Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis Details and What It Means for Phantasy Star Online 2

Fans of Phantasy Star Online might have another reason to give PSO 2 a look with the coming release of New Genesis, a separate yet parallel game that will sport revamped graphics and a new game engine.

You read that correctly: There will be two Phantasy Star Online 2 games, one called New Genesis, and they will be separate games. New Genesis will not be an overhaul a la Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, nor will it be tied in with the current game bearing the PSO2 moniker. They will exist in “parallel universes” according to the devs.

For gamers who might not be familiar with the Realm Reborn reference, this points to the initial disaster that was Square’s attempt at releasing FFXIV back in September 2010. The current game, A Realm Reborn, is a completely different title with everything from the combat system to the overworld maps reworked. Of course, that was done out of necessity. The original FFXIV was a disaster beyond belief so comparing PSO2 to it in any way is unfair but that’s the reference.

But if New Genesis isn’t an overhaul, and it isn’t an expansion, then what the heck is it exactly? Why not make it a new game. We don’t know.

But the differences between the two games are also pretty immediate for anyone that is familiar with PSO2.

To start, New Genesis will feature an open-world format similar to traditional MMORPGs. Forbes notes that this is to encourage exploration and that is typically why theme park MMOs like World of Warcraft feature such large, seemingly boundless worlds.

The games will both share New Genesis’ revamped graphics engine but that’s about it. It wasn’t clear on when PSO2 would receive a graphics overhaul like PSO2: New Genesis. 

You will be able to bring your PSO2 character over to New Genesis but progression stays behind on the other game. That means all of your leveling, techniques, and so on remain on PSO2 and your character comes over to the other game starting anew. As you can probably imagine, this also includes anything that might give you a leg up over other people like money.

There might be a pretty good incentive to just create your own new character for New Genesis. Sega showed off what looked like a pretty robust and in-depth character creation mechanic that is almost a necessity in these kinds of online games.

As to whether or not the market can support not one but two Phantasy Star Online games is a question that will have to be answered once New Genesis lands on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows 10 next year. The PSO fanbase is pretty dedicated but two game worlds is quite a bit to shoulder. Even so, New Genesis looks like it is going to offer enough “new” stuff to justify its existence with fans and new players alike.

Are you excited about New Genesis? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Phantasy Star Online 2: New Player’s Perspective

Is the new Phantasy Star Online 2 PC release worth playing in 2020, 8 years after the initial release in Japan?

Judging by the amount of hours I’ve put into the game in the first few days so far, my short answer is *yes*.

Gameplay

I think the winning aspect of this game is the combat system, even though PSO2 is around 8 years old, I was pleasantly surprised by the slick combat and how responsive the gameplay is. This game can be compared closely to monster hunter and diablo. You hang out in town where there are tons of things to do – shop, gamble, craft, etc. Then you accept client orders (tasks) and queue up in a mission to board your ship. Essentially, this game is a dungeon crawler and not an open world MMO. Each mission is self contained and you can redo them on different difficulties for exp and loot.

The combat itself is slick – enemies don’t feel too much like bullet sponges and you can swap between a target lock on system or use free aim mode which turns the game into 3rd person shooter style for ranged attackers. Animations are done really well; melee attacks are pleasing to the eye and satisfying to land, they also give me flashbacks to Devil May Cry. For those who don’t know my taste in games, I love the concept of MMOs/Dungeon crawlers, but often hate the combat system and how enemies just feel like sponges while you spam every key on the keyboard. So when I enjoy the combat in a game like PSO2, it means it has to be pretty good.

There is still a ton of content I haven’t explored yet, but I did have a lot of fun at the casino. I explored a few of the mini games, and you’ll find some familiar things – roulette, blackjack, slots, and more. My friends and I definitely spent a bit too much time hitting the slots, but at least we know never to go to a real casino together, because we apparently have a gambling problem.

Tips

There are definitely some quick tips that I wish I knew before blindly trying to level up my character.

  • Spend some time doing the initial tutorial missions, especially the ones from Afin and Cofy, who are found near the ship entrance, they will unlock extra things to make your life easier
  • If you don’t have friends on ship 2, consider starting in ship 1 or 3, less people means less lag
  • You can usually do missions 5-8 levels higher than you relatively easily for better experience
  • ACCEPT CLIENT ORDERS, these provide the most experience for you to level up significantly faster – you’ll be focusing on the orders on the far left, far right, and at the counters by your ship gate entrance.
  • Do urgent missions that pop up during certain time frames, they are fun and efficient for leveling/loot
  • Look up guides on how to distribute your class skills, you can level your class skills at one of the counters
  • Don’t bet all your casino money in roulette
Don’t Get Sucked Into Slots

Bugs

PSO2 has a few bugs here and there. Some people are having issues with the Microsoft store; fortunately, it was all seamless for me. There is major lag in the main lobby when your block (server) is full, but NVIDIA did release a driver that helped a little bit, but didn’t fully fix it. I’ve also been disconnected at extremely inconvenient times and lost out on bonuses. Hopefully there are some fixes for PC, it has only been out for a few days.

Overall

I am enjoying the game and I think anyone who enjoys this genre should give it a try. You also don’t need to worry too much about the premium plan or paid subscription. The game is free to play and the paid bonuses are nice to have, but not game breaking at all. The only thing I’m missing out on is the inability to sell items or trade with my friends (kind of sucky, but it could be worse)
Grab it in the Microsoft Store.