Developer(s): Sonic Team
Publisher(s): Sega
Genre: Action, RPG
Wikipedia: Link
Game review links: Metacritic: 68/100
Game description: Phantasy Star Universe offers two complete RPG experiences - a single-player action adventure spanning multiple planets, and a robust online multi-player component. The game offers long-time fans the epic experience they have been clamoring for. The solo adventure features more than 40 hours of gameplay, an emotionally engaging story, traditional cut scenes, and strong character development. The title's hero is Ethan Waber, a 17-year old cadet intent on saving his sister, who is living on a planet under siege by mysterious life forces called THE SEED. In Online Mode, players are given the opportunity to create their own characters from a range of races, and they get to explore all three planets in the Grarl solar system. Fans can travel with a squad of other adventurers, enter urban sprawls teeming with hundreds of other players, and build their avatars into powerful warriors.
Phantasy Star Universe, often abbreviated as PSU, is an action role-playing game similar to the Phantasy Star Online games. It takes place in the same universe as the games of the Online series and the original series before it, but in a different star system called Gurhal. Like most of the PSO titles, PSU is playable in both a persistent, massively multiplayer online network mode (Unfortunately, not working on PCSX2) and a full featured single-player story mode.

Test configurations on Windows:

Enter Phantasy Star Universe and you have a standalone offline game, complete with well over 20 hours of gameplay and a story driven experience. It all makes sense. It all makes sense.

Traffic puzzle app.

Space invaders extreme 2 rom. Entering the battle, enemies will appear in waves with many different colors and shapes. Your job will be to destroy the spacecraft and avoid colliding with them.

Trivia

• Original names: ファンタシースターユニバース (SLPM-66031) & (SLPM-74244)

Known Issues

Enemies stop moving (Will result in getting stuck in Chapter 7's boss)

• Status:Fixed
• Type: Major
• Description: Enemies stop moving. This is particularly an issue in Chapter 7, where you have to fight a boss that's initially invisible. Because of this bug he will stay invisible and you'll be unable to progress. Make sure you have/create a regular Memory Card Save before this point, or you will have to start over the game, because Save States save this bug.
• Workaround: Fixed in recent v1.5.0 developer builds. For older versions go to Config > Emulation Settings > EE/IOP > Set Round Mode to 'Nearest' or 'Positive'

Gameplay Screenshots

The only reason I played Online is because I was a Sega fanatic, and it was one of the Dreamcast's biggest titles. I can't say I really enjoy it, though. The clunky, repetitive gameplay bored me to death, and the lack of a storyline meant single player was pretty much worthless. Too bad, as the characters, world view and music were all classic Sega!I think I'm going change my opinion on the series with. The characters are back! The futuristic, robotic space setting is back! And the music - just check out that horrible introductory theme song!

But on top of all those PSO-inspired elements, Sega has added an actual story mode which, after a few hours of play time, seems like it could have all the epic feel of a full-fledged Japanese RPG. Plus, to top it all off, the battle system has been updated so that it isn't boring and monotonous. PSU could be the game PSO should've been! We already detailed the first few hours of the single player mode for you.

To complement our impressions, we've uploaded a few single player movies (along with a movie featuring that horrible theme song), showing you what it's like to play PSU by yourself. The only problem I'm having with the single player mode involves the presentation.

The game feels somewhat unrefined, with too much loading between scenes. As we detailed last week, the game is meant to feel like a series of anime episodes, each episode consisting of a theme song, a preview of the next episode and even end credits! This would all be more effective if there weren't so many pauses between scenes. Since PSU is coming out on our shores in a couple of months, this area probably won't be fixed up. It doesn't ruin the game or anything, but a bit of polish would've made for a better experience. While the single player mode looks like it's going to be worthwhile on its own, we're sure a bunch of you will also be going online with the title for new, improved Phantasy Star Online gameplay sessions with friends. The release of the Japanese version meant that we'd at last be given a chance to try out online play.

Or so we thought. Sega's servers have actually been so packed since yesterday's release that we haven't even been able to sign up for a PSU play account. Once we've gotten through the jam, we'll be back with online play impressions.