Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Phantasy Star II are very different RPGs. One of them is a starter game meant to introduce new players to the genre. The other is a more complete game and has more of what I expect from a console RPG.
It is always fun for me to compare games to Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. This is one of those unique games that brings something different to the table. Comparing other games to this one has been quite a bit of fun.
Phantasy Star II is one of the earlier console RPGs that I’ve changed my mind on the more that I play it. This game has a lot of great things in it, but it can be frustrating because the developers tried something different. I want to like the game more than I do, but there are a few things that hold it back for me.
Both of these games have good things in them. Neither is a perfect game by any stretch of the means, but I enjoy them. They bring different things to the table, which makes for a fun comparison. Let’s get into them and see what they have to offer.
Game Descriptions/Overviews
This is another match up of high fantasy and science fiction. These are always fun for me because of how different the two are. Sometimes, when it comes to Final Fantasy games, there is some overlap. The Phantasy Star series also has some elements of fantasy in it, but they are mostly science fiction.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is a high fantasy RPG where the player controls a solo protagonist. There is a rotating cast of party members, but you’ll never have more than two in your party. The goal of the game is to restore the light to four crystals and defeat an evil wizard. This was all foretold in a prophecy, which was started by the big bad guy.
Phantasy Star II is a science fiction RPG where the player controls a fairly large group of heroes. In the game, you have to deal with a rogue computer that has been corrupted by Dark Force. You’ll be traveling to different planets and space stations. The ending is a little odd, but it isn’t too different from other science fiction media.
These are brief descriptions of each game. They have some great things in them, but they have quite a few differences. Let’s get into some of the main things that are different between these two games.
Main Differences
There are a lot of differences between these two games. I’m going to try to keep this to three or four that I think are the most significant. I’ll be focusing on the setting, story, combat, and tone of the games. If I think of anything else, I’ll add it in.
The settings are very different. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest uses a high fantasy setting. There isn’t modern technology or robots, and magic can be used by most people. Phantasy Star II is a science fiction setting. There’s space travel, robots, and guns of various types.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest has a fairly simple story. Every goal is clearly spelled out to the player, and there aren’t any big twists. The quests all lead you to a central goal. Phantasy Star II has a more complex story that weaves in several tropes of the science fiction genre. You’re dealing with a rogue computer that has decided to exterminate humanity.
The two combat systems look the same on their surface, but have quite a few differences. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest lets you put one of your party members on auto. You only have a party of two characters, and you don’t fight many monsters at once. Phantasy Star II has you form a party of four characters, and you have several options to customize your party. There are more enemies on the combat screen as well, and the boss fights are much harder.
The overall tone of these games is wildly different. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest has a lighthearted and comedic tone. Nothing is really taken seriously. Phantasy Star II takes its source material very seriously. There are deaths in this game where a character doesn’t come back, and a planet explodes.
Those are the areas that I felt were the most significant. I know that there are many other differences between these two games, but I wanted to try to keep this brief. Let’s get into what each game does better than the other.
What Does Phantasy Star II do Better?
There are a number of things in Phantasy Star II that I think are better than those in the other game. The story is more enjoyable, I like the setting more, and the battles are better. I also like that you’re free to explore the game’s worlds.
This story reminds me of some of my favorite science fiction novels. I like the idea that humanity created a computer to make their lives better, and it ends up turning on them. You can see a similar plot in quite a few video games, movies, and books.
I enjoy science fiction more than high fantasy. Phantasy Star II has the player traveling through space to different planets and space stations. Having a scientific explanation for all the monsters in the game is also pretty cool.
The battles are much better in Phantasy Star II. Having more characters in your party and fighting more enemies makes things more fun. You have to think about who is in your group and how you want to approach each fight. This isn’t something you need to do all the time in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.
Those are the major things that Phantasy Star II does better. There are some minor things that I like more about the game as well. It is a more difficult RPG, but that isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing. Let’s get into what Final Fantasy Mystic Quest does better.
What Does Final Fantasy Mystic Quest do Better?
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest does do a handful of things better than Phantasy Star II. It has the benefit of being made after Phantasy Star II, and Square having an experienced team behind it. The game has better dungeons, meeting new party members makes more sense, and I like the animations of the combat screen more.
I like Final Fantasy Mystic Quest’s dungeons more. I’m not a fan of the transporter system from Phantasy Star II, and the foreground obstructions are annoying. Those things aren’t in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, and I like how the game incorporated more puzzle platforming gameplay.
The way you get new party members is better in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. They do a better job of advancing the plot and explaining why they’re there and what they want to accomplish. In Phantasy Star II, they just show up at the main character’s house, and you have to know when to get them. It isn’t a very good system.
I like the character animations in this game more. While both games have this, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest has its enemies change based on how much damage they’ve taken. That little thing makes the combat better than some other games. It is also something that is done better than Phantasy Star II.
Those the three things that stood out to me. I’m sure that there are others, but these were the big areas that I felt were better. Let’s get into which is better overall, and which game I would rather revisit.
Which is Better Overall and Why?
Phantasy Star II is the better game overall. This is a more complete RPG when I look at the two of them. This is a little tricky when you compare a starter RPG to one for more seasoned players. It has a better story, better gameplay, and I enjoy the setting more.
I like science fiction more than high fantasy. Phantasy Star II is a science fiction RPG, and I enjoy the story about people trying to fight back against a rogue computer. It ties into the big bad guy from the first game, where Dark Force has corrupted the computer, and I like how one of the planets is destroyed during the game.
The gameplay is more of what I want from a retro RPG. Grinding for levels is relaxing for me, and there is quite a bit of it in this game. The battles are more complex, and you have to work harder to beat some bosses.
Phantasy Star II feels like a much bigger game because it is a space-faring adventure. Fighting robots and mutants is more fun for me than fighting high fantasy creatures. I also like how you can explore the game’s world and really see more. It feels like the game is more lived in than what is in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.
Those are the big things that make this game better. There are a lot of little things in this game that make me think it is the better RPG. It has a lot more of what I want to see from a retro game in this genre. Let’s go over which game I would rather play.
Which Would I Rather Play?
Given the choice between these two games, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is the one I would choose to revisit. It helps that I haven’t played that much and that it is newer to me in terms of really playing it. It has some interesting gameplay, a familiar story, and I like how simple it is.
I have a newfound appreciation for this game. It isn’t a great game, but I had fun with it when I played it. The story was funnier than I remembered, and it felt familiar. When I really looked at it, I thought it was a watered-down version of the NES game. That made it feel more familiar to me.
Each weapon has a secondary function outside of combat. You’ll need each of them to get through the game. In some ways, this reminded me of some of the action RPGs, because you’ll have to do some action-puzzle sections to get through the dungeons.
This is a simple game, and that appealed to me. I liked how easy it was to get through things in this game. There was only one instance where I had to look something up. This is a very linear game, and most of the battles are fairly simple.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest isn’t going to end up on a best of list, but it is a game that I enjoy. Even if it has a bad reputation, I still like it. There is a charm in this game that I find interesting, and I appreciate how easy this game is.
Conclusion
Both of these are games that I initially didn’t like when I first played them in the 1990s. I had no idea what I was doing in Phantasy Star II, and I was rather disappointed in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. I’m glad that I went back and played both of them.
Phantasy Star II has a great story, and I love the setting. There is a lot of grinding in this game, but I don’t think it is any worse than other retro RPGs. Despite the flaws in the game, I like it quite a bit. It isn’t the Phantasy Star game that I would want to revisit, but it is better than many retro games.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is a little too simple and weird for most people. There are also a lot of people who had a bad experience with the game, or let the internet make up their mind for them. This was much better than I remember it being. It isn’t a difficult game, but I enjoyed playing through it.
This was a fun comparison for me. These games are quite different, which makes it fun to think about what each of them brings to the table. It will be fun to see how these games stack up to the other games that I’ve played.
If you liked this post, check out some of the other posts in my Vs series. Such as Phantasy Star III vs Final Fantasy or Final Fantasy Mystic Quest vs Sweet Home.