Systems: PS2/PC/360 US Release: Oct 24th UK Release: Nov 24th Pricing: $9.99/month for online play or $50/6 months ($8.30/month) http://www.phantasystaruniverse.com/index.php http://ps2.ign.com/objects/683/683215.html http://www.pso-world.com PSUpedia.org (PSU Wiki, great for information and guides) What is it? The latest game in Sega's Phantasy Star series. Phantasy Star Universe is an Offline/Online Science Fiction Action-based Role Playing Game. Players can partake of an offline story mode with around 40 hours of gameplay, or go online to form team-based games with a customized character. Main Features * Action Based Combat system * Online Team-based gameplay * 30 Randomly generated dungeons * 15+ bosses * 3 Player controlled vehicles * Player customized rooms/stores * Four character races: Humans, Casts (Androids) Newmans and Beasts * Three main classes with various mixtures * A 40-hour offline RPG component with characters and cut-scenes * Extra Mode: A new offline mode that functions just like online mode, with character customization Penny Arcade PS2/PC Players Universe 06: Black_Heart - Black Heart (Human Hunter) - J4SH1N (Cast Ranger) piL - piL (Newman Force) StriderEdge - Ciel (Cast Ranger) S3rial One - Mars (Beast Hunter) Jeffro - Jeffro The Far Side - Faridius (Newman Force) MJ - Voltage (Cast Ranger) Reynolds - Kaja (Newman Ranger) JAEF - Jaef (Cast Ranger) Gilder - Gilder (Newman Force) Iceman2343 - Sheeri (Cast Ranger) Ichnob - Roronoa Zoro--Human (male/hunter) - Varion Ichnob--Newman (male/ranger) Rinder - Rinder (Cast Ranger) OtakuD00D - Gally (Cast Hunter) Akira - Jin (Newman Force) - Sakiro (Cast Ranger) Etch - Etch (Cast Ranger) RenegadeDrizzt - renegadedrizzt (Beast Hunter) life3 - Skullpunch (Beast Hunter) fallaxdraco - Maledictus (newman force) - Volition (Human hunter) RoriProfessor - Evangeline (Beast Hunter) F-Zero_Racer - Aernaru SilentCoconut - Arko (Newman Force) firekiun - Aei (Newman Ranger) 3rdrocket - Tony Tony Chopper (Beast Hunter) - Bob Ross (Newman Force) Just_Bri_Thanks - CHandra (Cast Ranger) Anyone who has my partner card is free to hang out in my room where some other Penny Arcade members may be. To access another player's room, select the panel to the left of your partner machine, then select "Go to Room" and select their partner card to be transported to their room. Penny Arcade 360 Players (taken from the 360 Arcadians Wiki) Aoi - Kirin Dogthulhu Izzimach TheNameIsJohnny Tremor - MajorTremor To contact a fellow PA member, either post in this thread asking where to meet up in-game, join Penny Arcade's Vent channel and look for people playing PSU, or PM one of us, or find us playing a game in the Mission listings in-game. The games are usually named after the person who started it. So if you see our name listings, join the game and ask for our partner cards. Once you have someone's Partner Card it is very easy to stay in contact with them. Online Mode In Online Mode, the character you create becomes a member of the GUARDIANS, stationed in the Gurhal System. You'll have your own room and your own Partner machinery, and you'll be able to have adventures and interact with other players in the same world that Story Mode takes place in. To play online you needs a GUARDIANS License, which you obtain from the PSU website. It costs $9.99/month. Faq here Can the various platforms play with each other? Yes, somewhat. Playstation 2 and PC share the same servers. The 360 version has seperate servers however. Are the servers internationally linked? Yes and No. The Playstation 2 and PC servers for the Japanese(which went live over a month ago) are completely seperate from the US servers. The US servers will be linked with European servers however when the EU version releases on the 24th. The 360 version servers however, will be linked in every region. Character Creation Human Human Female Creation vid Human Male Creation vid The most balanced class stat-wise in PSU. Humans do well while playing any class in the game but do not specialize as much as other classes. Great if you like switching your class around or want a combination class. The character I made, using this flash demo(pretty basic, lacks a LOT of features). Newman Newman Male Creation vid Newman characters excel in Mind Power and Technique usage, making them excellent casters. However, they are the weakest physical class in the game. Great if you want to play a Force. Cast Male Cast Creation vid Female Cast Creation Casts possess the highest Accuracy and Defense stats in the game. However they have the lowest magical power and technique points. They are best suited as Rangers. Beast Beast Female Creation Beasts are powerful physical fighters that have the highest HP and Strength in the game. However, they are the lowest on accuracy and 2nd to lowest on magic power. They are great for playing a Hunter. Statistical Comarison for classes/races at Lv1 Lobbies/Cities The "lobbies" in PSU are cities that can hold hundreds of players each. They contain many shops and areas to access the various features of the game. Classes Players can now switch between classes, instead of making a character that is stuck in a single role. Along with the base classes from PSO, the Hunter, Ranger, and Force, there are 7 "Expert classes" that go more in-depth or add varied abilities to the base classes. Fortefighter (Advanced Hunter) -- A pure melee fighter. Has excellent Attack power and Defense power, but has to get into close range as he cannot use magic and only small firearms such as pistols. They specialize in dealing and taking damage. Fortegunner (Advanced Ranger) -- A pure gunner. Has excellent Attack power, range, and Accuracy. However, they must stay at a distance to fight effectively and ranged weapons devour ammunition quickly. They work best as a support class, finishing off and debuffing monsters with special bullet effects. Fortetecher (Advanced Force) -- A pure technique-caster. Can use all techniques and is well-versed in the use of all tech-casting weapons and a few ranged weapons. However, he has very low HP and Defense power, can be killed easily and relies heavily on Technique points which drain with each casting. Can work well as a Buffer/Debuffer, Damage Dealer, or Healer depending on which Techniques are equipped. Figunner (Hunter + Ranger) -- Able to use both melee weapons and ranged weapons. Guntechter (Ranger + Force) -- Able use ranged weapons as well as cast techniques. Wartecher (Force + Hunter) -- Able to cast techniques as well as use melee weapons. Protranser -- An expert trap-setter. Able to use all traps including those of much greater power than normal and a large variety of weapons. Vehicles You can operate any of these three vehicles yourself. The Floader is a surface bike that travels at high speeds over water. The striker is a Military Tank vehicle; it's slow, but has powerful attack capabilities. The lunga is a native creature on Moatoob; its breath is capable of clearing things out of your way, but as it's a living creature, with use it will eventually get tired and its strength will weaken. Personal Rooms/Partner Machines Each player gets a personal room which they can customize and decorate with various items found while doing missions. You can invite up to 5 other people to view your room. You may also setup shops in your room to sell items to other players. Players can search item listings to show which shops sell which items then teleport into your room to buy the items whether you are offline or online. Offline Story Mode In Story Mode, the player assumes the role of Ethan Waber, a young man enlisted in an interplanetary security force known as the GUARDIANS. With the help of numerous partners, he fights to uncover the mystery of the SEED, stands up against conspiracy, and grows up along the way as an epic story unfolds. Ethan is a "super character" who can use all types of weapons and armors in the game as well as techniques for them, which online characters cannot.[/list] Screenshots and Videos Boss battle video 360 beta video Online Mode Video Story mode intro (next two are from the PS2 version) Thats all for now, I will keep updating this post and once the game comes out i will update it with information on where to meet up if you want to play I'm getting the Playstation 2 version. Feel free to add anything and I will put it in.

I'm still not sure if I should get this or not. I was all psyched the other day, but now I'm not so sure.

As long as I can be a robot with a giant sword, I'm in.

The 360 version gives you the first month free, I think. Not sure about the other platforms.

Has there been any impressions of the single player yet? Sega keeps saying that they put a lot more work into it than they did with PSO's SP, but all of the previews I've seen have been MP only.

I'm getting the PC version for my brother and myself. I wanted to hold off getting this game to save up for the wallet-raping month of November, but I've been salivating over this game for a long time. Hope to see other PS2/PC users from PA online.

Has there been any impressions of the single player yet? Sega keeps saying that they put a lot more work into it than they did with PSO's SP, but all of the previews I've seen have been MP only. There haven't been any formal reviews yet as far as I've been able to see. However, importers have said its not bad. The offline game is played in Episodes somewhat similar to a television series. It does well to showcase the game's main features and letting players get the swing of the game and the plot seems like your standard RPG fair for the most part with good voice acting and cut-scenes. I'm going to try playing the offline game before I go online personally. As I've heard that really makes the game a lot more fun.

Has there been any impressions of the single player yet? Sega keeps saying that they put a lot more work into it than they did with PSO's SP, but all of the previews I've seen have been MP only. Eh, from what I know it's a whole RPGesqe themed thing in offline mode. Worse off though, I'm fairly sure you can't play with your online character offline anymore, which isn't so bad though...

Has there been any impressions of the single player yet? Sega keeps saying that they put a lot more work into it than they did with PSO's SP, but all of the previews I've seen have been MP only. Eh, from what I know it's a whole RPGesqe themed thing in offline mode. Worse off though, I'm fairly sure you can't play with your online character offline anymore, which isn't so bad though... I need to update my first post about Extra mode. Extra mode is an "offline online mode". Where it basically simulates the online game by letting you create a character, get your own room, create missions, and join the NPCs from the story mode. You can't use your online character in it, because that is held on the server, but you can re-create it. The main thing that made Phantasy Star Online so easy to crack and cheat in, was that it held all the data offline and players could try hacks and cheats out offline, then just take their data online and have it work the same way.

Has there been any impressions of the single player yet? Sega keeps saying that they put a lot more work into it than they did with PSO's SP, but all of the previews I've seen have been MP only. Eh, from what I know it's a whole RPGesqe themed thing in offline mode. Worse off though, I'm fairly sure you can't play with your online character offline anymore, which isn't so bad though... There's an Extra Mode which simulates playing online. DoNotPursueLuBu is correct in saying that you cannot use your offline character to play online. It's a decent way to test out a character though. I wish that there was LAN/Multiplayer implemented in the release though. edit-- beated

Has there been any impressions of the single player yet? Sega keeps saying that they put a lot more work into it than they did with PSO's SP, but all of the previews I've seen have been MP only. Eh, from what I know it's a whole RPGesqe themed thing in offline mode. Worse off though, I'm fairly sure you can't play with your online character offline anymore, which isn't so bad though... I need to update my first post about Extra mode. Extra mode is an "offline online mode". Where it basically simulates the online game by letting you create a character, get your own room, create missions, and join the NPCs from the story mode. You can't use your online character in it, because that is held on the server, but you can re-create it. The main thing that made Phantasy Star Online so easy to crack and cheat in, was that it held all the data offline and players could try hacks and cheats out offline, then just take their data online and have it work the same way. Exactly what I assumed/thought, ah well the whole appeal for PSO for the GC was merely the offline multiplayer, but considering this'll be for the PS2, 360, and PC, eh well, doesn't seem like such a loss. As long as half the PSO nation isn't running around with Double Cannons or NOL'ing more people, I'm AOK with it.

I have this ordered. It should be waiting for me after class Wednesday, although if it takes until Thursday, I wont be terribly suprised.

Has there been any impressions of the single player yet? Sega keeps saying that they put a lot more work into it than they did with PSO's SP, but all of the previews I've seen have been MP only. Eh, from what I know it's a whole RPGesqe themed thing in offline mode. Worse off though, I'm fairly sure you can't play with your online character offline anymore, which isn't so bad though... I need to update my first post about Extra mode. Extra mode is an "offline online mode". Where it basically simulates the online game by letting you create a character, get your own room, create missions, and join the NPCs from the story mode. You can't use your online character in it, because that is held on the server, but you can re-create it. The main thing that made Phantasy Star Online so easy to crack and cheat in, was that it held all the data offline and players could try hacks and cheats out offline, then just take their data online and have it work the same way. Exactly what I assumed/thought, ah well the whole appeal for PSO for the GC was merely the offline multiplayer, but considering this'll be for the PS2, 360, and PC, eh well, doesn't seem like such a loss. As long as half the PSO nation isn't running around with Double Cannons or NOL'ing more people, I'm AOK with it. You won't have to worry about that too much with the implementation of Expert classes.

How are the PC controls? I had moderate issue with the FFXI interface since it was generally garbage and ripped straight from the PS2, took up half the screen and was generally annoying. I can see from the screenshots that the interface looks clean but.. Are the PC controls comfortable? Does it feel clunky, or smooth? Also, are US and Asian servers seperate? Starting as a level 1 with a bunch of max level people I couldn't even communicate with running around pretty much ruins the MMO experience.

How are the PC controls? I had moderate issue with the FFXI interface since it was generally garbage and ripped straight from the PS2, took up half the screen and was generally annoying. I can see from the screenshots that the interface looks clean but.. Are the PC controls comfortable? Does it feel clunky, or smooth? Also, are US and Asian servers seperate? Starting as a level 1 with a bunch of max level people I couldn't even communicate with running around pretty much ruins the MMO experience. From what I've heard the PC controls are very good. Movement is mapped to WASD and you use the Directional keys to activate and switch weapons and techniques. You can also use a USB gamepad if you don't want to use the keyboard. The US and JP servers are completely seperate for the Playstation 2/PC versions. US players will all get a fresh start together. However.. the US servers are the same for the EU servers. So when the EU version comes out, the Brits will be forced to play with us yanks. The 360 version servers are globally linked. So 360 players in Japan, USA, and UK will all play on the same 360 servers.

PS2 version looks teh ugly. I might be getting this, depends on the reactions I read in this thread though. Need a PS2>USB converter so I can get my game on my computer (not sure how much better a 9600XT is going to do over the PS2's engine though).

Er.. directional keys? Is the mouse not used to control the view? Buttons are remappable, I hope?

Do all versions cost 9.99 a month to play? If so, no sale for me.

Er.. directional keys? Is the mouse not used to control the view? Buttons are remappable, I hope? You can use the mouse as well as the directional keys to attack and yes buttons are remappable.

Damn seperate servers? I was hoping to practice my nihongo

Er.. directional keys? Is the mouse not used to control the view? Buttons are remappable, I hope? You can use the mouse as well as the directional keys to attack and yes buttons are remappable. Sounds good.. maybe I'll pick this up tomorrow (or Wednesday) while I wait for the Burning Crusade.

Regarding pricing. Pricing: $9.99/month for online play. Is the game itself free? Like, is it a free download, with only a $10 monthly fee?

Regarding pricing. Pricing: $9.99/month for online play. Is the game itself free? Like, is it a free download, with only a $10 monthly fee? No, you have to pay for the game as well. It is made with a full-fledged offline RPG game, so a 30+(I think) hour offline RPG with an MMO game for the $50 price. Also comes with 1 month free. At least when there's server maintenance, you could always go back to beating the single player game.

I'll be buying this for the PC

If it werent so close to the Wii launch I would be all over this.