Features

• Meet with people from around the world to do battle online
• Custom create your character's appearance, abilities, and more
• Choose from three races of characters including human, newman, and android
• Explore six diversely-themed worlds
• Four-player splitscreen offline mode
• Meet in a central lobby area where you can trade items, engage in soccer matches, or duel one-on-one
• First announced online title for GameCube

Gameplay
Phantasy Star Online Version 2 breathes new life into the franchise of old (previously on the Sega Genesis) by letting gamers experience the fantastical world online. The original Phantasy Star Online was released for the Dreamcast in January 2001 in the United States. Because Sonic Team didn't quite get to implement everything it wanted to the development group decided to release a second version of the game. Meanwhile behind the scenes Sega was strategizing to become a multiplatform developer and Nintendo would soon see the powerful publisher bring titles to GameCube. At E³ 2001 in May Sega officially announced its lineup, which included Phantasy Star Online Version 2. The company demonstrated an early revision of the game to show how easy it was to get it running on GameCube as well as to visually prove it is a working title. It is steadily making progress to completion in time for a 2002 release, and if all goes well GameCube owners will playing their first online game very soon.

PSO Version 2 pits players in a futuristic world with six diversely themed areas. You can explore areas with visual elements reflecting caverns, ancient ruins, lush forests, and castles. You have the choice of banding together with up to three friends either online or offline to do battle, increase your experience, and explore. The battle is based around real-time controls. You will not have the option of spending time strategizing attacks in a turn-based environment. Attacks vary from straight up sword slashing to projectile weapons to magic. It all revolves around what type of character you create at the beginning of the game.

Character creation is a fairly simple process, though, you will only find out your preference for attributes after you've tried the types out. You can choose from three different races including human, newman, and android. The main characters are divided into three classes: Hunters, Rangers and Force. Each character is classified directly in their name, with it being prefixed by HU, RA or FO. HUmar, HUnewearl and HUcast are the hunters. Their skill is in fighting or, more specifically, close-range combat. These are your sword-wielding, dagger-stabbing, fist-fighting bad-asses here.

The rangers (RA) are the long-range attackers. As seen in their pictures, they will utilize rifles and other weapons capable of attacking from a distance. The three rangers from are RAmar, RAcast and RAcaseal.

Last but not least are the force (FO) members of the cast. FOmarl, FOnewm and FOnewearl are the ones capable of magic attacks in PSO.

For the GameCube version Sonic Team is adding two new character classes to the mix. While the team hasn't revealed what the new classes are, it did post teaser pictures of them on its website. From the look of the pictures -- and this is pure conjecture -- the new classes are actually two classes that were intended to be included in the original Phantasy Star Online for Dreamcast.

The FOmar and HUcaseal classes

If this holds true we'll see the male human of the Force class, a FOmar, and a female Hunter android, a HUcaseal, join the forces of the already existing characters. The FOmar can be see above in blue on the left and the HUcaseal is illustrated above in purple and pink tones. These characters are exclusive to the GameCube version. Also new to PSO Version 2 are a battle mode and a soccer mode. The battle mode is probably one of the biggest features we're looking forward to in the game, as it finally allows players to battle each other in two new arenas. Up to four players can join the fray in battle mode and you can edit the rules to the arena limiting players to melee weapons, ranged weaponry, or even unarmed combat! Also with "Ultimate Mode" experienced players of PSO can enjoy an additional difficulty level. PSO players will be able to access the Ultimate mode difficult only if they're level 100, and they'll be able to level up their character all the way to level 200!

By now we're sure you're wondering, can you connect online and play with owners of the Dreamcast version of Phantasy Star Online Version 2? Sadly the answer is no. With the new characters and some other addition options exclusive to the GameCube version, this isn't possible. Not to mention the technicalities of connecting two different home consoles complicate things. The fact that the game will go online is impressive enough. No details regarding just how the game will go online have been revealed. It is assumed that users will go through SegaNet to access the online services. By standard GameCubes 56k modem will be supported, but broadband users will have to hold their breath until we know more.

Graphics
In terms of GameCube technology Phantasy Star Online Version 2 is a disappointment. It's true that it runs at a fast framerate even with the four-player mode, but last seen at Space World 2001 it wasn't pushing the hardware. It is in essence a Dreamcast port and doesn't look like its going to see any major improvements. Expect crisper textures and a somewhat smoother look, but PSO Ver. 2 will not be a graphical behemoth like some other GameCube titles by any means.

Outlook
Phantasy Star Online Version 2 is an important title to GameCube because it is both an RPG and an online title. In both areas GameCube is sorely lacking at the moment. The franchise has received a pretty intense userbase in both Japan and the US, and a new version with exclusive character classes should be enough to appeal to fans. Hopefully we'll see an equally impressive online community with the GameCube release. Currently there is no release specific release date for Japan or the US. Gamers looking for this one, and we recommend you do, will have to gaze tentatively at 2002.

For more basic information on the Phantasy Star Online world check our extensive FAQ here.