンタシースターユニバース, Fantashī Sutā Yunibāsu) (PSU) is an action role-playing game by Sega's Sonic Team for the PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360. In Japan, it was released for the PC and PlayStation 2 on August 31, 2006, with the Xbox 360 version releasing on December 12, 2006. Its North American release was on October 24, 2006, available in all formats. The European release date was November 24. While Phantasy Star Universe is a hack and slash role-playing game similar to the Phantasy Star Online (PSO) games, it takes place in a (presumably) different fictional universe and has many new features. Like most of the PSO titles, PSU is playable in both a persistent online network mode and a full featured single-player story mode.

Features

PSU has the following features, some of which are improvements over previous Phantasy Star Online games:

  • Strafing - characters may strafe, in addition to the movement options available in PSO
  • Dual-wielding - characters may wield weapons akimbo, or even carry a different weapon in each hand
  • Player-controlled vehicles (Sega has stated that these will be customizable in some way; featured offline and during some online events).
  • Partner Machinery (pm) that evolve both in appearance and abilities when fed items.
  • 20+ dungeons which the player may explore
  • 15+ bosses to battle
  • Four character races: Humans, CASTs (Androids), Newmans, and Beasts (the latter two of which are races of genetically modified humans).
  • Three different classes to specialize in (similar to PSO) but with the ability to change classes at any given time and back again, while any bonuses gained are retained for later if you do change class.
  • An additional seven advanced classes which can either be specialists of the three main classes, or different hybrid versions.
  • An additional two advanced classes were provided upon the expansion's release, although they do not require the expansion to play.
  • A 40-hour offline RPG component with characters and events to complement the separate online game. Both use the same engine, although your customizable character can only be used online.
  • Extra Mode: A new offline mode that functions similar to online mode, with character customization. The "Extra Mode" character can only be used offline.
  • Character Customization: In addition, PSU features a character creation system with many more options than the original PSO, allowing players to customize the style and colour of their characters' clothes, hair and facial features, height and body proportion as well as their voice at any time in the game provided they have enough of the game's currency, meseta.

Story

The stage is the Gurhal Star System, which consists of three planets. Each planet has its own unique culture that is formed by its inhabitant races.

The history of the Gurhal Star System is filled with conflicts amongst the different races. However, after the Final Conflict 100 years ago, a union was formed amongst the three planets. The led to the birth to the Allied Army, and ultimately to peace for the Gurhal Star System.

At the start of the game, Ethan, the main character, and his little sister Lumia, were at the celebration of the 100th year anniversary of the Alliance Space Fleet on the GUARDIANS Space station. The celebration is ended when a mysterious meteor shower almost destroys the entire fleet. During evacuation, Ethan and Lumia split off of the main evacuation route, and a pile of rubble separates Lumia from Ethan. Ethan then meets up with a GUARDIAN named Leo, but they are attacked by some sort of creature. The creature paralyzes Leo, and Ethan takes his handgun and kills the creature. Leo then tells Ethan to find his sister, and that a rescue team is on the way.

After killing multiple creatures and saving people, Ethan Finds Lumia, and they both leave the station, but after a conversation between Leo and Ethan, revealing that he dislikes GUARDIANS because his father died when on a mission. He then convinces Ethan to join the GUARDIANS.

After Ethan's training, he joins up with his training partners, and performs various missions, such as rescue, purification, and escort missions.

Ethan and his classmate Hyuga are trained by a female Guardian named Karen, who leads them against the SEED that came from the meteors. After being hired to accompany a scientist to a Relic site of an ancient long dead civilization they find out the SEED were attracted by a power source (A-photons) the ancients used and the solar system has just began using again.

His instructor finds out she is the sister of the Divine Maiden (the prophet of the Holy Light) and takes over that position when her sister dies at the hands of her estranged father who intended to kill Karen to increase the original Maiden (Mirei)'s power.

After befriending rogues, guardians, and casts alike, Ethan angers Magashi, a CAST who heads the Endrum Collective and has been kidnapping scientists who know about the ancient power source. After Ethan and a rogue kill Magashi, Ethan helps activate an ancient weapon the prior civilization used to survive the SEED before they were almost completely wiped out.

Ethan then gathers allies against Guardian orders to attack the last SEED outpost standing where two of his friends and the scientists are being held. In the outpost Magashi claims to be brought back to life by the SEED, where in reality he is a CAST incarnation of Dark Force who controls the SEED itself and controls whatever they infect.

Production

During the production of this game, Sega has had multiple showings of the game. The initial unveiling of the game was at E3 2004. The next time it was seen at E3 2005, and then again at TGS 2005. A closed beta stress test for the servers took place from April 20 - May 10 of 2006. The game also had its own podcast created for users of the SEGA LINK system which is how online payment has been confirmed for Japanese and importing players to be handled. More and more information has been revealed about the game on a weekly basis at the game's official website located below.

Downtime

Shortly after the Japanese launch, the online mode servers were immensely overloaded and shut down, echoing the launch of World of Warcraft. The ability to make new accounts was restricted. Accompanying this, servers were taken down until September 6 and all current users were permitted to play online mode free of charge until October 1, which was the expected date for the required maintenance to be finished.

Monthly pricing

  • $9.99 U.S. dollars for PC/PS2 players through PlaySega [[1]] or $49.99 U.S. dollars for six months.
  • $9.99 U.S. dollars for Xbox 360 players through the Xbox Live Marketplace. Xbox Live Gold is not needed to play.
  • In Canada, $14.99 CAD before tax for Xbox 360 players through the Xbox Live Marketplace.
  • In the UK, £6.99.
  • For the E.U., €9.99 (recurring) or €20 for 60 days (one-time through PlaySega).
  • In Australia, $17.99 for 40 days.

Open beta

An open beta was held for Xbox 360 users a few weeks before it was released in North America. The software was available on the marketplace for Xbox Live Gold subscribers for download for two days starting on October 13, 2006. The trial originally ran until October 18 but was eventually extended to October 21. As of January 15, 2007 it has now been put back onto the marketplace, and the server is up and running, for players who have Xbox Live Gold to download and try. At the end of each month they will purge all characters to allow for newer people to join. As of February, 2008, Sega has not purged all characters for five months. [2]

Expansion

Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus is the expansion pack for Phantasy Star Universe. In addition to new enemies, weapons, levels, and cities, there will be more options available to individualize and customize further the look of player avatars. Ambition of the Illuminus continues the Phantasy Star Universe story online as the player's personal online avatar. Now the central character, he or she will investigate and work to restore peace in the chaotic Gurhal System. The player investigates through a series of single-player missions, meeting familiar characters like Ethan Waber from Episode 1, along with new ones, including a GUARDIANS instructor, Laia Martinez. In addition, the online multiplayer world, with its fast-paced, engaging battle experience for up to six players, will be greatly expanded, with new missions, cities, and enemies. The first trailer, in Japanese, is available on the Internet.

Comunity Online

Many people play this RPG online. The PS2/PC servers are merged together while the Xbox 360 server is on a server on its own. Most people play the game online on the Xbox 360 system.

According to Sega's press release, Ambition of the Illuminus will contain the following new features:

  • Expanded character customization. Players get many more options to customize facial features, hair styles, body types, color palette, and clothing options.
  • Enriched player-to-player interaction. New lobbies, including the Casino Voloyal which features games like roulette and slots, provide more social experiences for players.
  • New weapons, combat abilities, and classes heighten the intensity of real-time battles. With additional weapons types and new special fighting abilities—including new SUV-weapons, photon arts, and all-new classes—players will have more ways to expand or specialize the character's role within the game.
  • New levels, enemies and bosses. With new areas to explore, such as the ruins of Old Rozenom City and the Granigs Mine, and new enemy types including new bosses, players face brand new challenges in all-new environments.
  • The user's personal avatar is the main character. In Phantasy Star Universe, players experienced the story through the eyes of Ethan Waber. In Ambition of the Illuminus, they will complete missions using their own customized avatar, working to restore peace in the Gurhal System. This content is available offline in the PS2 and PC versions; there is no expansion offline content available on the 360.


This expansion will be made available on Xbox Live Marketplace on November 20 for 1600 MS points ($20.) PS2 and PC players will have to purchase a retail disc of the expansion for $39.99. These will be in stores the same day. Xbox 360 Expansion Pack is on the Marketplace

See also

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