Phantasy Star 0 Preview

You'll be able to trigger your own messages as chat bubbles for everyone to see

Now this I didn’t expect – dungeons are randomly generated. That means they’ll always be different – the game actually crafts the layout of the battlefield on the fly. This is great – much more than we expect from Nintendo DS games. Good stuff SEGA.

Out in the field, we're shown how to make proper use of the Visual Chat interface. Say, for example, you’re getting slapped about by a nasty enemy and your hit points are approaching the point where they might run out. You’re too in the thick of it to heal yourself, so need some help. Normally you’d probably just die, because actually calling for help in these group situations is a clunky, cumbersome process. In Ø all you’ll have to do is tap on the bottom screen to bring up a pre-drawn HEAL! message, which everyone will see displayed in a bubble above your head. Hopefully, then, someone will heal you, keeping you alive and the group soldiering on.

Beyond this, Ø is typical Phantasy Star fare, third-person hacking and slashing and laser gun firing forming the bulk of the gameplay. The action palette is based on the DS’ face buttons. You’ve got a heavy (Y) and light (A) attack, as well as a dodge (B). Combo execution is based on timing, not button mashing, and combo suitability is dependent on whatever weapon you’re using. Light attacks are faster and more accurate, so they’re good to use at the beginning of a combo string in order to make sure you don’t hit fresh air when trying to attack a fast moving enemy. I find, with Tails, who’s packing a slow but powerful double-handed staff, that two lights followed by a heavy works best.

Holding R brings up a second action palette – you can map whatever you want to this, but it’s best reserved for healing items. The item’s we’ve got are Difluid, which restores Photon Points (PP), used for special attacks, by a large amount; Dinate, which restores hit points (HP) by a large amount; and Moon Atomize, which revives a fallen ally.

Ø is one of our most anticipated DS games

The art style is, predictably, slightly more cartoon anime than in previous versions, but it’s still impressive. The 3D environments are lush and the character detail is impressive, all rendered on the top screen with the menu at the bottom. Tails, my level 33 character, is a large enough to admire but small enough to allow an adequate view of the battlefield.

As with most portable 3D games, the camera is an issue. There are a decent number of camera controlling options: Tapping L centres it, holding L lets you strafe. But you never feel in complete command of what you’re looking at. You’re able to hold the X button and then use L and R to rotate the camera, but this induces a serious case of claw hand after about five minutes. If there’s one frustration with the game, and it’s shared by many similar games on the DS and PSP, it’s the camera. Why don’t these games include a lock-on feature?

So, Phatasy Star Ø is definitely one DS game to watch. The inclusion of online play is what’s most exciting about it, of course. Hopefully it’ll work well - SEGA’s working on letting American, Japanese and European fans play together, although Mr. Lag might have something to say about that.

Of course there will be a main single-player story mission for those who don’t fancy getting their Phantasy Star freak on online, which we’re told is set on Earth and will offer between eight and 15 hours of gameplay, but, if we’re being honest, that’s not what the series is about. It’s about dungeon crawling in a sci-fi anime setting with more loot than you ever thought possible in a game. Apparently there are over 350 weapons in the game, divided into sixteen categories. Should keep everyone busy.

Phantasy Star Ø will be out for the Nintendo DS between November 2009 and February 2010.