Phantasy Star Universe

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Phantasy Star Universe
Logo
Developer(s) Sonic Team
Publisher(s) Sega
Release date(s) PS2, PC:
Flag of Japan August 31, 2006
Flag of United StatesFlag of Canada October 24, 2006
Flag of European Union November 24,
Flag of Australia November 30, 2006

Xbox 360:
Flag of United StatesFlag of Canada October 24, 2006
Flag of European Union November 24, 2006
Flag of Japan December 12, 2006
Genre(s) single-player RPG Game
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s) CERO: B (Ages 12 and up) ESRB: T
Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360
Media DVD-ROM
System requirements Minimum: 1.6 GHz P4, 256MB RAM, 9.0GB HDD, 64MB video card, DirectX 9.0c
Recommended: 2.8Ghz P4, 512MB RAM, 128MB Video Card

Phantasy Star Universe (ファンタシースターユニバース Fantashī Sutā Yunibāsu?) (PSU) is a video 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 (massive multiplayer) online network mode and a full featured single-player story mode.

Contents

[edit] 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; currently not available online).
  • 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 addition seven advanced classes which can either be specialists of the three main classes, or different hybrid versions.
  • 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.
  • Character Customization: In addition, PSU features a character creation system with many more options that that of 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.

[edit] 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, but they are attacked by some sort of creature. The creature paralyzes the GUARDIAN, and Ethan takes his handgun and kills the creature. He 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 the GUARDIAN 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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, the expected date for the required maintenance to be finished.

[edit] Monthly pricing

$9.99 (US dollars) for PC/PS2 users through PlaySega [1] and $9.99 for Xbox 360 users, available through the Xbox Live marketplace. You do not need Xbox Live Gold to play on the 360.

$49.99 (US dollars) for PC/PS2 users through PlaySega for Six Months.

Canadians pay $14.99 CAD a month before tax on the Xbox 360 marketplace.

A UK subscription is £6.99 a month.

A European subscription (in the euro zone) is €9.99 a month.

An Australian subscription is $17.99 for 40 days.

[edit] 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. [2]

[edit] References to popular culture

  • All your base: In Chapter 3 of story mode, at the GUARDIANS BRANCH in Parum, there is a female android, who is just learning how to speak, at the desk. When she is introducing you to your partners (Hyuga Ryght and Karen Erra) in the training mission, she says, "Please make your time.", and "All your future are belong to us." Later on in Chapter 8, she again references Zero Wing (another SEGA title) saying "I heard someone set us up the important mission" and "You know what you doing. Take off every Holy Light."

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


Phantasy Star • Phantasy Star II • Phantasy Star III • Phantasy Star IV
Phantasy Star Online • PSO ver.2 • Episode I & II • Episode III • Episode I & II Plus  • Blue Burst • Episode IV • Phantasy Star Universe
Phantasy Star Generation 1 • Generation 2
Phantasy Star Collection
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