Phantasy Star

[Anonymous No.1144285]

Phantasy Star, /vr/. I've never played a game from the series but I wanna get into it. I'm thinking about starting with PSIV since I've heard great things about it, but I want to know if playing the games in order would be a better move. I'd also like to know what I can expect from any of these games. This can be a Phantasy Star thread if you want, too.

[Anonymous No.1144314]

Don't leave the thread, give me time to do a run down of all 4.

[Anonymous No.1144364]

One thing to note about the Phantasy Star series, with maybe an exception to VI, is that they are not kind to people unfamiliar with RPGs from this era.

Phantasy Star, the first of the series, is pretty grindy at the start. An example, you need 300 meseta to even do the first thing to get the game rolling. You start with 0 and the only enemies you can consistently kill right away only give you 3 a piece. If you plan on not using a guide or maps, you will probably want graph paper to map out the dungeons yourself. Aimless wandering isnt really viable near the end of the game. Overall this is probably the 2nd best of the series.

Phantasy Star II has just about as much grind as the first but you feel like you make more progress while you are grinding. Most of the grinding you do in this one is for meseta since how much damage you do and how much you take is pretty much determined by your equipment, which gets really expensive. II has 8 characters you can use but 2 of them are pretty much worthless after halfway through the game. If you don't want to use guides i suggest at least using an equipment compatibility chart just to save time. If you don't want to use maps, I will warn you now that every single dungeon, without exception, was designed by a master ruseman. This installment brings about the hell that is seperate character inventories that persists in Phantasy Star III. Pretty much everything that makes this game tedious was corrected in Phantasy Star IV
Pic is an example of a mid game dungeon in PSII

[Anonymous No.1144407]

Phantasy Star III is in my opinion the worst of the 4 but it isnt so bad its unplayable. It is the most disconnected from the series but is still related, although not as directly as 1,2 & 4. The biggest change in this game is the techniques and combat systems. The other games work mostly the same with minor differences. This is also the easiest to beat since if you just buy the best equipment you can reasonably afford and max out the Gires tech, you pretty much will beat everything you run into. Had this game not been a Phantasy Star game, I think people would have a higher opinion of it but it gets lumped with 3 other better games. The enemy sprites in this game are the best of the series though.

Phantasy IV is the best game in the series. You never really need to grind if you visit every optional area when you first get there, but you can still die if you get ambushed with some critical hits from the enemies at pretty much any point in the game. 4 also has the most amount of dialouge so you have a better idea of the whole story. Playing this game without a guide wont even be a problem, the dungeons aren't as sadistic as any of the other games. To me, Phantasy Star IV is everything I loved about Phantasy Star II without all the bullshit i hated about Phantasy Star II.

I would recommend playing them in this order, 1, 2, 4, 3.

Pic is a mid game map from Phantasy Star III

Feel free to ask me anything about any of the games.

[Anonymous No.1144415]

Phantasy Star IV is fantastic and a must play. I and II were great for their time but are rather archaic now. If you don`t mind old JRPGs then play I then II then IV, or else just play IV.

[Anonymous No.1144430]

>>1144364
>>1144407

Sounds like playing the earlier games would be a pain in the ass, but if they're worth a playthrough then I'll check them out. I appreciate the advice

How are the stories in these games? Are they continuous between the games in some way or do they just not have a connection like in Final Fantasy

>>1144415
Yeah I'll probably start with IV and maybe go backwards

[Anonymous No.1144432]

II and IV do nothing for me but the original Phantasy Star is fucking great.

[Anonymous No.1144440]

>>1144432
Must have misclicked the spoiler box, here's another

[Anonymous No.1144441]

Did you know that there is a separate graphic/text adventure game for each character in Phantasy Star 2 that together with the Game Gear Phantasy Star Adventure serve as a prequel to the game?

[Anonymous No.1144443]

>>1144430
1-2-4 are directly connecter, 3 is a gaiden.

[Anonymous No.1144446]

>>1144430
If you think they will be a pain in the ass just use FAQs and maps. For the story, 1, 2, & 4 are chronological. 3 takes place around the same time as 4 but not in the Algo star system.

[Anonymous No.1144450]

1 is insanely grindy at the start but lightens up after a few hours. It's a pretty decent game. I just started playing the series myself and I'm almost done with the first one.

Can't wait to get to the fourth one since it looks like it's the best.

[Anonymous No.1144469]

>>1144441
I tried to find those games but i couldn't get them to work on an emulator. Anyone got some links for roms of the text adventures?

[Anonymous No.1144470]

>>1144432
>>1144440

i see a lot of PS love around here but these two screens have finally piqued my interest.

[Anonymous No.1144479]

>>1144470
The enemies are also animated. And this game came out the same week as Final Fantasy 1.

[Anonymous No.1144496]

>>1144446
>just use FAQs and maps
This would absolutely ruin Phantasy Star 1. Most of the fun comes from exploring and figuring out what to do and where to go. Grinding should be a nonissue if you don't spoil the game like that.

[Anonymous No.1144504]

I started with IV last week and its really a great game. Never played the other ones. And it seems i dont need them because they are several years in the past. But there are many things that are directly refer to the other games and i guess i miss some feels because i havent played them. It seems the games are not connected through characters but locations and histroy.

The whole game is also very non archaic. Only the menus are behind the times (small windows, only text, lots of abbreviations)

[Anonymous No.1144532]

>>1144504
That reminds me - it`s a good idea to use the manual (not a full guidebook, just the basic thing that comes with the game). It should have the names and descriptions of techniques and skills and stuff.

[Anonymous No.1144548]

>>1144504
>The whole game is also very non archaic.
Foi
Zan
Gra
Atraxia
Hewn

[Anonymous No.1144573]

>>1144364
Just now starting PS1. What should I do first? I just found 50 meseta in the chest next to the house you start in.

[Anonymous No.1144640]

>>1144573
Fight enemies outside of town, talk to the nice lady who heals you, repeat for like 10 minutes.

[Anonymous No.1144642]

>>1144573
Only fight the swarm guys until you level up a bit. upgrade your weapon as soon as you can so you can take on the scorpions

[Anonymous No.1144648]

>>1144573
DO NOT WALK ON THE SAND BEACHES and dont grind for too long. once you can easily kill most enemies around the first cities move on with the game so you get more characters

[Anonymous No.1144838]

>>1144648
I say get to level 5. By then you have the heal spell and a good bit of MP to cast it a few times. Also you most likely have gotten a good bit of money also to buy a new weapon I think.

[Anonymous No.1144981]

>>1144640
>Fight enemies outside of town, talk to the nice lady who heals you, repeat for like 2 hours.
FTFY

[Anonymous No.1146393]

>>1144838
Levels don't matter at all, like >>1144364 said the first thing you need to do is aquire funds to advance the plot. Once you have 300 meseta you'll be strong enough and getting lost in dungeons will keep you levelled for the entire rest of the game.

[Anonymous No.1147331]

why all the hate on PS3?

i played 2 when it came out. 3 was fun when it came out, too. but i was a kid then, and things have really changed to say the least.

just picked up 2 rom so i can get some nostalgia going.

hopefully it holds up. it's been over twenty years, so.....

[Anonymous No.1147505]

Phantasy Star II got really annoying once I got to Dezolis. Those dungeons are horrific, but it was during that time I discovered a trick. Assuming you have the visiphone, If you save the game every couple of steps or so (say about 5-7 tiles), it seems to reset the enemy encounter rate. If you keep saving over and over as you move through dungeons, you can get all the way through without any enemy encounters at all (and if you do get an encounter you can either fight or reset). It sounds cheap, but once you get to that final dungeon you wont mind doing it

[Anonymous No.1148292]

>>1147505
I think all you have to do for that trick is open the menu, maybe use an item, not neccecarily the visiphone.

[Anonymous No.1148494]

>>1147505
Or you can run away, or you can kill them. I gave everybody two shields and used itemcasts to both damage and heal and I never had any problems anywhere in the game. I was about level 20 at the end.

[Legion of Anon No.1148540]

>>1148292
>>1147505

Actually, you don't even have to use an item, just repeatedly open/close the menu as you walk. It's not 100% foolproof, but it can work.

>>1148494

You must have gotten extremely lucky on the Dark Force battle, 'cause that motherfucker can easily put your entire team on lockdown while the Neisword takes its sweet time deciding to purify you. That guy, more than any other creature in the game, almost necessitates grinding as a contingency plan.

[Anonymous No.1149118]

>>1148540
Its not really worth the time to to it since it doesn't always work.
>>1148494
You got very lucky. The Dark Force battle is really dependent on the Neisword doing what its supposed to do.

[Anonymous No.1149130]

>>1144430
If PS1 is too grindy, play the recently released translated remake. It emulates easily on PCSX2. There's even an in-game map generator so you don't have to make your own. It's definitely less grindy than the original. I don't like the artwork though, it's kinda weird.

[Anonymous No.1149134]

How much does the Grinding in I and II compare to Mother? That was close to my limit on how much grinding is required in a game while still being able to enjoy it

[Anonymous No.1149151]

>>1148540
>>1149118
>Not using the Crescent Gear to spam Gires, making both final bosses a joke

[Anonymous No.1149157]

>>1149134
Phantasy Star has a lot of grinding at the start. A few hours worth, but after that just going through the game will keep you on par for most of the game. You may need to grind for meseta near the end to buy diamond armor and the ice digger but thats it.
PSII grinding happens in bursts. When i play through the game i typically grind 3 times. First is at the start to get enough meseta to buy a sword and ceram knifes. Second is before Climatrol to get enough meseta for the best armor you can get at that point. Third is right before the final dungeon to get my party level to the 30s. First grind should only take an hour or so, second is about the same. Third time takes the longest but it depends on whether or not you want Megid for Dark Force. I've never actually used Megid in PSII so you don't really need it.

[Anonymous No.1149163]

>>1149151
>Dark Force hypnotizes 3 times in a row, kills 2 characters and the Neisword still wont dispel you.

[Legion of Anon No.1149281]

>>1149151

You obviously don't pay attention. Dark Force, as >>1149163, >>1149118, and myself said, can lock your party down(doing nothing but one thing that produces no benefit...like fleeing, rummaging through your items, or paralysis). So if you're whole party is 'gripped with fear'...yeah, those Crescent Gears do you a whole lot of good sitting in your inventory.

It may not have happened to you, but it can happen...despite everything else 4chan may have told you, this is not a lie.

[Anonymous No.1150251]

>>1147331
>why all the hate on PS3?
It's easy and it's barely connected to the rest of the series.
It's not a terrible game, it's just the weakest of the 4. The generation changes sneak up on you too. I always laugh when i think about the poor soul who spent the time to get the planar sword at the end of the first generation, only to lose it shortly after.

[Anonymous No.1150424]

>>1146393
I mostly said level 5 because by then you would have the heal spell and enough mp that you can get places easier. And by then you would have acquire enough gold for the plot and a nice sword. Yes levels doesn't matter that much but I feel if you get to level 5 you should never have to worry about much. It's annoying but I feel it will save you a lot of headache in the long run.
>>1149130
I should actually play it. Heard nice things about it. Might take a look after my Dragon Quest marathon (on 3 so far).
>>1149134
Near the start it's annoying because you basically are running back to town to heal after every battle for the first few levels. But once you get the Heal spell there's hardly any grinding. If you don't really use a map and get lost in the dungeons. Since the leveling progression took you getting lost into account.
>>1147331
It's mostly because it feels so much different then the others. Like how Zelda 2 gets a bit of a bad rep. But I did enjoy it. Just not as much as the others.

[Anonymous No.1150538]

>>1150251
I really liked it. So did my friends. But I know it's a black sheep and I understand why.

My favorite game is PS4. But I love all four games. I didn't get to play the first one until GBA though.

PS4 is the most accessible to new players. If you are a veteran of retro RPGs though you may not consider that a factor. The order I played in was 2,3,4,1. But I finished 3 before 2. PS2 has some confusing labyrinths and I remember making lots of maps because the second time I bought the game it didn't have the hint book. Why didn't I keep it? No clue. I took for granted back then getting things back after selling them.

The series as a whole is one of the best combinations of sci fi and fantasy. So if you like that sort of thing you will probably enjoy the environment and story a lot.

[Anonymous No.1150739]

>>1150538
>GBA

Still mad the GBA compilation didn't get the fourth game.
Only played PS4 (the best game) years later, since I had no idea it existed until then.

Yeah, I got into the Phantasy Star series way too late.

[Anonymous No.1152891]

People say PSIV is the best. I'm not so sure. I love everything about it, includng the callbacks to all the previous games, but... It's a bit too easy? There's more plot, dialogue and characters than in all the other games put together, but you don't have to work as hard to get the new stuff, and as a result it doesn't feel quite as rewarding.

Also the level cap. What the hell is that about. losing stats when you level over 100.

[Anonymous No.1152895]

>>1152891
Its not that easy for a jrpg. Its harder than 3, for starters. And there are no checkpoints before bosses (or anywhere in a dungeon, for that matter). Its easy compared to 2, though, sure.

[Anonymous No.1152923]

>>1152891
>Also the level cap. What the hell is that about. losing stats when you level over 100.
What the hell are you doing leveling that high?

[Anonymous No.1153160]

I loved phantasy star 4 I replayed it a couple of weeks ago to completion and avoided grinding. It ended up being pretty hard at the final boss using Gryz but it made it pretty worth it. Something about the game is very awesome despite it being somewhat a stock jrpg mechanics wise. Combo techs are a really cool idea though especially for the time.

[Anonymous No.1153659]

>>1152895
It's inarguably easy for a pre-FF6 RPG and I would personally argue that it's "just plain easy". You don't need the crutch of saving before bosses if the bosses aren't gonna ever waste ya. There are a few tricky bosses, but usually you won't lose a lot of progress if you die to them. Like those wizardy cunts in the Air Castle, you can save in the outdoor areas so you can retry straight away.

>>1152891
> losing stats when you level over 100.
That's a bug, obviously they didn't test levelling that high because they never thought anybody would be autistic enough to grind for 50 levels after already being strong enough to slap the Profound Phallus silly.
Maybe it's a result of the stats rolling over the maximum value, instead of 258 you'd get 2. I don't really know, I've never tested it because I like fun and grinding when you've beaten all the game's challenges ain't it.

[Anonymous No.1153673]

>>1144285
I started there. Do it. Fucking do it now. Right the fuck now. Be sure to have some good grove music as backup, but the soundtrack for the game is pretty boss too.

I didn't play in order. It won't dampen your enjoyment. PSIII is more or less its own thing, and none of them actively pull from each other's continuity other than setting up the background for where/how the story takes place (PSIII being the exception)

Phantasy Star online/universe/etc ignores the whole make of the first four games—in my opinion, to the series's detriment. Two of the strongest elements about the game, the story and the characters, are chucked to the wayside to make way for MMO-style play.

I'd kill for a traditional sequel right now. Shit would be beyond awesome. I've heard things about Phantasy Star Zero, but haven't tried it yet.

[Anonymous No.1153718]

>>1153673
>I've heard things about Phantasy Star Zero, but haven't tried it yet.
That's a prequel to PSO, don't get your hopes up for any classic PS refrences.

[Anonymous No.1153793]

>>1153718
fuck.

[Anonymous No.1153837]

>>1153659
The level 100 bug is due to the fact it reads the next character's stat table... at lvl 1. Probably because they planned to stop at 99 instead of 100.