Dark Horses of 2010

Sometimes, it’s the unlikeliest games that stand tall above the rest. So with so many hotly anticipated titles already released or set for release in 2010, three of Resolution’s freelance contributors decided to get together to argue about which other games might find themselves talking points in the coming months. They chose a game each – two already released in certain corners, the other a while off yet – then shouted at each other about their relative merits. First up…

PHANTASY STAR ZERO

Jennifer Allen says:
We’ve all heard of the Phantasy Star series, right? What do you mean “no”? It was a brilliant series of RPGs back in the day, with the Mega Drive versions being my particular favourites. Think Final Fantasy but different, and you’re almost there. In the case of Phantasy Star Zero, it’s not actually much like the Mega Drive classics, but that’s not stopping me looking forward to it.

Phantasy Star Zero looks like it’s going to be much like Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast. It was a game way ahead of its time and really set alight the Dreamcast’s online functionality – it’s just a pity it didn’t last for long enough. It might sound quite typical for an MMO now, but a hack and slash online RPG which focused on grinding for hours at a time getting to the next level and acquiring a few more pieces of rare loot was pretty exciting for the time. Yeah, there are 101 MMOs that do this now, but Phantasy Star Online really paved the way. Honest!

So what’s the big deal with Phantasy Star Zero if it’s all been done before? Well for one thing, it’s Phantasy Star. It’s a franchise which might never have quite caught we Europeans’ hearts as much as it should have, but it certainly deserves some respect for its storytelling if nothing else. The average JRPG fan can’t resist a new RPG to play anyhow so Phantasy Star Zero is perfect for that. They’ve certainly been waiting long enough, considering the Japanese release was over a year ago. There’s the online functionality which is set to make it easy to join in with other players via the DS at last. With the prevalence of Wi-Fi points, who can resist being able to drop in and out of an MMO while on the move. Finally! MMO gamers can leave their bedrooms! Or is that just me?

Zero also offers a full single player experience with plenty of cut scenes and twists to keep the singleplayer gamer happy. Phantasy Star Zero is bound to have its quirks. It’ll probably have a completely insane storyline but that’s what will make it special. It’s a Japanese RPG, after all, but I think it’s maintained the appropriate balance to ensure that it’s still welcoming to Western gamers who are unaccustomed to the quirkiness that some JRPGs offer.

Sure, I’m probably just living in cloud cuckoo land. Phantasy Star Zero will probably be ignored in favour of more marketable games like Heavy Rain and Final Fantasy XIII. The average DS owner is probably only eight years old now, anyway, and would rather play Hello Kitty. But if there’s any justice in the world, this should be Phantasy Star Zero’s year – even if it might not be the most unique of RPGs.

Martin Gaston says:
It’s the year 2000 and Phantasy Star Online is showing me that online gaming with a console can actually work. I remember it well – I was young enough to think burning an ISO of DreamKey 3.0 (so I could input my own ISP’s settings into the console instead of having to use Sega’s more expensive alternative) was the most dangerous and exciting thing in the entire world. I felt like James Bond. Sega will be hoping for a mass resurgence of this rosy nostalgia, as they’ve never been able to replicate PSO’s magic despite multiple attempts. Zero looks like the best shot in ages, but I think I’ve outgrown the game’s target demographic: I can’t even remember where I’ve left my DS, let alone co-ordinate an online session with its fiddly and nonsensical friend code system.

Sinan Kubba says:
Japanese RPGs on the DS are definitely my kind of thing, but I don’t see Phantasy Star Zero making too many inroads outside of its homeland. J-RPGs are certainly a mixed bag commercially although the Phantasy Star name must still carry some weight on our shores, especially if Zero is similar to Phantasy Star Online. And as Demon’s Souls proved last year, there’s always a chance of an unexpected breakout foreign title. It did score 33 out of 40 in its Famitsu review, but that’s in Japan. Here in the UK, I can’t see it getting much attention with Final Fantasy XIII round the corner.

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