I’ve played Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast, I’ve played Phantasy Star Online on the Xbox, it was only logical that I gave Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst a shot on my PC.
PSO BB (for short) is the newest installment in the series, based on PSO Episodes I and II and with added content. It differs from the previous PC version in the way that it includes Episode II (thus new areas and monsters) and also a new Team System.
Teams allow you to form official groups with friends, chat across any block or ship, and compete with other teams. A Team is a bit like a guild, with different member rankings and all, and to expand it (add more members) you need to purchase a “Member Limit Expansion”.
The game also introduces 33 new quests, based on the offline portion of the PSO story. You can get 15 of them from the Principal and the remaining 18 from the Lab.
The open beta lasted only 30 days, during which most of the time the servers were down or under maintenance. Random crashing, blue screens and locking were a constant factor. Access to other areas was only available through quests, which really upset me. The normal zone progression was nonexistent, and it was really annoying me to kill the dragon and not see the caves opening up in the portal. The caves finally became available through a quest in the Hunter’s Guild, but it wasn’t the same thing, since it was just for the quest.
And the controls… argh. Even after customizing keys to my liking, it was still awkward using a keyboard.
A really nice improvement (at least for me, coming from the console version since I didn’t play the previous PC one) is the hotkey bank that lets you link to items and techniques and use them with the pressing of a key.
Episode IV was introduced after the beta stage, bringing the players new environments, new monsters and many new items. This episode continues the story of the previous ones, and lets you explore new areas on Ragol where a giant meteor has crashed.
A Battle Mode is also available, giving the players the option do have some PvP fun and PSO BB will also offer GM-run events. And yes, you can play Go-Go Ball on Lobby 14 and 15.
Since its debut on Dreamcast in 2000, PSO has accumulated a total of 17 awards worldwide, and now its journey continues on PC with Blue Burst. But frankly, aside from the extra content and the crisper graphics, I don’t see a reason for playing it on the PC. For those of you who have played the previous PC version, you might want to upgrade to Blue Burst for the added features.
As for me, the next time I feel like playing it, I would rather grab an Xbox controller and enjoy Phantasy Star Online Ep. I & II that way. Or better yet, reminisce with the Dreamcast version.
Note: To play PSO Blue Burst, you will need to download the game at the official site and purchase a Hunter’s License that costs $8.99 US per month.
Minimum System Requirements:
- Windows 98SE / Me / 2000 / XP
- Pentium III, 700 MHz
- GeForce 3 or equivalent video card
- DirectSound compatible sound card
- DirectX 9.0b or above
- Internet connection speed of 256kbps