I want a Phantasy Star Online Remaster/port to current platforms

[Meelow]

I remember playing my friend's copy of Phantasy Star Online on the GameCube, and I really liked it; sadly, I didn't have a copy myself, so I couldn't get far, but it definitely is one of the titles I remember fondly of the 6th gen.

With the game servers being long shut down (unless you do the whole private server thing) I feel like the game needs to come back...Yes, we got PSO2, but that has odd releases, and I don't have nostalgia for it, lol.

But it's also the art style/graphics there is something really charming about it.

Common Sega!

 

[Juraash]

I'm not sure there is any remaster or remake or rerelease I would love more than this. Especially if they brought in the stuff added in with Blue Burst.

 

[Deleted member 36578]

I LOVED this game. I could not for the life of me get into pso2 new genesis. It felt like a horrible mess of a game. I loved the simplicity of the first pso. If they remade it, or better yet made a pso 3, I would hope it's more like the original.

 

[WildArms]

I would give anything for a remake of PSO Episode 1 and 2. I remember having the most fun with the Gamecube version myself. Just... no game, EVER, has had a more memorable Jungle / Seaside zone than PSO Episode 2 has (let alone how it also has the original areas and both OST's are so freaking good... UGH).

I'd probably forgive all of Sega's mistake if the game was remade, faithfully, lol. It's that good.

 

[LevelZeroZilch]

Ephinea is a decent way to get your fix, assuming you don't mind Blue Burst.

If a real remaster were to happen, I'd hope they increase rare drop rates. 1/500 for a rare monster to spawn but then only 1/2 chance it drops what you want? I got no time for that in my 30s.

 

[Wil Grieve]

I play Ephinea (PSO private server) on my Steam Deck and it's pretty perfect. And free also.

 

[AllMight1]

Yup, as long as it has online included they could leave it in the same resolution and Im up for it

 

[Love Machine]

What a dream that would be. Instant buy, purely to sate nostalgia.

Recently installed BB Ephinea and am amazed by how it all works so flawlessly. An incredible effort to keep the game alive.

Creating a new character and running around forest at lvl1 feels so pure and comforting. It's just one of those games.

 

[DarkLegion]

I play Ephinea and the community has been great so far.

Last I checked, the rumor is there's a reboot part of the new Sega revival

 

[BlueBlaze]

I'd be down for a remaster of PSO on current gen and PC. Though I'd rather Sega port Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity if I had a choice. :0

 

[TheAggroCraig]

We all do. I also would love the OST on vinyl

 

[Kalentan]

I do too... I do too...

 

[ragolliangatan]

i would lose so much time to a remaster of the game- played way too much of it back in the DC days.

 

[TeenageFBI]

Server-side characters and effective anticheat pls.

I really liked PSO before cheaters killed it.

 

[Hawk269]

I LOVED this game. I could not for the life of me get into pso2 new genesis. It felt like a horrible mess of a game. I loved the simplicity of the first pso. If they remade it, or better yet made a pso 3, I would hope it's more like the original.

Click to shrink...

This. It was the simplicity of the game that made it so great. I would love a remake with new zones, many new zones, larger zones etc.

 

[Leona Lewis]

Best game ever. It needs to be preserved for all time.

 

[JuicyPlayer]

I would love this. PSO2 does not hit the same at all. I also hate games with a billion menus.

 

[Zetta]

HELLLLLL YESS. I accumulated so many hours on my Dreamcast playing the game.

 

[rezn0r]

I certainly don't disagree, but give me Phantasy Star V also.

 

[VariantX]

I don't think it'd going to happen but a remake that polishes the rough edges would be great. PSO 2/3 became caricatures of what the original was that hyper focus on you buying costumes and crossover collabs. It feels like the game itself has become an afterthought

 

[maximumzero]

I installed Blue Burst the other day and there something about the music and sound effects in that game that fire off specific neurons in my brain in a way that few other games do.

 

[neoJABES]

This is my dream.

 

[Mister_X]

Best game ever. It needs to be preserved for all time.

Click to shrink...

This! If Sega ever announced this I would absolutely lose it

 

[Laserbeam]

Yep.

I'd settle for the cheapest and quickest port job, too. (but would love some improvements/tweaks, obviously)

Anytime I pull out my Gamecube I pop it in for a bit just to experience the aesthetic/memories of it all.

 

[GDGF]

I certainly don't disagree, but give me Phantasy Star V also.

Click to shrink...

Thissssss.

 

[Stencil]

I played this game to death and I was offline, alone, and I could only ever get to the second level and couldn't progress with my current character so I'd always start over.

And I still loved it.

If that doesn't tell you I'd be happy to play it again, I don't know what will.

 

[Deleted member 36578]

I certainly don't disagree, but give me Phantasy Star V also.

Click to shrink...

I still truly think that will happen some day.

 

[LongDongJunon]

sign me up

 

[Kawngi]

I have amazing memories of PSO (triple dipped to Dreamcast/Xbox/GC), and would kill for a remake/remaster/anything. PSO2 was such a let down for me. I know I'd never be able to relive the same feelings but give me anything you've got Sega.

 

[batfax]

Would love if classic PSO was more accessible again. I play on private servers too, but it always feels like those places largely attract the existing fans and it's hard to bring new people in. Though my biggest concern with a remaster/remake is if they "modernize" it in ways that would be kinda incompatible with the good vibes that classic PSO had.

Everyone getting their own loot in PSO2? Great. Fantastic idea, glad Ephinea added it to PSO1 since it encourages playing with a group so that you get 4 rolls off the loot table. It makes the concept of Section IDs even better. You get three friends together with different section IDs, you've got four people all helping find cool loot with better odds. Not to mention PSO1's loot is some of the coolest in the series, since the high-end stuff tends to give or augment abilities in more interesting ways than "Number go up." Helping a random stranger find their rare item, then having them help you find what you're hunting for? That's how friendships get made.

PSO2's inability to just drop or trade items to other players? Awful. Completely kneecaps part of the communal spirit when you can't help someone out in a way as simple as giving away something you can't use or don't need anymore to someone who can, or will be able to in 5, 10, or even 20 levels. I can't count how many times in Blue Burst that I've handed people some gear and they got excited weeks or months later when they were actually able to use it and felt that surge of happiness at being able to equip the thing they were working towards. One of my big annoyances with NGS is that I barely have motivation to play or talk to anyone, because there's nothing I can really do to help anyone besides punch nearby enemies. I also used to collect and raise mags to loan to newcomers and that's EXTRA impossible and useless in PSO2 when you only get one and can't trade them. Nevermind NGS which took so many of their functions away.

Classic PSO is just so much more than the sum of its parts by enabling good community actions, and I think that's part of why it made such an impression for folks who played it. The thing I'm worried about if it ever gets brought back.

 

[ZeroHunter]

I remember playing this game with my friend on Xbox a TON back in the day. My parents got mad at my because it had the extra hunter's license you had to pay for to actually play online and I didn't tell them about it lol

PSO also has some of the absolute best and atmospheric music I've ever heard. My parents had an SUV with a built in screen in the back, and I'd lug my Xbox in there on road trips and just listen to the music the whole time. Would hardly ever play the actual game lol.

So yeah, I think a faithful remaster would be neat.

 

[Sanctuary]

I don't want one, because it would just remind me of how old I now am. 😆
That game was the one that got the most hours out of my Dreamcast (although MvC2 got nearly ten times as much total, just on a friend's where we could hook up arcade sticks/Saturn controllers).

I certainly don't disagree, but give me Phantasy Star V also.

Click to shrink...

Hell, I'd settle for the original PSIV Sega-CD concept. That was actually the main reason I even ended up buying that horribly utilized peripheral that had a library that consisted primarily of trash FMV games, or close to the same cart equivalent games with better audio. I ended up using mine more for an actual CD player than anything. As good as IV turned out to be, can you imagine just how much bigger, and better it could have been? 😭

 

[Dooble]

the social media manager of PSO2NGS also wants it from what I can gather

 

[Ingueferroque]

It makes too much sense, they will never do it.

 

[Android Sophia]

There's a vibe that the original Phantasy Star Online had. Which was partially kept into Phantasy Star Universe, and lost almost entirely into Phantasy Star Online 2.

In a way, it's very much the same vibe the original Diablo had, that was partially kept into Diablo 2. Then lost going into Diablo 3.

It's just that straightforward premise of dungeon crawling, loot hunting, and boss fighting alongside others in an online environment.

 

[pikachief]

When Xbox Live Arcade became a thing, I thought it was the perfect place for a PSO HD with at the very least 4-player peer to peer online play with 4-player splitscreen.

Still waiting for that modern PSO re-release.

 

[Kickfister]

I don't think we'll ever see it, but I want it to happen very badly. I just don't see many people that didn't grow up with it jiving with it nowadays, even if I think it still does things better than any other looter to come after it.

 

[ShinkuTachi]

I remember playing my friend's copy of Phantasy Star Online on the GameCube, and I really liked it; sadly, I didn't have a copy myself, so I couldn't get far, but it definitely is one of the titles I remember fondly of the 6th gen.

With the game servers being long shut down (unless you do the whole private server thing) I feel like the game needs to come back...Yes, we got PSO2, but that has odd releases, and I don't have nostalgia for it, lol.

But it's also the art style/graphics there is something really charming about it.

Common Sega!

Click to shrink...

I'm down. This would kick some serious ass.

 

[Kalentan]

There's a vibe that the original Phantasy Star Online had. Which was partially kept into Phantasy Star Universe, and lost almost entirely into Phantasy Star Online 2.

Click to shrink...

There is obviously so many factors, but I still think to this day the change in art style was one of the biggest. The art did change from PSO to PSU, but it didn't feel like a massive divergence, just a side-change, whereas from PSO to PSO2 it felt like a completely different thing.

PSO and PSU, still have an "anime artstyle", just looking at the models makes that obvious enough, but they were still clearly trying to be fairly realistic with them. In a way, it's almost like PSO and PSU still had that sort of 90's anime look to them so to speak.

But with PSO2, that was completely changed, the art style changed to be far far more stylized, outfits and hair styles started going way crazier, every characters eyes got way bigger, and so on. There are still some recognizable PSO elements in there, but it's really hard to see them. The irony being is that... PSO2 going for a more stylized look, ultimately made it look more generic than the games it followed after. It looks much closer to anime series you'd see now, not all of them obviously, there is exceptions, but it does look generic when held up to a lot of them.

Honestly, how many games release that look like PSO or PSU these days? Far less than games that look closer to PSO2 imho.

 

[Shadoken]

The sad part is the games like Monster Hunter and Souls feel so much closer to PSO than PSO2. And those games have become huge mainstream hits. I don't get why Sega can't make PSO3 like those games , instead of chasing this weird costume based F2p online stuff.

 

[VariantX]

When I think about it, my gaming "career" since Pso came out has been chasing after the feeling that game had. Thinking back there wasn't a lot of variety in terms of locations and enemies to fight. It was just a bunch of supporting elements that came together that made that game work. I don't think any game on console fully has matched it since.

 

[Android Sophia]

There is obviously so many factors, but I still think to this day the change in art style was one of the biggest. The art did change from PSO to PSU, but it didn't feel like a massive divergence, just a side-change, whereas from PSO to PSO2 it felt like a completely different thing.

PSO and PSU, still have an "anime artstyle", just looking at the models makes that obvious enough, but they were still clearly trying to fairly realistic with them. In a way, it's almost like PSO and PSU still had that sort of 90's anime look to them so to speak.

But with PSO2, that was completely changed, the art style changed to be far far more stylized, outfits and hair styles started going way crazier, every characters eyes got way bigger, and so on. There are still some recognizable PSO elements in there, but it's really hard to see them. The irony being is that... PSO2 going for a more stylized look, ultimately made it look more generic than the games it followed after.

Honestly, how many games release that look like PSO or PSU these days? Far less than games that look closer to PSO2 imho.

Click to shrink...

There's that, and it's a significant factor too, but something else changed too and it's arguably even more significant. Mainly, that Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Universe game out in an era where the gameplay was a lot more slower paced and dungeon runs took longer. In contrast, Phantasy Star Online 2's gameplay is more bite-sized and quick paced.

The original Phantasy Star Online on Dreamcast had only four real zones to explore: the Forest, the Caves, the Mines, and the Ruins. Each of these areas was significantly longer and lengthier than anything you'd find in Phantasy Star Online 2. Likewise, when PSO Episode 2 came out on the Gamecube, we had the VR Temple, the VR Spaceship, the Central Control Area, and the Seabed added. All four of these are fairly massive and lengthy to explore. Any one of them will take about 30 minutes to an hour for an appropriately equipped character at the appropriate level for the difficulty. They can take longer too if you're unprepared or doing them for the first time on a particular difficulty level.

In contrast, Phantasy Star Online 2 (OG, not NGS) areas are far more bite sized. You run through the Forest exploration very quickly, and it's only due to randomized events that you might be there more than 30 minutes. The same is true of every other exploration event. Most of them don't last very long. Likewise, the Emergency Quests that appear in game largely lasts 30 minutes at best, and most can be completed sooner than that. It's a much more speedier game in terms of how questing and dungeoning and such is completed. That gives it a VERY DIFFERENT FEEL from the original Phantasy Star Online, and to a degree, Phantasy Star Universe as well. Everything is just so fast paced in comparison. You blitz through packs of enemies. Regular enemies are rarely a threat to you. You're primarily looking for randomized events and bosses now.

It makes sense - Phantasy Star Online 2 was clearly designed around the emerging gameplay trends of modern gamers, especially Japanese gamers. It's very similar to how most dungeon runs in Final Fantasy XIV aren't designed to take exceptionally long as well. But they lost some of that magic that made the original feel so great in the process. So that's why we keep having a "I want a remake/port of PSO1" thread every so often despite PSO2 getting a western release.

 

[ZeoVGM]

Phantasy Star Online HD Remaster is one of my most wanted games.

Make some updates to the UI but other than that, leave it as it was, with all of the content from the original.

 

[Kalentan]

There's that, and it's a significant factor too, but something else changed too and it's arguably even more significant. Mainly, that Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Universe game out in an era where the gameplay was a lot more slower paced and dungeon runs took longer. In contrast, Phantasy Star Online 2's gameplay is more bite-sized and quick paced.

The original Phantasy Star Online on Dreamcast had only four real zones to explore: the Forest, the Caves, the Mines, and the Ruins. Each of these areas was significantly longer and lengthier than anything you'd find in Phantasy Star Online 2. Likewise, when PSO Episode 2 came out on the Gamecube, we had the VR Temple, the VR Spaceship, the Central Control Area, and the Seabed added. All four of these are fairly massive and lengthy to explore. Any one of them will take about 30 minutes to an hour for an appropriately equipped character at the appropriate level for the difficulty. They can take longer too if you're unprepared or doing them for the first time on a particular difficulty level.

In contrast, Phantasy Star Online 2 (OG, not NGS) areas are far more bite sized. You run through the Forest exploration very quickly, and it's only due to randomized events that you might be there more than 30 minutes. The same is true of every other exploration event. Most of them don't last very long. Likewise, the Emergency Quests that appear in game largely lasts 30 minutes at best, and most can be completed sooner than that. It's a much more speedier game in terms of how questing and dungeoning and such is completed. That gives it a VERY DIFFERENT FEEL from the original Phantasy Star Online, and to a degree, Phantasy Star Universe as well. Everything is just so fast paced in comparison. You blitz through packs of enemies. Regular enemies are rarely a threat to you. You're primarily looking for randomized events and bosses now.

It makes sense - Phantasy Star Online 2 was clearly designed around the emerging gameplay trends of modern gamers, especially Japanese gamers. It's very similar to how most dungeon runs in Final Fantasy XIV aren't designed to take exceptionally long as well. But they lost some of that magic that made the original feel so great in the process. So that's why we keep having a "I want a remake/port of PSO1" thread every so often despite PSO2 getting a western release.

Click to shrink...

I agree with everything you say here.

Honestly, I do hope that maybe the success of the Souls series might make SEGA consider a new PSO project that is much slower paced and is much more like PSO and PSU.

I've talked about it numerous times, but playing Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, feels in many ways better than PSO2. Oh sure, you can't sprint, you can't jump, and your movement is overall slower and more methodical... (Honestly is kind of funny how in some ways it does feel almost "Souls-y" in retrospect) But it ultimately leads to the Dungeons feeling like... you know... dungeons. On top of that, because you aren't an Ultra fast god, enemies are generally more dangerous and you feel like you need to actually take into consideration what enemies actually do rather than just steam rolling hundreds and hundreds in a minute.

Not to mention the loot is better in Portable 2... There is more variety in Portable 2 overall... God, don't even get me started how what was presented as "Next-Gen PSO" with NGS ended up feeling like massive step back even from PSO2, which was already a step down. Fun, but a step down.

 

[Android Sophia]

I agree with everything you say here.

Honestly, I do hope that maybe the success of the Souls series might make SEGA consider a new PSO project that is much slower paced and is much more like PSO and PSU.

I've talked about it numerous times, but playing Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, feels in many ways better than PSO2. Oh sure, you can't sprint, you can't jump, and your movement is overall slower and more methodical... (Honestly is kind of funny how in some ways it does feel almost "Souls-y" in retrospect) But it ultimately leads to the Dungeons feeling like... you know... dungeons. On top of that, because you aren't an Ultra fast god, enemies are generally more dangerous and you feel like you need to actually take into consideration what enemies actually do rather than just steam rolling hundreds and hundreds in a minute.

Not to mention the loot is better in Portable 2... There is more variety in Portable 2 overall... God, don't even get me started how what was presented as "Next-Gen PSO" with NGS ended up feeling like massive step back even from PSO2, which was already a step down. Fun, but a step down.

Click to shrink...

Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, in my opinion, is tied with Phantasy Star IV for the greatest game in the franchise. It is a goddamn shame we didn't get it in English officially, to say nothing of how hard it is to play Portable 2 itself.

 

[Pargon]

I've always argued that SEGA should have released it on XBLA back on the 360.
They've never managed to recapture what made the original great with any of its sequels.

If they were to earnestly try and make a real sequel to it, I'd be willing to give it a shot.
But the temptation for a company like SEGA to GAAS it up and try to monetize everything would be too great.

A souls-like is definitely not where I want the series to go.
I think we must have liked very different things about the game if that's something people want.

 

[Kalentan]

Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, in my opinion, is tied with Phantasy Star IV for the greatest game in the franchise. It is a goddamn shame we didn't get it in English officially, to say nothing of how hard it is to play Portable 2 itself.

Click to shrink...

Honestly, I would want both, but I would still be happy if we only got a proper Remaster/Remake of Portable 2 Infinity. I love the work fans have done with the 60 FPS Patch, Dual Analog Support, HD UI and Textures... but there is still tech limitations that would be awesome to get rid of (like the terrible draw distance for example lol), that I would love if a proper remaster could fix.

Also the game has an amazing remix of imho one of the best songs from PSO:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht3hLb5aiuE

 

[Jetsun Mila]

It makes too much sense, they will never do it.

Click to shrink...

It literally doesn't make any sense to put resources, manpower and server capacity into a 20 year old game that is interesting for a handful of nostalgic people

 

[Shinobido Heart]

Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, in my opinion, is tied with Phantasy Star IV for the greatest game in the franchise. It is a goddamn shame we didn't get it in English officially, to say nothing of how hard it is to play Portable 2 itself.

Click to shrink...

*happy heart noises*

 

[Dooble]

The sad part is the games like Monster Hunter and Souls feel so much closer to PSO than PSO2. And those games have become huge mainstream hits. I don't get why Sega can't make PSO3 like those games , instead of chasing this weird costume based F2p online stuff.

Click to shrink...

PSO2 created cosmetics f2p online stuff. 2012 was a very different landscape