Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution review (GameCube)

When it comes to communicating with the other players, there is no substitute for having an actual keyboard. Unfortunately, such a controller has never been released for the GameCube in the US, which will force those who want to do a lot of in-game chatting to import one, as it's nigh impossible to have a normal-paced conversation using the game's soft keyboard. The game does, however, have a preset catalog of useful phrases, which also has room for you to program in your own phrases. There's also a bizarre symbol-based chat system, which is good for hailing players with whom you might not share a common language, but it's difficult to do anything much more complex with it.

Arguably, part of the reason PSO caught on in such a massive way when it first launched on the Dreamcast was that, unlike with PC-based online RPGs like EverQuest, there was no additional cost involved in playing online. It wasn't long before the back-end costs of maintaining the PSO servers forced Sega to introduce a monthly service fee, which definitely culled many of the less-committed players. Similarly, if you want to take PSO III online, you're going to need to purchase a "hunter's license," which currently runs at $8.95 a month. This may seem a little steep to some for access to what amounts to an online collectible card game, though this price point is made easier to digest by the fact that a hunter's license purchased for PSO III will also work with the GameCube version of PSO I & II, and visa versa.

One of the more striking aspects of any Phantasy Star Online game--or, really, just about any Sonic Team-developed game--is the game's distinct visual style. The game enthusiastically incorporates anime, sci-fi, and high-fantasy aesthetics to create a bright, almost whimsical look that is definitely more than the sum of its parts. The places you'll go, both in orbit over Ragol and on the planet's surface, tend to range from lushly stylized, slightly alien wilderness to high-tech spaceships and causeways, which appear to be constructed out of materials more exotic than just glass and steel, which, despite their size and complexity, gives a sense of incredible lightness. The designs for the people who populate PSO III do a fine job of cross-pollinating the old and the new, giving you female elfin warriors who pack massive energy weapons, androids that look like French maids, and futuristic court jesters, and the creatures you summon and fight while on Ragol maintain this aesthetic.

But for all the care that has gone into specifically defining the visual design ethic of PSO, Sonic Team has neglected to make any really serious upgrades to the game's engine since it first debuted on the Dreamcast, making the game look lamentably antiquated. The game is pretty spartan as far as polygons go, both on the characters and in the environments, and the textures, while at least colorful, tend to lack detail. There's not much to speak of in terms of special effects either, as the game sports consistently flat lighting, and the shadows cast by characters and creatures alike look horribly pixelated. There are other minor annoyances--like the way the grid squares that make up the playfield noticeably float well above the actual floor--that make the visuals' technical shortcomings that much harder to ignore. The game does have progressive scan support, which, considering what you'll be looking at in high-res, is little consolation.

Concurrently, the sound design consists almost entirely of exaggerated anime sound effects, like laser blasts and that awesome fluid-sounding sword-slash effect, paired with music from past PSO games. When you're in the game's online lobby, you'll find a jukebox, and for a few mesetas, you can hear tunes from other classic Sega games as you wait for your party members to arrive or a tournament to begin. It may not be original, but all of it fits the game's tone, and the inclusion of Pro Logic II support allows it to shine just a little bit more, making it a lot tougher to fault. The only serious misstep in the game's sound design is in the voice that announces the changing of phases during combat--the guy just sounds kind of bored.

PSO III is a bit of a conundrum. For as heavily reminiscent of previous PSO games as it is, in terms of presentation and the overall structure, the new gameplay system turns it into an almost entirely new experience. Whether or not you enjoyed previous PSO games seems pretty irrelevant in deciding if PSO III is right for you. Rather, the deciding factor should be whether or not you appreciate the Phantasy Star Online aesthetic and would be interested in playing a card battling game alongside and against other players in that universe. If so, then PSO will have plenty to offer you.