Extremely Fun, Immersive Gameplay with a very short list of flaws.
That said, this game is extremely immersive. I was a total newcomer to the Phantasy Star world, and I was richly rewarded.
Opening up the game, you get the impression that it will be another flawed attempt at an action/anime RPG. This is not at all the case. Besides being unique in scope (nobody else uses the word "photon" so much in one game) and gameplay, it has an excellent story in my opinion.
Yes, the dialogue is almost entirely done in the manner of 'cutouts' with voice acting, it is still done in such a way that facial expressions are captured to an extent that you can feel the emotions of the characters in the game. The voice acting is really very good as well, it doesn't grate on your nerves like some anime game voices do.
The actual gameplay mechanic is very similar in feel to that of games like World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, and even Dynasty Warriors. You have a lock-on button, which functions a bit odd with firearms (circle strafing doesn't work like in other RPGs) but other than that works fantastic.
Starting the game from the game channel on your psp screen, you are taken quickly to the menu, where you choose to make a new game save.
For people like me, this is a BIG plus. You have literally hundreds of customization options for your character, which you can use in the ad-hoc multiplayer as well as the main game.
You can choose from four races:
Humans (usual all 'rounders)
Newmen (TECHNIC wielding mage race)
CAST (precision android like characters who have high proficiencies in ranged weapons)
Beasts (Berserkers basically, they can eventually 'nanoblast' into monsters as a sort of rage attack)
My personal favorite is actually human. Not that I'm a huge all around character fan, but you do eventually get the ability to change classes, so being a human is nice.
You have many appearance options
There are the following classes to start:
Hunter (warrior type class, my favorite starting class)
Ranger (ranged weapon class, good all around too)
Force (mage)
After you've advanced to a certain point in the story (chapter 3) you are given the ability to change into one of 5 more classes, which you can discover on your own.
There are basically no loading times, and the entire game definitely has its repetitive bits (making a new character can be boring, just like in any game) but overall the graphics, which are stunning, boast a crisp game dynamic and many useful options.
One of my favorite of such options is called the action palette. By pressing O, you bring up the action palette which allows you to switch between 8 different weapon sets and use items, all while remaining uncluttered and instinctive. Very few games actually manage to have a control device (especially on *coughthePSPcough*) that remains distinctly unique and easy to use after the first 15-20 minutes.
This game is definitely worth picking up if you can find it used, which I couldn't. It has plenty of hours of gameplay, and I'm still dying to figure out what happens next in the story.
Sincerely,
Sarcian
(you can pair pistols, machine guns, crossbows etc. with swords)