It has been a while since I’ve compared two science fiction games to each other. This time, I’ll be looking at Robotrek and Phantasy Star II. This should be fun because I really like one of these games, and the other is something that I want to like more than I do.
Robotrek is a bonkers game. The story goes off the rails as the game goes on, and it has some very interesting gameplay. There are a number of things that I really like about this game, but I don’t think it is in the top tier of RPGs on the SNES.
Phantasy Star II has a lot going for it. It has a great story that is told rather well. This isn’t an easy game, and it does have a few problems. Finding and playing this game back in the late 1990s was part of the fun for me.
These are two games that I have different feelings about today. My opinion on one game hasn’t changed over the years, and the other has shifted a bit. They’re both good games, and they both have some issues. Let’s get into both of these games and see what they have to offer.
Game Descriptions/Overviews
Both of these games feature science fiction settings and send the player into space. This makes for a fun comparison as I get to look at two different takes on the genre. They do have a few similarities, but there is a lot that is different about them.
Robotrek is a fun game with a few unique gameplay elements. It is a somewhat simplistic tactical RPG where you use a robot to fight. The story is bonkers in the best way. You play as an inventor, and you craft the equipment and robots that you use in battle.
Phantasy Star II is a science fiction RPG about a corrupted computer that tries to exterminate humanity. There are quite a few playable characters, which is always nice in a game like this. There is a twist ending, and the game does set up the events of the next two games in the series. It isn’t a perfect game, but it has a lot of what I want from an RPG.
These are just brief descriptions of both games. There is more to both games, and they each have several things that I really enjoy. Let’s get into the main differences between these two games.
Main Differences
There are quite a few differences between these games. This is going to happen a lot when comparing games to Robotrek. Whenever I have a unique game, it always makes things a little tricky. They have differences in gameplay, story, and visuals.
Their gameplay is incredibly different. Phantasy Star II has turn based combat and a party of four characters. There is also a magic system. Robotrek uses a tactical combat system that is active timed, and you only control one character in battles.
The tone of the two games’ stories is very different. Phantasy Star is a very serious game. Characters die, there is genocide, and a planet explodes. Robotrek is a comedic game that gets progressively more bizarre as it goes on. Nothing is meant to be taken seriously.
Both games are bright and colorful, but they have different art styles. Characters in Phantasy Star II are a little more realistic, and the game uses more comic book cutscenes to tell its story. Robotrek has adorable graphics, and things are more comedic. Everything in the game looks like a capsule toy.
These are some of the differences between the games. There are a lot of them because of how different these games are. I’ll get into a few more in the next section. Let’s look at the core mechanics.
Comparing Core Mechanics (Combat, Story, Visuals, etc)
This is an odd pair of games to compare. While they have some similarities in their core mechanics, several unique features don’t fit. I’ll be looking at some of the parts of these games combat, story, and visuals.
Robotrek has a tactical approach to combat. You can move your robot around the battlefield. Turns are in active time, which forces you to act quickly. Phantasy Star II is what you should expect from a turn based RPG on a home console. You can take your time to choose what action each character takes, and there is a more involved magic and technique system.
When I looked at each story, the only significant difference was the tone, and that Robotrek includes some time travel. Both are grand adventures where the player eventually goes into space. One just happens to be a comedy, and the other is telling a serious story.
The visuals go along with the story. Robotrek has cute graphics where most of the characters look goofy or like they could be capsule toys. Phantasy Star II has some darker graphics, and the human characters look more realistic. There is also more detail in Phantasy Star II’s character sprites.
Robotrek has some unique features that aren’t in Phantasy Star II. You can see enemies before you encounter them, and there is a crafting system in this game. These things change the gameplay enough to make this game stand out a little more in the RPG genre. Phantasy Star II doesn’t really have something like that in its gameplay.
Those are some of the core mechanics in these games. I was trying to avoid repetition in this section, and I might’ve missed something here. Let’s get into what each game does better than the other.
What Does Phantasy Star II do Better?
There are a bunch of things that I feel are better in Phantasy Star II. It has more characters, the cutscenes are better, you can explore the game’s world, and I like the combat a little more. There are probably other things, and if I think of them, then I’ll add those in.
Phantasy Star II has more playable characters, which is something that I enjoy more. For me, it makes the story better overall, and it adds something to the gameplay that you don’t get from having a solo protagonist. In this case, it lets the player mess around with who they want in their party, and it can change how the game is played.
This game uses its cutscenes better. There are more cutscenes in Phantasy Star II; they look better, and they do a better job of telling the story. I love the comic book cutscenes in this game, and they look very good compared to many other games on the Genesis and SNES.
Being able to explore the game’s world is something that I really enjoy. It is something that I find fun, and it lets the player grind for levels and money more easily. I find this sort of thing to be relaxing. It is much more fun for me than being locked into a set path on the world map.
I like the combat a little more in this game. Having a party of characters, fighting a larger variety of enemies, and having more difficult boss fights are things I enjoy. This is a very challenging game, but it isn’t impossible.
These are some of the more significant things that I think are better in Phantasy Star II. There are probably some minor things that could go either way, but I wanted to stick to the ones that really stuck out to me. Let’s get into what Robotrek does better.
What Does Robotrek do Better?
There are several things that I feel are better in Robotrek. It has some unique gameplay mechanics, the dungeons are better, and I like the graphics on the combat screen. There might be a few other things that I can think of as I go through this. If I come up with anything else, then I’ll add it at the end.
The dungeons in Robotrek are much better. They’re less complex, which is a good thing in this case. The annoying foreground obstructions in Phantasy Star II aren’t here. I also like how the game works in the puzzle platform sections. It adds a lot to the gameplay.
Robotrek has better graphics on the combat screens. Phantasy Star II has you fighting on a blue and black grid, which is rather boring. What you have in Robotrek is a battlefield that changes depending on where you get into a fight. It is similar to what other RPGs do, and it looks way more interesting than what is in Phantasy Star II.
This game does a better job of being unique. The crafting system is something that really stood out to me because it isn’t seen in too many games from this time. It is something that adds some variety to the gameplay, and it goes along with the player being an inventor.
There is one thing that I really like about this game. You have more customization options on your character, specifically the robots you use in combat. While they look the same, you have more control over their stats, and you can modify them during the game when you go to craft new equipment for them. Another fun thing is that you can program their special attacks.
These are a few of the things that are better in Robotrek. Many of these had to do with how different Robotrek is from other games in this genre. It is a very fun game, and one that I have quite a few memories of playing. Let’s get into which is better overall, and which I would rather play.
Which is Better Overall and Why?
Like some of the other RPGs I’ve compared to Robotrek, I think Phantasy Star II fits what I want from a role playing game more. It has great graphics, a good party system, I love the story, and I like this version of a science fiction setting more.
I really like the graphics in this game. The comic book cutscenes are great, the characters look good, the world is bright and colorful, and the enemies look excellent. What really stands out to me are the cutscenes. The Phantasy Star games all have great cutscenes, and it is something I enjoy about each of the games.
While the party system in Phantasy Star II has problems, I like it more than what is in Robotrek. Having more playable characters adds a lot to the gameplay. It acts as a difficulty setting, and it encourages the player to grind for levels as each new character starts at level one.
I really like the game’s story. Fighting against a corrupted computer system is a fairly popular science fiction trope, and the developers do a good job making it feel a little different. It does feel like some of my favorite science fiction stories, which helps the game out. There is a little twist at the end, which isn’t all that important because the other games ignore it. I also enjoy how they worked Dark Force into the story.
Phantasy Star II has the better setting. Part of this is due to my liking the series so much, but I like that it is spread across a solar system. Both games have the player going into space, but it feels like it fits better into the Phantasy Star II story when I really think about it.
These are some of the reasons that I think Phantasy Star II is the better game. I’m probably missing something, or you might have a different opinion. At the end of the day, this is an opinion piece, so feel free to disagree. Let’s get into which one I would rather play.
Which Would I Rather Play?
Robotrek is the game I would rather play. While both are good games, Robotrek is the one that is more enjoyable for me at this point in my life. It is an easier and more relaxing experience. I love the bonkers story, the gameplay is very good, and I like the crafting system.
This game has a crazy story that gets increasingly absurd as the game goes on. Everything that happens in the game works, though. Robotrek feels like a game where strange things happen all the time, and it isn’t surprising that the game sends you back in time and eventually into space.
I’m looking at some of the things that I haven’t mentioned yet, and the puzzle aspects of the game are missing. This is something that doesn’t show up in too many RPGs, and when it does, it isn’t always as involved. Robotrek uses puzzle solving quite well, and works in the key items you make or repair quite well.
Robotrek has a very good crafting system that rewards the player for leveling up and exploring. As you gain levels, you’ll be able to understand more of the books that you’ll find throughout the game. It is rare that a game does something like this, and it is one of the better things that the developers did. It is a lot of fun that this game works this well.
These are the reasons why I would choose this game to play again. Another reason has to do with the memories I have of playing this as a kid. It was very cool to go back and revisit it a few years ago, and it has been fun playing it for this. I really like how different this game is from most of the other RPGs on the SNES, NES, and Genesis.
Conclusion
These games are quite different from each other. I have far more memories of playing Robotrek than I do of Phantasy Star II. Both of these games were ones that I collected back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. While I first played Robotrek on an emulator, that isn’t something I remember doing with Phantasy Star II.
Phantasy Star II is a good but difficult game. It has some things that I really enjoy, like the story, and several things that I really don’t like. Much like the first game, Sega tried some things with this game, and some worked out more than others. I do really enjoy this game’s story, graphics, and setting quite a bit.
Robotrek has a lot of things that I love! The absurd tone of the game is a great change of pace from the games that take things seriously. I love that the graphics are as cute as they are. It also has some great combat and other gameplay mechanics that are pretty unique.
It has been a lot of fun going through this. Comparing games to Robotrek can be difficult because of how different it is. It is similar to comparing games to other RPGs that have unique gameplay.
If you like this post, please check out the other posts in this series. Such as Robotrek vs Sweet Home or Robotrek vs Destiny of an Emperor.