Years ago, when I first got PSO (GC version), I never expected I would fall in love with the same so much. Soon all of my friends got the game and all our journey through PSO began. Since we didn?t pay for online, our main method of play was of course split-screen. And how glorious the split-screen was. Going around, calling our rare items and rushing all to get it and helping each other get better equipment and MAGs was a blast. No other game could replicate this.
Going over each other houses with memory cards with our character, popping it in and continuing the game was great. Even when I eventually got online, I didn?t play it as much as Split-screen, as the experience wasn?t nearly as fun. Playing with players I didn?t know, not being able to have those fun times with friends all sitting on a couch. Once when we were low levels we fought the dragon on Forest, and one of my friends didn?t get away fast enough and the Dragon?s corpse came crashing down on him. He was pissed but eventually we were all laughing, if that had happened online, it wouldn?t have been so funny, or wouldn?t have thought about it as much.
Pass two years or so, I now have put over 500 hours in the game, my most played game ever (one of my older friends put in about 1000, mostly playing alone.) So no doubt I was itching for a new game, and was extremely excited to see Phantasy Star Universe announced. Sadly as you all know, there is no split-screen in PSU, and this was just really a letdown. No doubt I enjoyed the game (got the game, expansion, PSP, and PSP2) but it was not nearly as fun as PSO. PSO: EP3 was slightly more enjoyable just due to the split-screen.
Skip ahead to last year and you have no idea how excited I was to hear PSO2 announced, a tear nearly came to my eyes. Finally a true sequel to PSO. Then that suddenly crashed when I saw: PC only. I was nearly about to cry out of sadness, not out of joy. What?s worse is that it seems like the game will have no offline to speak of, only going to online. I know Online is in the title, but the original supported a great offline (granted less content, but rather have split-screen with friends then lots of content.) This isn?t a true sequel; it?s just a game carrying the same name.
I know some PC fans will cry foul, saying the game would have much more on PC, and for that I could really care less. See I have a great PC, and many PC games, but for me, Phantasy Star has always been and should be a console RPG. It isn?t trying to push boundaries, it?s just supposed to be just good fun. Playing online is fun, but not nearly as fun as having buddies sitting next to you on a couch, each with a controller in hand.
