After two successful Phantasy Star releases, Sega decided to change things up a bit for their third release in the series Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom. The game featured more of a medieval look to it instead of the science fiction theme that had been such an avid part of the previous two releases and also made some odd game play changes as well. While Phantasy Star III certainly wasn't a bad game by any means, it just didn't feel much like a Phantasy Star title at times and ended up alienating many long-time fans of the series. Thankfully, Sega decided to make a return to the classic Phantasy Star experience for their fourth release, Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millenium, and the result was what many fans consider to be the best overall release of the series and easily one of the best rpg experiences available for the Mega Drive console.
At its core, Phantasy Star IV is a traditional rpg. Combat is executed in typical turn-based fashion and there are tons of tricky labyrinths to traverse throughout the game. You'll spend the majority of your time exploring the many areas of the game and doing battle with the game's barrage of enemies. As with most rpgs, leveling up your characters and outfitting them with the best weapons and armor play a key role in your survival. You'll travel from town to town in an effort to complete the many tasks afforded your party and ultimately finish the game. The turn-based combat is extremely effective and ultimately offers up plenty of strategy no matter what your current situation is. Moving around the world map is also effortless and the terrain offers enough distinction to keep you from getting lost along the way. Everything about the play control and interface in Phantasy Star IV is outstanding and makes playing the game a very smooth and enjoyable experience from start to finish.
The visuals in Phantasy Star IV are easily the best of the 16-bit releases and offers plenty of diversity between the different areas of the game. Even the individual combat scenes share this same diversity and do a great job of conveying the scenery of the area your party is currently located in instead of just displaying the same generic background each time. The enemies also have their own unique animations, which further adds to the element of realism within the various combat scenarios. The Phantasy Star titles have always featured top notch visuals, but Sega really did a solid job of pushing their Mega Drive console's visual capabilities with this title.
While the soundtrack in Phantasy Star IV isn't quite on par with some of the legendary 16-bit rpg titles like Final Fantasy III or Chrono Trigger, it still manages to be quite catchy and carries the mood of the game perfectly. No matter what the given situation is, the music always seems to be perfectly fitting. Granted, some tracks are better than others, but when you look at the musical score in its totality, it's difficult not to be impressed with what the developers were able to come up with for this game.
It's great to see Sega, after taking a slightly experimental direction with Phantasy Star III, return the series to prosperity with what they were able to accomplish with Phantasy Star IV. You honestly couldn't ask for a better ending to the 16-bit series than the one found here. As outstanding as the series has been over the years, Phantasy Star IV really took it to new heights and still stands as one of the true rpg greats of the 16-bit era and a game that's as much fun to play through now as it was back then. Phantasy Star IV is yet another outstanding addition to the Virtual Console and a game that no true rpg enthusiast should pass up.
1. Damo
13 Mar 2008, 17:23 GMT
A masterpiece...easily my fave PS game. A real gem of an RPG.
2. Rockman 90
13 Mar 2008, 19:27 GMT
I would download this to my wii the moment it comes out i have not played it before but i have heard so much good things about it
3. 7th lutz
13 Mar 2008, 21:01 GMT
Phantasy Star 4 is a classic.
It has everyone thing that you expect out a rpg. It has a great plot, great graphics, great use of cut scences, great battle system and very music.
Phantasy Star 4 is the best rpg on the Sega Genesis. I recommend it to anyone that doesn't own the cartridge or Sega Genesis classics.
4. President_Leever
14 Mar 2008, 00:35 GMT
Best RPG on stock MD, and good competition for FF6, CT and the like.
5. PrizePig
14 Mar 2008, 01:44 GMT
I this game hard? What does it compare to difficulty wise?
6. Sage Joch
17 Mar 2008, 11:59 GMT
Man, this game looks really promising! I was wondering though, is it recommended that you play through episodes 1 to 4 in chronological order following the storyline, or can they be played perfectly at random? And won't starting with PS IV kind of ruin the other games as they're apparantely not up to the standards of 4?
7. deggs
18 Mar 2008, 18:51 GMT
just started this the other day (in the genesis collection for ps2) and i'm lovin it... to be honest, so far at least, i'm not as into it as much as i was into the snes ff games but it beat CT and any other snes rpg hands down. this is prob one of the best rpgs i've ever played...
8. animehair
18 Mar 2008, 22:39 GMT
Ill never forget this game! This game is amazing. There are moments in the storyline of the game that to this day I will never forget. Thats how much it impacted me. The graphics, story, the music...its all top notch. You dont have to play the other Phantasy Stars first to play this one...but I remember the quality of this one kinda ruined the older Phantasy Stars for me when I tried to go back and play them.
9. Jogurt the Yogurt
19 Mar 2008, 16:12 GMT
I've heard nothing but good things about this, and I probably wouldn't worry too much about starting with this one and not bothering with the previous games. But we need a better video for this! I want to see gameplay (battles, menus), not just the intro (which isn't really going to help me decide whether the game's for me).
10. SKTTR
23 Mar 2008, 15:47 GMT
seconded.
intro videos are lame. gameplay videos is what its all about.
11. WoRMaSTeR
25 Mar 2008, 11:29 GMT
Umm you can just go to youtube and watch more videos of it.
12. Ryu-mithril
04 Apr 2008, 23:30 GMT
I want this.
13. Shortay
18 Apr 2008, 00:12 GMT
I think I'll skip on PSII and III and just go for this when it's released, as the VC isn't getting enough quality RPGs and I want to get the best one possible right now
14. Oldschoolmayhem
02 May 2008, 06:03 GMT
Never played a PS game before most I was FF but this looks awesome so I'll get it.
15. russta
30 May 2008, 14:16 GMT
@Oldschoolmayhem - me too, think i will give it a go. does anyone one know the rough number of hours this game takes? I love the old school rpgs but i hate getting bored of them half way through which i find happens a lot
16. Raganara
30 May 2008, 16:36 GMT
One of the best Games I ever played.
You can set it in a row with Final Fantasy 6 JP (also known as Final Fantasy 3 US).
In my opinion PS IV is way better than FF 6
and many more...
17. Mikaro
30 May 2008, 16:55 GMT
This is the best RPG what I have played. The best. Musics are great.
18. cmacd44
13 Jun 2008, 17:44 GMT
This game was too addictive, can't wait for it to be released!
19. pApEr y0sh!
23 Jun 2008, 00:28 GMT
this series has kept going down hill. is this one as bad as 2 or 3?
20. pApEr y0sh!
24 Jun 2008, 22:59 GMT
sorry i mean 1 and 3
21. oneate7
27 Jun 2008, 21:06 GMT
to sum up ps4 in one word: amazing. i play it to this day still every chance i get. hopefully nintendo will make the right move and release this, eb, and smrpg soon because my wii points are collecting alot of dust ;x
22. Starwolf_UK
28 Jun 2008, 20:11 GMT
My thoughts on the game its very good but a few things let it down. The interface is much clunkier than what you would expect to see in FF. I also found lack of information in places (lack of tech description for instance) a bit weird with the fact you can talk to your party (to find out where to go next if you get stuck).
Thankfully none of those issues get in the way of the game too much and it is worth putting up with them. All it reallys means is you have to put a little more effort into playing than you would say, FF.
Also, I find it a little sad some of the wow worthy ideas didn't catch on. The macro system (the cloest you'll find to this is auto battle but it isn't realy the same
) and the cutscene syling (the only games I know of that does the comic book panel style are both SEGA works*). Some games do the find out where to go next thing well but none in PSIVs style (usually buying hints or a log of the adventure)
*-The Project Rub and Rub Rabbits game on the DS and PSO Ep II on the Gameucbe.
23. Mr. Cheez
02 Jul 2008, 23:58 GMT
Sucks for you guys who don't have a PS2 or PSP, cuz then you could just play it on Sega Genesis Collection!
This was the only PS I really liked on that collection. PSII wasn't bad, but was a bit too difficult and time-consuming for me, and PSIII was just boring.
24. Mickeymac
07 Jul 2008, 16:06 GMT
I think I'll give this one a go. I've heard enough good things about it, and I like a game that gos for a more Sci-fi theme, especially in a genre that seems obsessed with Medival fantasy worlds.
I just have to ask, though, is it really Sci-fi? I ask this because I had purchased another game that claimed to be a Sci-fi RPG, yet, after a mere glimpse of some technologically advanced civilization, it immediately strands you on some backwards, Medival planet and it devolves into a generic medival fantasy RPG. I felt so cheated by that game, and I really don't want to make a mistake like that again. So does PSIV run with the Sci-fi theme the whole way through, or is that "Sci-fi RPG" only on the back of the box?
I won't quite be downloading it, to tell you the truth, as I intend to get the Sega Genesis Collection, probably on the PSP(I need some reason to use that thing), but if it's really just a Fantasy type game, I not even going to bother with it.
I'd still like an answer, mind you.
25. Jiggy37
22 Jul 2008, 08:11 GMT
I have the Genesis Collection on PSP, but whenever this game shows up I'll still give serious consideration to downloading it. Phantasy Star IV really is an excellent RPG, and the VC emulation will probably be a step up above what Sega managed with PSP, so--yeah, I'll definitely think about it.
26. PuppetMasterKuruku
01 Sep 2008, 11:02 GMT
Stop waiting and buy Sega GenesisMegadrive Collection for PS2 or PSP if you want to play this and most of Sega's other great stuff. You get Phantasy Star II, III, and IV. If you want the first, I'd wait for the SMS release, since the only port is on GBA, and it's got some bad glitches, including a save glitch.
If you don't have a PS2, I can only ask why the hell you'd have a Wii instead unless you're running the Homebrew Channel.
Admittedly, Sega Genesis Collection has some slight emulation problems (the only ones I've noticed are sound problems, and the biggest is the lack of speed-up music in Sonic), so if this is your all-time favorite game ever, go ahead and spend $8, but everybody else should just buy that collection and be done with it.
I can only laugh at everybody who's stuck waiting for this right now, when it's been available forever elsewhere, as a hard copy and cheaper too.
For the uninitiated, this is the great finale on the 16-bit system, and it's considered to have aged better than the other three. If you like the series and have no qualms with playing older games, you should play I and II (and if you really like it, III), but most people would recommend you starting with this. They make references to previous games, but it's really ok to skip ahead.
27. TheLuigiDude
02 Sep 2008, 00:35 GMT
I'm getting the GBA PS collection and then I'll wait for this to come out the VC if I like what I played in the previous games. Sadly I would get this on the Genesis collection, but I don't have a PS2 or money to get one.
28. deggs
01 Oct 2008, 13:57 GMT
yeah, i've been playing this when i get the chance on the playstation 2 genesis collection and i have to say, it's amazing. prob one of the best rpgs that will ever hit vc. right now, i'd say it's my second fav rpg of all time (second only to Final Fantasy 2(4) and keeping in mind that i never was able to find most ps1 rpgs cuz i got my ps2 just recently. in fact i just got my playstation2 specifically for the genesis collection to play this very game and for the 2 mega man collections). I'm enjoying the game even more than I did ff3(6) or chrono trigger. The story's cool, and the music is great (for the most part).
if you don't have it yet on playstation 2, you'll be doing yourself a favor when you get it on vc.
29. soniczelda dude
13 Oct 2008, 23:45 GMT
This was released in Japan in June, so it should be coming soon, right?
30. Corbie
15 Oct 2008, 04:45 GMT
Shouldn't be too long before the US and Europe get this wonderful rpg. I've played through all of the 16-bit Phantasy Star games multiple times and this one is still my all-time favorite. I keep hoping Sega might resurrect the 2-D classic Phantasy Star games someday.
31. Kurachi
16 Oct 2008, 22:54 GMT
i dont know this game, but i see lots of positive posts here, maybe i give it a try
i have played PS II, and was also fun, until i got stuck somewhere
i now have plans for games, maybe after i got the others i'll buy this one aswell, looks good, just like PS II
32. Falk Sturmfels
14 Nov 2008, 08:54 GMT
This is a great Friday for us europeans. So much high rated games. I have Phantasy Star I-III as originals, so I´m thinking of trying to get this one also as original.
33. ness
14 Nov 2008, 12:23 GMT
Great to see another wonderful RPG on "Virtual Console" =).
34. Draygone
14 Nov 2008, 12:25 GMT
This game is great. Granted, I've never finished the game. I've got a terrible attention span. Only made it up to the first vehicle you drive. But I did get to the first battle with the main villain, and the events surrounding him were just what you'd expect from an encounter with a main villain (this guy is big trouble). And from what I've seen from the game so far, this game definately is up there with the great RPGs of the 16-bit era.
My only complaint is the spell names. You can't play this game without an instruction book by your side. I appreciate the attempt at original spell names, but I'd rather have my FIREs and CUREs instead of FOIs and RESes. Heck, a few spells and abilities weren't mentioned in the original instruction booklet. (Yeah, I own the original.)
35. MarkyVigoroth
14 Nov 2008, 16:08 GMT
This review makes me regret buying Phantasy Star III, yet I might as well enjoy III before IV comes.... (If only I leveled up better in III...)
36. Peppy Hare
14 Nov 2008, 17:23 GMT
Incredible Genesis game! Easily the best of the Phantasy Star franchise. Can't wait 'till it comes to North America!
37. deggs
14 Nov 2008, 18:21 GMT
yup. as i said above... this and mario rpg are probably the best vc is gonna get...
38. 2hip2beskware
19 Nov 2008, 19:10 GMT
Is this as brutal as 2 was?
Leave A Comment
Please login to post a comment.