Episodes Online

Phantasy Star Online, Episode I & II
$55.99
If you are reading this, chances are you are a fan of RPGs and are already deciding on buying this. That's fine. My review won't change your opinion. If however, you are one of the newer ones who want to venture into this world, it might not be your cup of tea.

Despite the rave reviews it has gotten, the word I can sum the game up is: repetitive. The core design of the game is essentially moving through areas, slashing at monsters, collecting items and leveling up. That is essentially what you'll be doing for hours, weeks, months and perhaps years.

The graphics are not up to the standards of other games. However, I believe they had to do this in order to allow 4-player splitscreen mode. The music is very interesting, ranging from moody techno music to sorrowful tones.

You are given the choice to choose 1 of 12 classes and change the looks of the character you are given. The classes are broken down into 3 archetypes: hunters, rangers and force. Hunters are melee fighters that fight head-on with enemies. Rangers use ranged weapons obviously and force is like the spell-casting class of the game. Within each class, you'll have some divisions such as a guy who's beefier in damage and accuracy, yet lacks the ability to cast any spell at all.

Once you make a character, you are given some sort of ID that determines item drops in the game for you. You then arrive in the lobby area. Here is where you'll spend your time in the game. There is a shop to trade, sell and buy items, a medical station to heal wounds, a mission area to get more assignments and an elevator to allow you to talk to the space government. The story is loosely about a colony of humans that are inside a ship that want to colonize a planet. However, they send hunters to check if the location is safe before landing.

There are two chapters to the game, hence the title, Episodes I and II. For multiplayer, you are given a splitscreen mode for up to four players. You used to be able to play online through Sega, if you purchased a Hunter's License, which is a fee of $15 each month. It's been discontinued, but there are private servers floating around that you can join.

To conclude, PSO is a game that's been done before here and there. Slashing at monsters to loot them is not revolutionary, nor does it require player skill. You are going to play this game for many hours, but I don't think all those hours will be enjoyable. The true value of this game is in the online play, but even that is marginalized when you think about all the other games that let you do that and more (Diablo 2).

If spending all your time grinding at simple-AI programmed monsters to collect items is your idea of fun, this game will be your fantasy. Otherwise, if you are like me, you'll feel unchallenged.

Star Wars Galactic Heroes Millennium Falcon with 4 Figures Return of the Jedi Episode VI
$37.05
The Millenium Falcon joins the Rebels in a daring attack to destroy the second Death Star. In the Sullust system, the Rebels meet in the hangar bay to go over their plans one last time. Lando Calrissian and his co-pilot Nien Nunb get the Falcon ready for battle, as Rebel commandos prepare to attack the Imperial station on Endor.

Fantasy Star Online Episode 3 - Card R
$48.99
Amazing. i never believed a soundtrack could get this good. remakes of old tunes and completly new ones are combined to form a fresh soundrack, that any pso fan will enjoy.

Make Love, Not Warcraft
$1.99
I am sure that anyone who is a gamer can relate to this episode (Make Love Not Warcraft). You don't have to be a hardcore WoW player to know what it is like to totally get engulfed in a game and not understand when the 'real' world has no idea what you are talking about when you step outside.

I loved this episode not only because it made me laugh as an outsider of WoW, but it made me laugh as an insider of gaming in general (yeah, so, I like console games better than comp games).