Two and a half years ago, Sega caused quite the stir among gamers by releasing Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast. To this day many cite it as the single most compelling example of how online console gaming is meant to work. Centralized servers and proper gaming peripherals led most gamers to a most enjoyable experience despite the lack of availability of broadband adapters. Transferring the title to Nintendo's GameCube and Microsoft's Xbox allowed newcomers and old diehards to experience the series in a whole new graphical depth.
The classic gameplay involved little more than killing monsters, getting information, buying new stuff and feeding your mags. Joining the Hunters Guild let players go on quests to find unique items and progress through the game. Hacking and slashing your way through new environments was a welcome addition in the new versions of the game, and the availability of peripherals for all consoles involved made it easy to get online. Despite the continued lack of keyboard support (in the U.S. at least) for both the GameCube and Xbox, Episodes I and II have lasted quite well.
In a radical move by Sega, Episode III will take the series in an entirely new direction. The return of all of the monsters and weapons will be there, but in a very different environment. I was quite shocked to hear that the new game would be card based. Other titles like Magic the Gathering Online and Lost Kingdoms 2 have garnered varied reviews, but have shown that card games generally transfer well to console and PC titles. Unfortunately it looks like the simplicity of the game won't necessarily bring back fans of the previous titles in the series.
According to Sega's press release, "'Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution' expands the 'Phantasy Star Online' (PSO) universe, offering a new style of strategic combat. Combining the excitement of card collection and deck settings with team-based battle tactics, PSO Episode III allows users to chat in the lobby about status upgrades and tactics, and then journey to the planet surface to engage in strategic combat using a turn-based Card system. The game continues the story arc of the previous PSO games, as players once again become Hunters and explore the mysteries of the planet Ragol. Featuring both online and offline play, as well as multiplayer modes, PSO Episode III adds new content and players to the ever-growing PSO community."
From what was shown, you can choose between a light and dark alignment, each of which has obviously different strategies. While heroside (light alignment) relies mostly on typical attacks and defenses, darkside (dark alignment) provides summons. The demo allowed a choice of environments, but was really just an example of how one might jump into a game from a server. I would have expected a little more movement capability, but hopefully that will be present in the final version. I personally wouldn't find endless card battles very intriguing if they weren't part of a bigger picture.
The new graphics look great, and the gameplay mechanics are simple. While complaining about this simplicity would be somewhat ironic considering the relative simplicity of the previous titles, I don't know how well this game will mesh with the PSO universe. Rolling dice to determine attack sequence and damage seems like it will detract from the dynamic nature of the series. If the ability to trade cards in for actual weapons in the first two episodes were present, I might consider this a viable addition to the series. At this point, that doesn't seem very likely despite the fact that Episode III will be using the same servers as I and II.
I honestly couldn't get myself excited about this game because I had to keep asking myself the same questions. Why was this new direction decided for the series? Why did the designers believe that gamers would accept this new format? Will the new servers require additional monthly fees? What does "C.A.R.D." stand for? None of these questions were answered at this year's E3, but I'm sure details will be forthcoming on the title. In the meantime, I'll likely just stick to Episodes I and II. I can't see myself becoming interested in a purely card-based Phantasy Star title anytime soon. I can only hope that there will be an audience for this game, as I would like to see another installment in the series just for the sake of longevity. Bringing new players into the world of Phantasy Star is always a plus.
