Phantasy Star Portable 2

SEGA is back with a revision of the original Phantasy Star game for the PSP - do any of its new features make this sequel worth a second glance?

Every Phantasy Star game I've loaded up always starts the same way - bright crazy anime hair, cheesy smiles and an over-the-top euphoria that can instantly bring out the child in you, this one is no different. Phantasy Star on the Dreamcast was one of the earliest examples I remember of a subscription-based role-playing game featuring on a console, which excited RPG fans across the globe. The problem is, Phantasy Star didn't do a fantastically great job of executing this and we're left now still waiting for a Phantasy Star game to step up to the plate. 

So, along comes the PSP sequel to Phantasy Star Portable and it's released just over a year since the first game - which is a relatively short time, so is there much new here? Well, with online and tweaked single player modes, it seems to do just enough to warrant a second adventure, yet sadly falls short of being anything special.

The scene is entirely futuristic and set in space, space stations, planets and weapons from what could perhaps be the 30th century are what we're presented with here. The plot isn't particularly strong and if you're new to Phantasy Star, the opening FMV won't make a great deal of sense. It takes part three years after Phantasy Star Universe and all planets, races and colonies are recovering from the war. Unfortunately, now, the latest problem is that resources in a place called 'Gurhal' are scarce, there is a new enemy called 'The Ancients', and you, as a mercenary, start your adventure from here to save your people.

At the start of the game you are required to fully customize your character, this ranges from eye colour through to what he/she is wearing. An in-game shop allows you to buy clothes for your character too, so the customizable options here are pretty neat. There are choices of a few different races too, each with certain pros towards their fighting style. Once your hero is named, you can either take he or she through the single player story mode, or play online with no subscription necessary.

Opting for the single player option we're presented with an opening FMV and afterwards we quickly meet another character who tutors us through the controls during battles - striking, collecting items, using special abilities etc. Controls are easy to grasp and every button on the PSP is utilized well. Animations however are a little wooden and the run cycle of your character is a little jerky. Dialogue with other characters isn't particular riveting and seems to drag on a little too long.

Multiplayer is a great addition to this title and playing in a party of 4 with people across the world and making bosses much easier to defeat is satisfying - the problem is that the grind of levelling up your character isn't that fun and enemies don't seem to vary enough from the standard. 

'Some of the cinematics show the PSP, despite its age, has still got it'

Due to just some little tweaks here and there and a decent multiplayer option, this feels more like Phantasy Star Portable 1.5 - there still isn't enough to immerse us into this JRPG, it's somewhat just above average at best. However, as far as handheld multiplayer action role-playing games go, it's much more fun to play in co-op multiplayer mode, as the story is too mundane and the action is too much of a grind to fully get the most out of this experience solo.

Written by Tom Ragan

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