Phantasy Star Online 2 finally coming to the West

[Eisennagel]

 

 

As per 

 

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2019-phantasy-star-online-2-is-finally-coming-t/1100-6467558/

 

 

I have literally grown plenty of grey hairs since then.  

 

That's a huge 8 year gap, and quite honestly, but 8 years of content may be crammed into one game minus anime collaborations which has licensing issues.  

 

Nonetheless, I am excited, and better 8 years late is better than never.    

 

Hopefully the graphics are a lot better than the 2012 version because currently PSO2 looks dated even compared to some mobile games.  

 

[warheart1992]

I was surprised to say the least. I imagined that since there were no announcements so many years they had just left it to die. 

Seems the success of games like Monster Hunter and Final Fantasy XIV has certainly helped reach that decision. 

[Eisennagel]

55 minutes ago, warheart1992 said:

I was surprised to say the least. I imagined that since there were no announcements so many years they had just left it to die. 

Seems the success of games like Monster Hunter and Final Fantasy XIV has certainly helped reach that decision. 

 

It continued to thrive in the Japanese server.  But the SEA server died.  The Southeast Asian region is rich in availability for many Asian MMOs from PC to mobile, and PSO2 died there being unable to stand apart from the crowd.  

[Super_Dreadnought]

It'll be interesting to see if anyone in the West cares about a game which is possibly 8 years far too late? And perhaps more importantly how many westerners already playing on the JP server will switch? I imagine that anybody who remotely gives a crap is already playing on JP.

1 hour ago, Eisennagel said:

Hopefully the graphics are a lot better than the 2012 version because currently PSO2 looks dated even compared to some mobile games.  

It's probably just a straight port, with some changed lighting effects at best. There's only so much Sega can do before they get into the realm of remodelling and retexturing everything.

[Blorgh2017]

I stopped caring for it years ago.

Gee, it's heading this way now? Good job, SEGA. Really good job. /s

If the previous Phantasy Star Online 1 and Phantasy Star Universe are of any indication... I actually have low hopes for PSO2 in the west.

TBH, and I know this sounds cruel, but I kind of hope that it fails in the west, just to show that such extreme dilly-dallying is not acceptable.

[Yoshiblue]

 

A few years or so ago the graphics and lighting got a bit of an update but it still mostly looks the same. I wonder how people will use reshade with the NA version. Since 2012 things were given a bump map and the colors got a bit more vibrant. Still looks like a PS2 game though and still can't bend their fingers. Fair warning, if you're going into this expending the solid themes that PSO had, you'll be disappointed. They threw out all the immersion after the first two years of the game. That aside a dynamic camera was included and clothing and character customization has improved. 

Spoiler

Such as adjusting size and placement of accessories, allowing you to make some interesting stuff. 

Spoiler

The white under the eyes are two glasses. 

 

[Yoshiblue]

Figure someone might like this since you get to fight a very anime Yamato. It originally had the imperial seal on the bow but people complained so it was changed to the villain's emblem. 

 

Standard Yamato is also available as a team room setting where you get to jump all around one. 

[Eisennagel]

 

I am willing to give it a try in the PC version, once more.  I said once more because I did try PSO2 before and I could not last for a week.  The game had too much garbage collection and require you to constantly clean your inventory.  Plus somehow, its not as close to being as sociable as PSU on the 360.   But I have been yearning for a good MMO RPG for a while and one whose combat is a bit more random, and the PSO series have gotten this right, something that Monster Hunter emulated.  Tried FF14 already and left after several months; I didn't like raids with monsters heavily based on scripted movesets.

 

[Yoshiblue]

Sadly the 'more collections than your body has room for' issue is still there, but there are also means to expand your inventory. Such as having 3 free characters, each with their own inventory bank space and currency to expand them. Also yeah; people were afraid of being banned for speaking in public that unless you're in the flavor block of the month where everyone goes to not give a damn; some stick to PMs, guild and party chats. Might be different with the US version where entire lobbies may just be filled with those people now. For better or for worse. 

[EmperorMaxwell]

Used to be hyped for this years ago when it was first announced. I’ll give it a shot but honestly not expecting much.

[Yoshiblue]

Not gonna convince you not to. People waited this long. They gotta see it with their own eyes. Plus the game is free so the only thing you lose is time. 

[Eisennagel]

 

 

I get the chills just listening to the theme music from the previous games.

 

 

 

 

The PSO2 variation of A Whole New World.

 

 

[Yoshiblue]

Might still be magical for all the new people, but when a story boss gets low on health a unique remix of The Whole New World will play for each of them. To me personally it got old after a while. But that's also because after hearing bits of Olga Flow in a Falz's theme I wished they would remix this. 

 

[EmperorMaxwell]

On 6/14/2019 at 10:40 AM, Yoshiblue said:

Not gonna convince you not to. People waited this long. They gotta see it with their own eyes. Plus the game is free so the only thing you lose is time. 

Doesn't it have some sort of Gacha system in the game? Either way, I still remember fondly creating my female space elf and carving stull up with those photon claws.

[Eisennagel]

 

I will never get tired of listening to The Whole New World.

[Eisennagel]

35 minutes ago, EmperorMaxwell said:

Doesn't it have some sort of Gacha system in the game? Either way, I still remember fondly creating my female space elf and carving stull up with those photon claws.

 

I suspect this time, this variation, it might.  

[Yoshiblue]

1 hour ago, EmperorMaxwell said:

Doesn't it have some sort of Gacha system in the game? Either way, I still remember fondly creating my female space elf and carving stull up with those photon claws.

Nobody knows what the NA version will bring and it's believed that the gatcha was a large reason why it never came to the west for so long. It even caused Japan to make a new law because of it. Originally at the start of the game's life you would have a scratch card and whaling forcollecting everything on it got you a unique item. For example collecting all the cash gatcha version of the starter gear got you a Rappy suit that you could get nowhere else in the game. Also odds of getting items were eventually listed. 

 

Nowadays its a bit of the same but they show you everything they have to offer on the website (A current one for example http://pso2.jp/players/catalog/scratch/ac/20190612/), and you spend money for a chance at anything in that. Or you can buy the gold ticket which removes the fluff and only gets you the new outfits and accessories. Bonus items are now dependent on the number of scratches you did, usually like do 15 scratches total for the last bonus item, instead of having to complete a bingo card. If you don't like what you get, you could sell it on the player market. 

 

Also if you used two tickets/passes of the same layer wear/accessory, it makes that item account wide. So that's cool.

[Yoshiblue]

I never did the accessory thing any justice so I guess one of the things to also look forward to is all the nonsense going on in the lobbies. Like these for example. 

Spoiler

This is a CAST made to look like a motorbike.

 

 

[Eisennagel]

 

The PSO2 anime is currently showing at Funimation and Hulu.  Its a bit darker than what the opening suggests.  

 

 

This is for those who never started on the franchise before.  How it all started and the point of it all.

 

 

How I feel about PSO2 finally coming to the West after all this years, even if you have to get an Xbox to do it.

 

 

[Yoshiblue]

Yeah the anime is going into a lot darker aspect than even what the game's story went with. Like yeah someone died in the opening stages of the game, but it was nonconsequential and quickly forgotten about. Like in a that guy only died because you distracted him sort of way and doesn't happen again. Its also already retconned a few things, borrows aspects of PSO that wasn't seen in PSO2 and moves at faster pace than the game did.

 

 

[Yoshiblue]

Maybe this thread should get a title update and become the PSO2 thread? 

[Eisennagel]

 

Took 7 years, but PSO2's Valkyria Chronicles, Puyo Puyo, and Virtua Fighter crossovers finally comes to NA PSO2.   This is just days after SEGA launched its Military Line banner.   If you had rolled money to get the military uniforms, which are rightly fabulous, but boy oh boy the ones from Valkyria Chronicles looks better, especially Selvaria's uniform and swimsuit.

 

 

 

pso2 military line.  The Admiral costumes are awesome, but the Combat Raider suits are the jewels in the line in my opinion, because lewd?

 

 

SEGA Legacy

 

 

The Oracle and virtual Idols banners are still on.  Personally the best costume of all isn't in any of the banners but in the Fast Finds section, where three uniforms from PSP games.  The one I can't wait to get was Emilia's.    Odd seeing this video, as the PSP characters belong to Phantasy Star Universe.  Vivienne's costume isn't available yet.   The game likely already laid the ground work where both characters can be used to support your party, but it isn't activated yet.  

 

 

 

[Eisennagel]

 

Episode 4 is coming in August for both PC and Xbone.  Finally you get to take on the Yamato.

 

There is talk that PSO2 will be made available to other PC platforms.  Perhaps that botched launch of Microsoft's horrible Windows Store make them consider alternatives like Steam.

 

 

[Yoshiblue]

Since they seem to want to push out Ep6 within the year, it may be a good idea to stock up instead of chasing for the current end game gear. Or blow it all on the fashion, as that's the true end game. 

[Eisennagel]

 

PSO2 to launch on Steam?   Plus global launch.

 

 

The Shironia theme from PSO2.  This is played on the Daybreaker missions on Planet Harukotan.  There is another theme buried in this theme that only players of Phantasy Star Universe would recognize.

 

 

The Mizuraki CD theme.  This got to be one of the greatest tracks I ever heard recorded for a game.   I miss those runs along the cherry trees much.  

 

 

PSP2 remix version.