The original Phantasy Star began as a game to try and get in on the Japanese RPG phenomenon started by Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. It wasn’t immensely popular, but apparently it sold enough to warrant a sequel. The Master System was already pretty much done. Sega set its sights on their 16-bit Genesis console for the next installment. Fans were surprised to see the developer ditch the first person dungeons which were so revolutionary in the original game. They opted instead for a more traditional play style. Despite this Phantasy Star II went on to become one of the most celebrated installments in this series. It’s one of my favorite games on the Sega Genesis.
Phantasy Star II takes uses the same setting as the original, but takes place a thousand years in the future. The three planets are now governed by a super computer entity known as Mother Brain. The once desert world of Motavia has become a lush oasis wherein the citizens have no basic need to work thanks to their mechanical overlord that takes complete care of them. You play as a young government agent named Rolf who, at the beginning of the game, is sent out to investigate a surge of monsters plaguing the land. It appears to be an issue directly related to mother brain, and so Rolf and his best friend Nei (a demi-human) set out to solve the mystery. The story relies far more heavily on science fiction elements instead of fantasy, and this sets it apart from the original title in a pretty significant way.
The game is viewed from an overhead perspective as you guide Rolf and up to three companions throughout the world. Battles occur randomly while on the world map and within dungeons. The action during these sequences is viewed from behind your characters as they face their opponents. The battle system is strictly turn based like the original title, but auto-battle is the default selection which results in your characters attacking with their equipped weapons. Many of the issues in the first game are alleviated such as targeting; when selecting commands you can now designate specific targets which is a nice update. The battle system is more functional than that of the original game. Aside from the fact that background graphics were omitted I have no major problems here.
The cast of characters is also significantly larger than in the first title. You can choose who to bring along with allows for more planning and strategy. While most of these new faces fit within the standard tropes (physical fighters vs. mages) the most interesting element is that two characters in particular are effective against different kinds of enemies. Generally monsters can be classified as either a bio-monster or machine. At key points in the game one type will be more common than the other and you can really benefit by changing your party configuration. This encourages you to switch around your characters so that they all gain experience points and keep up. Personally I found this to reduce the amount of choice you have in how your party it set up. I dislike character specific weaknesses.
Unfortunately Phantasy Star II features some of the worst dungeon designs across the genre. Rather than coming up with creative puzzles or thoughtful arrangements the developers instead decided to make these areas absolutely huge. To make matters worse the dungeons generally feature tons of elevators, doors, and dead end paths. The Control Tower is absolutely infamous with no less than fifty different paths. Like in the original game maps are a necessity, because navigating these insanely complex areas could take you weeks without them. The battles inside these areas aren’t generally difficult, but they occur so frequently and navigation takes so long that they will eventually wear your party down. It can be extremely frustrating. Thankfully you can find a item hidden away that allows you to save your progress from anywhere. This really should have been given to you at the start of the adventure though.
Grinding is a requirement here which is sure to turn away most gamers. Every time you reach a new town there’s new equipment sold at high prices. Because of this you’ll spend the majority of your time with this game in battle. Furthermore every time you get to a new area on the world map battle difficulty tends to jump significantly. I’m one of those people who actually enjoys building up my party and finds tackling new areas rewarding, but it’s actually pretty daunting here. On an unrelated note the game does not offer item/spell descriptions, and you’ll never know which weapon/armor is more powerful unless you’re following a strategy guide. All of these elements put together make Phantasy Star II a fairly confusing and difficult game, but those who put in the time will find that it’s a pretty rewarding experience.
The game looks pretty decent for an early Genesis game, but it doesn’t hold up particularly well. The system’s limited color palette prevents this title from being particularly vibrant. Everything is either too dull or bright. The characters however are surprisingly detailed and Sega didn’t rely on the chibi-style that plagued the genre in its early days. The backgrounds both in and out of battle are very unimpressive. The world map and town areas are extremely plain. Enemy encounters feature a only a blue screen with grids to make it look futuristic. It’s very boring unfortunately. Enemies are still animated, but it just doesn’t make the same impact as it did in the first game. The soundtrack also suffers. There are very few memorable tracks with the dungeon themes standing out, but everything else is pretty boring. Unfortunately the Genesis’ sound hardware is lacking, and it’s extremely evident here.
From this review it might sound like I don’t like Phantasy Star II, but that’s far from the truth. Despite it’s problems this game is a very rewarding experience. The story is a big part of what makes this game so special; it explores themes that few video games had touched upon at that point. There’s a lot of amazing atmosphere in this world. Every city you explore, dungeon you traverse, it all feels lived in. The non-playable characters even add a lot despite their simple lines of dialogue. The scenario is absolutely amazing. The ending sequence is the single most memorable one I’ve ever seen. It might be repetitive, but I’ll be darned if it isn’t a hugely rewarding experience. Phantasy Star II is easily one of the stand out RPGs of its time, and it surpasses the original.
