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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