There Ain't No School Like, Old School!

[Niered]

Artistically I'll go ahead and say that I'm really not fond of this Phantasy Star game. Its better than PSU in some ways, but PSO hit their art style perfectly.

PSO's enemy, area, and character designs were very similar to todays Metroid Prime games, they have this very utilitarian feel. Im not saying that every idea in PSO or MP make sense, but the environments and such just felt "real". Like if that tech existed then thats how the world would look. It was really nice and I appreciated it a helluva lot more than the absurd dorky anime style of PSU, as well as a bit more than this chibi style in PSZ.

Dont get me wrong though, I full understand why they went this route with PSZ, its definitely better suited for a portable game. The characters are more stylized allowing for a lower polygon count while still keeping their individual flair. One classes silhouette is intantly recognizable from another's, and thats extremely important in a Multiplayer game.

[BIG OLAF]

PSO's enemy, area, and character designs were very similar to todays Metroid Prime games

How do you figure that? I see no similarities at all between PSO and the Metroid Prime series. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I just simply don't see what you mean. Please elaborate, if you will.

[Niered]

How do you figure that? I see no similarities at all between PSO and the Metroid Prime series. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I just simply don't see what you mean. Please elaborate, if you will.

Aesthetically speaking, there are alot of similarities. You have creatures that are basically "hard" fantasy-sci-fi. They arent anything you see on earth, but they arent unbelievable either (once you get past their ability to, you know, cast techniques, jump impossible distances, etc). PSO's bosses, most of its enemies, the character designs (minus the facial features) and the environments all looked like they could have easily come from a western concept art studio. This is where I get the MP similarity (which obviously IS a western developed game), both games take place in a sci-fi/fantasy future, both have a look that deals heavily with unique, but fairly realistic creatures and settings.

[Rakath Talyn]

How do you figure that? I see no similarities at all between PSO and the Metroid Prime series. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I just simply don't see what you mean. Please elaborate, if you will.

I kind of see the similar, in that you don't look at anything and go 'why would you wear that into combat' (except for PSO FOnewm, but that's a very specific issue). While most PSO enemies were simple, they without question fit into the surroundings. I mean from the vids I've watched, I'm more confused by what some bosses are than how to kill them. They are doing the best with the DS capabilities, but that means that they had to make things a tad more outlandish. Which makes some things a tad too outlandish.

I'd love for a sequel PSZ to head to the Wii and use the increased graphics power to give us a closer midpoint between PSZ and PS0. Little more variety, little more graphics, keep the combat system set-up (maybe give a 4th/8th pallet spot). As I am saddened by most of the PSZ character design options, and long for a console home for the 'true successor' to PSO. Mostly so I can have 6, maybe even 8 hairstyles and colors.

*Note: I do not hate PSU. I just like my techs away from my weapons. And I love fighting unarmed time to time.*

[zling]

the thing i didnt like about pso is the humar, he just looked silly with those shorts and mega man arm. now that i think about it, hes my least favoret in psz too lol

[Aether]

I also am none to fond of the fact that the only possible look for the Humar is male jailbait.

However the, RAmar, FOmar,FOnewm, HUnewm all look sufficiently mature.

[Mike]

Dont get me wrong though, I full understand why they went this route with PSZ, its definitely better suited for a portable game. The characters are more stylized allowing for a lower polygon count while still keeping their individual flair. One classes silhouette is intantly recognizable from another's, and thats extremely important in a Multiplayer game.

And yet they could have gone for a more PSO style (though this is old news) and done all of the above. The RAcasts don't have a whole lot of detail in these pictures but that would have likely changed given the state of development the game was in when these shots were taken. I'm not sure why they decided to go with the style they did when PSO was more than possible. They didn't though, and that's the end of that.