|
|
Platform: Sega Genesis/Megadrive
After three successful episodes, the Phantasy Star series are concluded with a fourth game. This game truly squeezes everything out of the 16-bit Sega, and has the overall appearance of a fine piece of work.
For those unfamiliar with the Phantasy Star storyline: the Algo solar system is plagued by the evil Dark Force which returns every 1000 years. Last time, he managed to take one of Algo's planets with him in his death throes, and now only Motavia and Dezoris remain. The once high-tech culture of the Motavians has declined in 'the Great Collapse' following the destruction of Palma. Now, Dark Force is returning once more, in what may well be the final clash between evil and humanity...
The first thing you notice as you start playing Phantasy Star is how good it looks. The drawing style is similar to that of Phantasy Star 2, but it all looks so much better now. The graphics are beautiful even now, and this game may very well be the most graphically advanced RPG ever seen on the Sega.
Music is equally captivating. Phantasy Star 4 has a huge soundtrack of tunes which range from good to great. Many different midi and mp3 compositions of these tunes can be found all over the Internet - for once, I had no trouble at all finding a background tune for my review. The only trouble this time was making a choice!
As if the great graphics and music weren't enough, Phantasy Star 4 also has a great storyline. Every character is detailed and believable, and most characters develop over time. You'll often meet people in town who tell you about relatives in another town, and you'll recognize these as soon as you see them. Motavia actually FEELS like a world!
The storyline contains the usual elements of heroism, cowardice, mystery, intrigue, revenge and betrayal. It is all so involving that it is hard to stop playing once you've started. The game is easy enough to allow you to keep playing without getting stuck for long. The plot twists on and on, and some strange events from the previous Phantasy Star games are finally explained. Complete this game, and you have finally completed the Phantasy Star saga, and you can join the endless forum discussions.
The game has only two weaker points worth mentioning. First, it is too easy. Combat is still challenging, as it was in all Phantasy Star games, but mazes are usually easy and you'll never have to worry about what to do next. In Phantasy Star 1, 2 and 3, I was constantly piecing together the bits of information I picked up here and there, in order to find out what to do next. In PS4, you are literally told what to do, and if you forget, there's a "Party talk" option that will make your characters repeat what they were going to do ("Remember, we must go to Kuran to save the planet!")
The other weakness is replayability. Phantasy Star 4 is absolutely linear. The only side quests are a few assignments you can get at the Hunter's Guild. There are virtually no hidden areas or items, and you cannot switch the characters in your party manually. Every time you play, it will be just the same. (Though I'm sure that doesn't bother the die hard Phantasy Star fan at all!)
Sometimes, RPGs are bound to succeed. Phantasy Star 4 is one of those games. I highly recommend this to any RPG fan. Want to see the best Sega has to offer? Here it is.
Graphics: 9
Music/SFX: 9
Storyline: 9
Gameplay: 9
Replayability: 6
Overall: 8.4
Diff
