ThePhantasy Starseries has been around for longer than most give it credit for. Mixing fantasy and science fiction, the series began as RPG games on the Sega Master System. The series' biggest claim to fame wasPhantasy Star Online, an MMORPG that ran on the Sega Dreamcast. Its fanbase lasted into the modern day, and is large enough that theannouncement ofPhantasy Star Online 2’s western releasewas met with joy.
The originalPhantasy Star Onlinewas revolutionary when it came out, as games on that scale were few on console. Even today, MMORPGs tend to stick to the PC. However, the actual release ofPhantasy Star Online 2on Xbox One and, later PC, was not smooth in the west. There were issues during and after the beta, and players who waited eight years for a western release were not happy.
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The backlash againstPhantasy Star Online 2’s poor performance was harsh among its western playerbase. With so much needing to be fixed, fans were apprehensive when something newPhantasy Starrelated was announced.Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesiswas announcedduring the Xbox Games Showcase, but no one knew exactly what it was. It could have been a new game or an expansion ofPhantasy Star Online 2. In a video released on YouTube, Sega finally cleared things up.Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesisis an entirely new game that will run parallel toPhantasy Star Online 2while being a sequel with different mechanics.
Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesistakes place 1000 years afterPhantasy Star Online 2, and features a more seamless open world. Its combat system has been reworked fromPSO2, and it has a standalone story plus an expanded character creator. How much of this is in response toPSO2’s problematic western launchis unclear, but it seems Sega wants a fresh start. Thus, this standalone game is sweeping into its predecessor’s wheelhouse.
That said,Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesisis not meant to completely replacePSO2. In fact, characters can be transferred between the two games. While gear can travel with characters, experience and currency cannot. In addition,PSO2is getting a revamped visual style to matchNew Genesis. Whether or not this meansHatsune Miku will reprise herPSO2concertis unclear.
So it seemsNew Genesiswill run parallel toPSO2similar toWarhammer 40krunning parallel toWarhammer. Whether both games will receive equal support remains to be seen. No concrete release date forNew Genesisis set at this time, so anyone eager to join should tryPSO2. Grab astarter friendly classand give it a try.
