FROM MOTAVIA TO RYKROS: MY JOURNEY THROUGH PHANTASY STAR IV
by Ricky "Rykros" Runyon
The Beginning of the End
The Phantasy Star franchise started in 1987 on the Sega Master System. I didn't get my start in the franchise until 1995, when Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium was released for the Sega Genesis in North America. However, it released two years earlier in 1993 in Japan. I sat in front of our 26" CRT television watching my older brother play Phantasy Star II in earlier years. I actually had my own saved game data on our Phantasy Star IV cartridge and was instantly hooked. After experiencing my brother's journey through the Algo Star System on his way to defeat Dark Force and then the Profound Darkness, I was captivated. I embarked on my own journey, captivated by the amazing storytelling, soundtrack, and graphics.
STORY
The story of Phantasy Star IV continues and completes the story of the original Phantasy Star franchise. We start on the planet Motavia with hunters Alys and Chaz. They travel to the academy in Piata for a job to clear out monsters in the basement. Upon investigation, they come to the conclusion that the infestation was caused by "The Black Wizard" Zio. The party then investigates Zio and his plot. This leads to so many great, and a few sad, events throughout the game. We meet many characters such as Hahn, the scholar; Rune, the magician; Gryz, the Motavian; Rika, the newman; Demi and Wren, the cyborgs; and Raja and Kyra from Dezolis. You'll also have a temporary playable character named Seth, who turns out to be another form of Dark Force. The party travels to many planets and space stations, meeting interesting people and battling fearsome foes. After defeating so many forms of Dark Force and traveling to the unknown fourth planet Rykros, they find out Dark Force's creator: the Profound Darkness. The Profound Darkness is an entity sealed away using the planets of the Algo Star System that manifests its hatred as Dark Force. The party enters the Profound Darkness's dimension to vanquish it before it can destroy the universe.
GAMEPLAY
Gameplay hasn't changed very much over the span of the original series. It's a turn-based role-playing game. You have at most a party of five characters at your disposal. The party traverses a huge overworld over multiple planets and travel to star stations. There are vehicles in the game that you can also use in battle. The party visits many villages and cities populated by interesting people of different races. You can speak to people and join in on side quests from the Hunter's Guild. You'll increase individual characters' levels and stats gaining experience in battle. You can also earn items and equipment that help in battle. The party delves into many dungeons. Battles occur through random unseen encounters unless it's a special event, like a boss fight. In battles, you are at the backs of the playable characters and facing your foes. You choose what actions to do during the battle phase. Those actions are attack, skills, techniques, items, or defend. One interesting feature of Phantasy Star IV is the addition of 'macro' commands, which allow you to preset different actions. This is useful due to the new combo attack system. Different characters can perform different skills or techniques to perform a devastating or useful combo attack.
OTHER PHANTASY STAR EXPERIENCES
I've played Phantasy Star II, but never have completed it. I've messed around with the original for Sega Master System, and Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom. I have never played the two Game Gear games or the text adventure games based on the Phantasy Star II characters. My next experience with Phantasy Star was with the Online series. I saw many articles for the release of a new Phantasy Star that was set to be an MMO. Phantasy Star Online released in 2000 for the Sega Dreamcast. I never had a chance to experience it online, but I've also played Episode I and II for the Nintendo GameCube. I've never played Episode III or Blue Burst for the PC. I've only played Phantasy Star Universe by means of demo on the Xbox 360. I have never played any of the handheld games of that generation. I spent many hours playing Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis on the PlayStation 4. I messed around some with the original Phantasy Star Online 2, but I haven't played the new Version 2.0.
The End of the Beginning
Phantasy Star IV's amazing storytelling, compelling audio, and impressive visuals make it a game worth playing at least once. It's actually aged well in my opinion. Even though I would love to see a continuation of the original series, it's well-known that Phantasy Star IV is the final game in the series. Hence the name. There is no comparison between the original series and the online series. They are just different games. Phantasy Star Online 2 is all about flash and custom character creation with over-the-top gameplay. Phantasy Star IV was a journey. It immersed you in the Algo Star System and every event that transpired in the game. You cared about the characters, the worlds they lived in, and the survival of the universe itself. This game is the reason for my online handle, and is my favorite out of any game ever released.
