Tell me about... Phantasy Star I-IV

[TYRANITARR]

Hey guys, longtime gamer here, grew up on NES/SNES and missed out on these Sega classics. I'm interested in some Holiday classic JPRGing on my Switch and curious which of these games to go through.

I've heard the best things about IV, but should I even bother starting at 1, or playing 2 and 3 first, or go right to the good stuff? I'm interested in having these in the Genesis collection, where I understand you can Fast Forward and save state, I assume that makes these much more "modern" to play.

So just thoughts on where I should start in the series? My only exp is playing PSO on DC and PSP on PSP.

Thanks in advance for your replies!

 

[jschreier]

I think you can skip 1-3 and go straight to 4, which remains one of the best JRPGs ever made. Four has aged very well but you'll want a GameFAQs guide to tell you what all of the spells and abilities actually do.

 

[Novel Mike]

I'd normally say just start with IV as the other games are outdated but the Ages version of the original Phantasy Star is fantastic. It offers increased exp/money gain so you don't really have to grind, a speed up function for movement, a fast forward feature for battles, an in game guide to explain what spells and weapons do, and an automapping feature for dungeons.

It's 8$ buy it. If you get lost which is somewhat easy to do unless you are good about understanding hints from NPC's then don't be afraid to use a guide.

I'm really hoping Phantasy Star 2 gets an Ages version (and sooner rather then later) as its the game in the original series that holds up the least due to a very high encounter rate and large dungeons. It can be quite difficult. If you are up for a challenge though its a pretty great game with a rather interesting story with quite a few surprises in it for a game of its era.

Phantasy Star 3 just kinda sucks. If you want to get into it and play it go for it but its... weird and isn't like the rest of the series.

Phantasy Star 4 is my favorite game of all time. It has a deep enriching story with well developed and interesting characters, a battle system that is challenging but not overly so like PS2, and unique comic book like cut scenes that were unlike anything of its era.

The thing I enjoy most of the series is just how far ahead of its time it was. Phantasy Star IV was doing major dramatic cut scenes with its comic book stills years before we'd be having games like FFVII or others in the 32 bit era. The original Phantasy Star was released very close to the original Final Fantasy and its amazing to see how much more advanced the game looks, plays, and sounds.

 

[Sgt. Demblant]

Phantasy Star 1 was just re-released on Switch as part of the Sega Ages initiative. That is the one version to play in 2018.
You can check out the Sega Ages OT for more info.

It has aged quite a bit obviously but it is much more playable than Final Fantasy 1 or Dragon Quest 1. And the QoL improvements in that version are incredible. There is a primitive charm to that game that no other 8-bit jrpg has ever managed to top as far as I'm concerned. And I say that as someone who has zero nostalgia for the game, since I only first played it about 5 years ago, thanks to the Japanese PS2 collection.

Phantasy Star 2 is an incredible sequel. It doesn't have quite the same visual charm, despite the Megadrive bump, but it does make up for it in other areas.

PS3 was developed by a different team and is pretty terrible imo.

PS4 I have yet to beat. It does look great though, that's all I can say about it.

 

[Silvergun-Blue]

1 is a seminal JRPG of it's time, really impressive visually considering the hardware it was running on. It's worth playing imo as long as you keep in mind when it was made.

2 continued the trend, great narrative despite the translation style typical of the era however modern players may find it a slog with the frequent random battles.

3 is the dark horse of the series, it's not that great tbh as it's development time was pretty short and it was done by a different team.

4, imo, stands shoulder to shoulder with the best the SNES offered at the time. Great visuals and music, awesome battle system that even lets you set macros and argubly the best narrative of the 16 bit era that's fantastically told through the comic style panels.

 

[Deleted member 21003]

Phantasy Star 3 isn't that bad guys. It's not as good as IV, but very few games are. Seriously, IV is fucking amazing.
The Sega Ages version of the first game on Switch is really good. II is pretty good too.
Basically they're all good games.

 

[Wolfgunblood]

1 is amazing. A must play.

2 has the best atmosphere, music and story. It's the best PS game.

3 is a curiosity, not really recommended but it's worth checking out for how unusual it is. The music and enemy design is weird in a good way.

4 has the best graphics, but the story, music and atmosphere are all mediocre.

 

[Jumpman23]

The Sega Ages release of Phantasy Star on Switch is worth the price of entry and can be considered the definitive version of the game. They've added some very nice touches like a dungeon map, Magic lists and item lists that detail their purposes.

The Sega Genesis Collection with Phantasy Star 2-4 on it is a great port but features none of the additions the of the Sega Ages games.

As far as the games themselves go, 1 is a stand alone title from a gameplay perspective in that its dungeon exploration and combat are first person whereas 2-4 are all 3rd person. World exploration is the same in all 4 titles. Music is charming in all 4 games with audio improving in 2-4 due to the Genesis hardware. There are a few cutscenes but no FMV sequences.

If you're looking for a classic turned based RPG with massive dungeons and lots of grinding, these games will fit the bill.

 

[Mejilan]

The recent Sega Ages release of Phantasy Star I that hit Switch (M2, $8) makes revisiting the original very easy today. It comes with some great (and optional) QoL improvements that help out tremendously with the whole "the game has aged quite a bit" thing (which is subjective to begin with). I'm impressed with how well PS holds up.

Phantasy Star II was an incredible sequel that, IMO, needs the M2 Sega Ages treatment just as much. It originally CAME with its own strategy guide on the Genesis, complete with much needed dungeon maps (which were occasionally inaccurate). Brilliant game that could do with an updated translation. Amazing soundtrack. Ballsy as fuck ending.

Phantasy Star III... was not nearly as good. It's definitely the black sheep, but isn't a terrible game. It just falls way short of exceptional.

And speaking of exceptional, Phantasy Star IV was one of the few contemporaries that could give FFVI and Chrono Trigger a fair run for their money, IMO. Amazing end cap to the franchise. Lovely call backs to the older games (even III), awesome combat, side quests, music, etc. Also needs a new translation, but had otherwise aged very well and is the least in need of any QoL improvements.

I and IV were way ahead of their respective times.

Excellent core franchise. I consider the Phantasy Star Online series a spin-off and completely out-of-scope.

 

[violent]

Phantasy Star II is probably my favorite game of all time and IV is probably my least favorite of the quadrilogy.

That said, IV is amazing and you should definitely start with the most refined of the games. If you like it, you are ready for the previous iterations. Prepare yourself for some of the best music in gaming, amazing cast of characters, and Baya Malay Tower.

 

[OrakioRob]

If you're interested in Phantasy Star, you really shouldn't miss the Ages release of Phantasy Star 1. The game is still pretty great, and all of the things that would keep me from recommending it to modern players (mostly the insane dungeons and intense grinding) are gone thanks to the extras M2 added. It feels really nice and I think you should give it a try.

Phantasy Star 2 is ridiculously hard. The dungeons are so insane that you'll have a hard time even if you're using maps. Like, you'd better print the maps and draw your path before you actually go in some of the later dungeons, because there are many sets of stairs that will take you to dead ends and stuff like that. It's an amazing game, I love it's cyberpunk plot and the ending is absolutely bonkers, but man, that game is hard.

Phantasy Star 3 is widely considered the black sheep. Well, I love the game. The music is reeeally good, the char design is great and I think the plot is very interesting. However, without spoiling the game, the setting will look very alien to you if you're coming from Phantasy Star 1 and 2, and only in the final hours you'll get how the game links to the previous ones.

Phantasy Star 4... well, as everybody already stated, that's an amazing game. While you don't need to play the previous games to enjoy it, the game manages to tie up all of the games in a very rewarding way, so if you play the whole series, IV will feel extra special to you.

The greatest thing about the series, in my opinion, is how the four games feel like a full saga. So, of course, I suggest you play all of them. However, if you don't have the time, go for Phantasy Star 1 first (you can beat the Ages version in less than 10 hours) and then jump into Phantasy Star IV.

 

[Raza]

I didn't make the thread, but I wanted to thank everyone who posted as I kinda had the same inclination as OP.

 

[Ferrs]

I & II are good but VERY dated, and that may be though. IV feels like playing FFVI or CT, timeless.

 

[Nephtes]

I think you can skip 1-3 and go straight to 4, which remains one of the best JRPGs ever made. Four has aged very well but you'll want a GameFAQs guide to tell you what all of the spells and abilities actually do.

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I agree with this assessment...

I tried to play Phantasy Star III for the first time in the 90's after finishing Final Fantasy II (IV) and I probably put it down after about 3 hours.
I recall it being quite clunky with drab graphics and a hard to read font ...

I haven't played Phantasy Star IV since it came out, but I imagine it holds up well. The graphics and writing were marked improvement over PSIII ...

Is it worth playing today though?
If I had the time to, I would.

I wonder if Phantasy Star IV is in any of the Sega collections on Xbox or Switch...

 

[oni-link]

How long is IV?

It's been on my list for a while

 

[ryushe]

Going through the Sega Ages version of PS1 and I don't have much to add other than I'm enjoying MUCH more than I originally thought I would.

I will add my final thoughts once I complete it.

*watches thread*

 

[Novel Mike]

How long is IV?

It's been on my list for a while

Click to shrink...

Around 20 hours for a first playthrough I'd estimate. Maybe a bit more or less depending on how many side quests you try and do and how much you explore. There are several areas you never have to go to in the game that you can find on each planet.

 

[sibarraz]

For the god of love, don't skip PS2.

It has one of the best endings in gaming

 

[Sixfortyfive]

1 is impressive when put next to its contemporaries but still to archaic for me to get into. (The Switch version alleviates some of the tedium though.)
2 has its fans but was still too grindy and slow for me to get into.
3 has some novel concepts but is universally regarded as "the bad one."
4 is one of my favorite games of all time.

 

[angelgrievous]

to piggyback, what's the best way to play them today?

 

[Sixfortyfive]

to piggyback, what's the best way to play them today?

Click to shrink...

Definitely Switch for the first game.

I'd say PS2 Sega Ages 2500 for the rest but I don't recall if those had English versions in that collection.

 

[Oreiller]

The Sega Ages version of 1 on Switch is really good. It's still an old JRPG but it has a brisk pacing since almost all of the grinding is gone.
I haven't played enough of 2 and 3 to have a real opinion on it.
4 is really enjoyable. It's not as good as Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest 5 or Final Fantasy 6 but it's still a great 16-bit JRPG.

 

[Buckle]

This thread makes me wish we could get a new single player offering in the series.

Good scifi space JRPGs are hard to find. Especially with Star Ocean kind of shitting the bed three games in a row with its last three entries.

 

[Deleted member 2620]

Doesn't the Playstation 2 M2-developed Phantasy Star collection include QoL changes for Phantasy Star II? At least Walk Speed, right? Is there also an easy mode?

 

[Biestmann]

4 has the best graphics, but the story, music and atmosphere are all mediocre.

Click to shrink...

Spoiler

And you're wrong about the story and atmosphere too.

 

[Wolfgunblood]

Spoiler

And you're wrong about the story and atmosphere too.

Click to shrink...

It's an ok track, but more representative of later era Genesis music that's more gritty and obnoxious. There are some highs to PSIV's OST, but a lot of it is forgettable. Phantasy Star II captures that more magical early Genesis era music with the cleaner synth (and that awesome phaser effect) with none of the later Genesis era harsh electric guitar palette. It holds up better.

Bracky News is a great example of the cyberpunk palette


And then there's the jam in the first dungeon, which has sweet prog rock drum fills and catchy chorus progression.


You get both of those in the first hour of the game, and the music keeps up that quality throughout.

I'd put both of those tracks in the top ten 16-bit tracks, and certainly best on the console. PSIV doesn't have anything that comes close.

The story in IV isn't that interesting or compelling, nor does it have much atmosphere. It's definitely Phantasy Star, but it's more by the numbers. The writing is off-putting, like the NPC that wants to discuss Alys' measurements. The characters in IV are kind of tropey, worst of which is the protag who is a typical naive kid. Compare Chaz with Rolf, who is more of a mature, capable agent. Phantasy Star II's story is much darker and more impactful, compared to the more Saturday morning anime atmosphere of IV.

 

[ghibli99]

Not much to add, just to say that the Sega Ages version of Phantasy Star is terrific. FWIW, I prefer to play it with the non-FM PSG OST. I haven't played Phantasy Star II since its original release, but I don't remember it as fondly as the first game. I have yet to play 3 and 4, but I plan on playing them all soon. Most folks tend to agree that 4 is a fine (and the best) place to start.

 

[Mejilan]

IV has some fucking killer remixes. IMO, I'd say the OSTs for II and IV are about on par, though they have different sounds. II's is definitely more distinct.

Rolf was definitely the better protag. But I liked IV's extended cast more. Other than Nei, II didn't exactly have much character development going. As I mentioned earlier, it did have a massively ballsy ending though.

IV felt like a real end cap for the series though. Did a more than adequate job at tying in the first three games and wrapping it all up satisfactorily. It felt like the end of a larger saga.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

I really dislike most of PS2's soundtrack. It doesn't even come across as a step-up from PS1's FM soundtrack, and I'm not a big fan of that one either.

 

[Mandos]

Working out the Sega Ages release of the original and having a great time, can't wait to move on to the sequels(got the genesis collection on switch )

 

[JayBee]

1 is a clear and solid experience. 2 is quite mazy in general. 3 is not a good game. 4 is what you're used of jrpgs, very streamlined etc and absolutely well made game.

 

[Mirage]

I played PSIV this year and thought it was a good experience. The main thing is you need to look up what spells and abilities do, unless you want to test them out.

 

[HyGogg]

The first game is a massive landmark of gaming history that I think everyone should play. It launched almost the same time as the first Final Fantasy in Japan (I think the same week?) and it was just miles ahead of any other console RPG at the time, with lavish graphics, these amazing first person dungeons, a quest that spawned multiple worlds, and a unique blend of sci-fi and fantasy. Alis is a particularly interesting main character for the time, too, a female fighter-class. For those of us who played it back when it was first release, this game was like an atomic bomb that changed the way I thought about games forever.

Obviously everything that it did has been done better since. It's been 30 years. But if you're the sort of person who can grasp the game in the context of the time it was made, it's a must-play. The new Ages release is very accessible, too.

PS2 is also a great game for the time, arriving very early in the 16-bit gen, long before the SNES games that defined RPGs of that time, but it's less essential, in my opinion, and it loses some of the things that made the first game different (no fp dungeons, no backgrounds in combat, only two worlds instead of three, and no fantasy elements).

PS4 has been covered enough in this thread.

 

[Mr.Deadshot]

Go straight to four. 1+2 aren't much fun nowadays, except you like super-old-school-jrpgs. I mostly heard bad things about 3.

 

[HyGogg]

For the god of love, don't skip PS2.

It has one of the best endings in gaming

Click to shrink...

1 and 2 both had unforgettable endings. My little 8-year old self damn near passed out.

 

[Mejilan]

Not enough can be written about II's ending.

 

[Kelanflyter]

Phantasy star 4 is the best genesis rpg and a masterpiece.

You could skip 2 & 3 but the first one on switch is différent and great

 

[LaneDS]

Should I give the redone music in the AGES version of PS1 a second chance? I heard the title screen music and immediately switched on the original.

I'm also not sure I have the patience to really try to replay that first game but did appreciate all the work that went into that port. Still kind of mind blowing that game had the animation that it had for the first person dungeons back then.

 

[Dogui]

The first 3 are pretty much unplayable today imo. Atleast their original versions, dunno about possible remakes.

IV is pretty nice, but is kinda overrated.

 

[No Depth]

Recommended to grab the first game on Switch for the accessibility upgrades that remove much of the gold and xp grind.

Get PS2-4 on Steam for the Steamworks mods that do the same(not console versions). The experience won't suffer and instead offers a more palatable progression to enjoy the drama and thrills at an improved pace.

 

[100mega]

Should I give the redone music in the AGES version of PS1 a second chance? I heard the title screen music and immediately switched on the original.

I'm also not sure I have the patience to really try to replay that first game but did appreciate all the work that went into that port. Still kind of mind blowing that game had the animation that it had for the first person dungeons back then.

Click to shrink...

I've been trying both soundtracks and in most cases I prefer the standard soundtrack. It just sounds more charming to me. Love the usual SMS music in most games like OutRun for example.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

Recommended to grab the first game on Switch for the accessibility upgrades that remove much of the gold and xp grind.

Get PS2-4 on Steam for the Steamworks mods that do the same(not console versions). The experience won't suffer and instead offers a more palatable progression to enjoy the drama and thrills at an improved pace.

Click to shrink...

4 really doesn't need an easy mod though.

90% of the reason why I rate that game so much higher than other RPGs is that it respects the hell out of my time.

 

[TYRANITARR]

Thanks for all the replies so far guys.

Trying to decide if PSIV is worth the $30 alone on the Genesis Collection, I'm not super huge into the other games on the collection, but I may dip into a few of them.

 

[Sean Mirrsen]

I wonder if it's possible to give PS3 a remaster, or perhaps a remake. It wasn't... that bad, it just very obviously lacked polish, and needed a number of improvements. It could be 'brought into the fold' as it were, bringing it up closer to PS2 or PS4.

 

[Nocturno]

PS3 was a disappointing in terms of continuity, but it was a very interesting dream-like experience.

 

[syth]

Excellent thread, I had a go at ps1 with the Sega Ages, and holy shit, even with Game FAQ's I had no idea what to do 95% of the time.

PS4 how ever I jumped right to, it's in the Megadrive pack, it seems good, i'm about 5 or 6 hours in so far, no real issues regarding quality of life, a few little niggles, but theres even a nice "Talk" function, where if you have forgottten what you need to be doing, the party will have a short conversation and explain where theyre heading etc.

 

[flashman92]

PSI: Pretty amazing for its time. I played it for the first time a couple of years ago. It holds up IMO and is worth playing.

PSII: Hard grindfest. I played it with a Gamegenie and still thought it was a bit of a grind.

PSIII: Never played it because I didn't like the graphics. From what I've heard, I didn't miss much

PSIV: Most refined game of the series. It makes references to I and II, and the universe as a whole. You won't miss much if you skip the previous game, but there are references which will be lost on you if you just play IV.

 

[Soulcap]

Thanks, OP! Been wondering this, too. I was mostly just going to wait for IV on Switch (which I'm guessing is a given since I is charting right now) but you guys are increasingly getting me interested in I and II...

 

[Novel Mike]

Thanks for all the replies so far guys.

Trying to decide if PSIV is worth the $30 alone on the Genesis Collection, I'm not super huge into the other games on the collection, but I may dip into a few of them.

Click to shrink...

I mean if you want you can get just PSIV on steam for 1$ https://store.steampowered.com/app/211205/Phantasy_Star_IV_The_End_of_the_Millennium/
The nice part of the Steam releases is that you can buy the games individually. If you want it on a console I understand but if you do end up getting it and want some other really great games to play both Shining Force games are fantastic.

 

[angelgrievous]

Definitely Switch for the first game.

I'd say PS2 Sega Ages 2500 for the rest but I don't recall if those had English versions in that collection.

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the one system I don't own (PS2).

turns out I still have a copy of Sonic's Ultimate Genesis collection so I'll play them there (I'll get the first for Switch though).

Thanks!