Phantasy Star II is One of the Best RPGs

Phantasy Star II is one of the best RPGs on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. It took me a while to really get into this game because I didn’t know what to do when I first played it. I played this series out of order, starting with the fourth game and eventually playing the second and third.

A friend of mine rented the fourth game in the mid 1990s, and I got hooked on the game. I have no idea why he rented it, but I’m glad that he did. When I started collecting retro games in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I played Phantasy Star II.

Going back to play this game again, I can see some of the things that I missed the last time. There is a lot going on in this game, and I think the story is wonderful. The graphics and gameplay are excellent, and I think the developers did a fantastic job with this game. It is one of the best retro RPGs of all time, and my second favorite game in the series.

TLDR: Great Graphics and Gameplay Compliment a Wonderful Story.

Narrative

This game has one of the best stories I’ve come across in a retro RPG. The developers leaned into the science fiction elements from the first game, and that really elevated it. It is a dystopian setting that feels like many of the science fiction books that I read as a kid.

Phantasy Star II has us returning to the Algol solar system, where the names of the planets have changed a bit, and our main character is having nightmares about the end of the first game. It is clear that a lot of time has passed since the first Phantasy Star, and many things have changed. The people of these three planets have turned things over to a supercomputer called Mother Brain, and if you’ve read or watched any science fiction media, then you know this is a bad idea.

Our main character is tasked with figuring out why the monster population is increasing. It is explained that these are biologically created in a lab, and you have to destroy the source of the monsters. This goes sideways as the lab exploding damages the climate control system and floods the world. Once you’ve fixed that, the party is captured by Mother Brain, sentenced to death on a satellite, and then the satellite collides with one of the planets, which destroys Palma. This will be a factor later on in the series.

Your party escapes to Dezo, finds Lutz from the first game, and learn that Mother Brain has become corrupted. The supercomputer sees the people of this solar system as parasites and is trying to destroy them. It turns out that Dark Force is behind all of this. This is Dark Falz from the first game, it’s name will change in every game. There is a reveal at the end of the game that connects all this with Earth, but that plot thread gets abandoned.

Overall, Phantasy Star II has a wonderful story that is better than the first game. This game takes place 1,000 years after the first, and there have been significant changes to the solar system. It is a great story, and it reminds me of some of my favorite science fiction stories.

Gameplay

Phantasy Star II is a fairly straightforward turn-based RPG. You go on quests and get clues on what you’ll need to do. Over the course of the game, you’ll get more party members, which was something new for the time. Aside from that, there isn’t anything that you haven’t seen before in this game.

There are several walkthroughs available online. I referred to one when it came to what weapons and armor, as well as when I got a little lost in the game. Here is a link to the walkthrough that I used during this playthrough (Link).

There are quite a few playable characters in the game. Here is a list of them:

• Rolf – The main character. You can give them whatever name you want.
• Nei – She is the first character you get aside from the main character.
• Rudolf
• Amy
• Hugh
• Anna
• Josh
• Shir

With any game like this, there are several opinions on which is the best party. I don’t like doing that, as I tend to experiment with different groups until I find one that I like. Either way, you’ll have to assemble a party of four out of these characters. I’m not going to spoil anything, just be careful with who you choose.

To get new characters, you have to return to the main character’s house a predetermined times. I’m not sure how you were supposed to know this back in the early 1990s, and I’m sure people missed out on some of them, or got a bunch at once. This is one of the things I didn’t like about the game.

The dungeons are fairly large and can be difficult to navigate. Thankfully, you can find maps online, or you can wander about until you find your way through them, which is what I did. They’re also made up of a bunch of teleporters, which can be frustrating at times, especially later in the game.

It is a fairly standard retro RPG. The gameplay isn’t too different from any of the other RPGs released in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I like this style because I find it to be relaxing, as long as I remember to save so I don’t lose hours of progress, which did happen during this playthrough.

Visuals

This is a spectacular looking game, but there are a few things that I think are a step backwards. The developers improved some aspects, such as the dungeons, but the battle screens aren’t as good as in the previous game.

While the dungeons shifting from a first-person view to an overhead view is a welcome change, the foreground obstructions are not. I get what they were trying to do by having a bunch of pipes and wires on the screen; it gives the player the impression of looking through the building, but it doesn’t translate to something good. It was too distracting for me, and I didn’t think it was all that necessary. A good idea that was poorly executed.

The enemies are more detailed and look less cartoonish than in the last game. It seems like they were aiming for a darker tone, and I think they’ve managed to achieve it. It feels like you’re in a futuristic world that has largely given up and is letting a computer do everything. The look of the worlds, monsters, and dungeons reinforces this.

I was a little disappointed with the battle screens in this game. The first game has bright and colorful battle scenes where you can see the scenery of the location you’re fighting. In Phantasy Star II, you fight on a grid, and there are more enemies. I like that there are more enemies to fight, but it would’ve been better if the battle screens were more interesting.

The comic book cutscenes are back, and there are other cinematic parts that are a welcome addition to the game. They look better than the first game, which is to be expected with the shift from 8-bit to 16-bit technology. For a game released in 1989, there were a number of visually impressive parts that showed off what the Genesis/Mega Drive could do.

Overall, this is a beautiful game. It looks better than some of the early SNES games and is one of the best looking Genesis/Mega Drive games. There are only a few things that I don’t like about the graphics, and those are minor issues that don’t appear in other games in the series.

Reviews at the Time

Phantasy Star II received great reviews when it was released. I only looked at two of them this time, but the other reviews aren’t too far off. I looked at Sega Power, a UK magazine, and EGM.

Sega Power gave the game a 94/100, and I’m not sure how they got to that number. Looking over the grades they gave parts of the game, I’m a little baffled at how they came to a 94 when the scores were between 65 and 85. They called it “excellent” and a “believable game.”

EGM had four people review the game, and the scores were a 7/10, 9/10, and two 8/10s. Two of the people who reviewed the game didn’t like the original or didn’t like RPGs. It’s an odd choice, but I do appreciate the different perspectives. The other two thought it was a great game.

The reviews I’ve seen for the game from 1990 all agree that this is a great game. While some of the comments were a little strange, it does seem that everyone liked it. Itis interesting to see that most people’s thoughts on this game haven’t changed much over the years. There are, of course, those people who hate it just because, but that is true for every game.

9/10. I only have minor issues with the graphics and gameplay. The story is spectacular, and I love the way the game tells it. There isn’t anything for me to really complain about with Phantasy Star II, and only a few things that don’t impact the gameplay overall.

Pros

• Great Graphics
• Wonderful Gameplay
• Amazing Story

Cons

• Foreground Obstructions in the Dungeons
• Getting new Party Members is Odd

Conclusion

I reviewed this game a while ago when I didn’t script my videos for YouTube in the way that I do now. I don’t remember what I said about it back then, but I do remember enjoying it. After playing this series, I have a greater appreciation for this game. It is my second favorite game in the series.

Phantasy Star II has quite a few things that are followed up on in the fourth game, where the developers attempted to tie all the games together and give this little solar system a happy ending. Things that happen in the second game have a big impact on the plot for the next two games, but I’m a little sad that the stuff about Earth was dropped after this game.

I like this game quite a bit. It has everything that I enjoyed from the first game, and it has a better story, which dumps some of the Greek mythology in favor of a straightforward science fiction plot. While the story is the star of this game, the gameplay and graphics are also excellent.

If you liked this post, please check out my other reviews of retro RPGs, such as Phantasy Star and Destiny of an Emperor.