Phantasy Star Online 2: Here’s All You Need to Know About this MMO
Phantasy Star Online 2 (PSO2) is a free online action Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) from the Sega and Sonic Team. It is the brand new addition to the classic Phantasy Star series. The initial version was released for Windows in Japan in 2012, where it gained hundreds of thousands of total players, with over 25,000 of them playing it currently and regularly. Its popularity has not declined, thanks to the new content released every month. Although it has been around in Asia for several years now, it was only recently introduced to the West.
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Phantasy Star Online 2 versions
In February 2013, a PlayStation Vita version was released. In April 2016, a PlayStation 4 version of the game was released. In between, a 2014 spin-off/companion game was released for Android and iOS devices – it was called Phantasy Star Online 2es. In April 2018, the Nintendo Switch (cloud version) was released. In 2019, it was announced that the game would be released for the first time outside of Asia on the Xbox One and Microsoft Windows in early 2020.
Phantasy Star Online 2 on PC
Phantasy Star Online 2 is now available on PC from the Microsoft Store. According to a press release, the North American (NA) release will also receive three years of content. With the launch of the PC version, NA Xbox One and PC players will now be able to unite in-game. With cross-play, the game progresses in a linked fashion between the two platforms. This gives players more ways to connect with each other.
The NA version of PSO2 includes localized character voices and text in English that spans three years of content. As well as the original POS2 story, the North American version also features the most recent quality-of-life and balancing improvements from the Japanese service.
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The plot
The story focuses on the exploits of Oracle – a space-faring organization that uses Photons to travel across the universe in search of new planets for colonization. At the same time, Oracle must thwart the threat of the Falspawn – aliens created by the evil Dark Falz and whose aim is to destroy the universe.
Oracle is divided into the Mothership that hosts the fleet’s central core and a huge fleet of spaceships that contain civilian entities, as well as the fleet’s military and exploration department known as Artificial Relicit to Keep Species (ARKS).
In the first part of the story, ARKS is sent to explore and investigate activity on three planets – Naverium, Lillipa, and Amduscia. This is followed by the exploration of other planets, like Wopal (an ocean planet) and Harukotan.
Episode four revolves around a fictional planet that is very much like Earth but in an alternate dimension. Episode five introduces players to Omega – an alternative dimension planet located within a back hole, and the focal point of the story.
Gameplay
Players of Phantasy Star Online 2 begin as new members of the Arks and start on planet Naberius. The game features a wide variety of weapons and playstyles for the players to choose from.
The game consists of the familiarity of previous Phantasy Star games, as well as several new expanded features. Players engage in combat with enemies in real-time and make use of different types of attacks. The combat in PSO2 has been ramped up and moves at a pace that is faster than ever before. Players are required to dodge and make use of their different abilities to stay alive. Players will find that even in the best circumstances, they are not really invincible. How a player plays will depend largely on the classes picked and the decisions made as the game progresses.
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Communication and community features
Players begin on a ship – this is the main hub. Each ship has several instances that you can move to if you are looking for a larger community. The first ten instances are densely populated, while the later ones are less populated.
If you want a general chat feature or would like to simply watch other players, the first few instances will give you much more than you bargained for.
The Auto-Chat feature is another useful communication feature. You can set up an auto-chat to display messages to your group or in the surrounding area when something specific happens.
When you are tired of questing, you can move to the Casino that offers a variety of games, like roulette, slots, blackjack, several mini-games, and more. You can use this space to earn coins and even hang out with other players.
Also Read: Private Servers and MMO Games
