Summary
While not as instantly recognisable as Final Fantasy of Dragon Quest, Sega’s Phantasy Star series has nonetheless had a profound impact on the JRPG genre over several decades now. From iconic games on Sega’s earlier systems to online RPG pioneers, Phantasy Star has inspired generations of players through (largely) maintaining a high level of quality across its entries.
Early on, the series set itself apart from its contemporaries with a setting that merged science-fiction with fantasy elements. That eye for innovation has held Phantasy Star in good stead over the years and is the reason why it continues to find new players to this day.
10Phantasy Star Gaiden
A Little-Known Game Gear Spin-Off
Two things are holding back Phantasy Star Gaiden from reaching a larger audience: it was released on the Game Gear and it never saw the light of day outside of Japan. Most Phantasy Star fans may not even know of this game’s existence, and the only way to experience it in English is through fan-translated ROMs.
However, if you do put in the effort to find a playable version of Phantasy Star Gaiden, you will find a charming - if simplistic - spin-off to the classic series that is a perfectly serviceable RPG for the Game Gear. While its story has little to do with the main games, it’s still fascinating to play a handheld Phantasy Star game that launched during the height of the classic series’ popularity.
9Phantasy Star: Zero
Showcasing The Power Of Online RPGs For The DS
The name Phantasy Star: Zero was chosen by Sega as this Nintendo DS game was marketed as a bit of a soft reboot for the series. And while the effectiveness of this rebrand can be debated, there is no denying that Phantasy Star: Zero is a really solid RPG for the DS.
The game is equal parts fun as either a single-player or cooperative experience, thanks largely to a combat system and mission structure that works perfectly for portable play. With a crisp art style and enjoyable story that targets gamers of all ages, Phantasy Star: Zero is another handheld entry in the series that flies under the radar more than it deserves.
8Phantasy Star 3: Generations Of Doom
Black Sheep, Misunderstood Gem, Or Both?
Phantasy Star 3: Generations of Doom doesn’t have the strongest reputation among fans of the series. Being developed by a different team than the first two games, Phantasy Star 3 feels markedly different in tone and gameplay than the rest of the classic series, and its relatively standalone story makes it feel more like an experimental spin-off than a mainline entry.
But in trying something different, Phantasy Star 3 innovates on RPG tropes of the early 90s by setting its story across three generations of the main character’s family. This ambitious approach to storytelling would later be adopted by other games - notably, Dragon Quest 5 - proving that Phantasy Star 3 certainly had a strong vision even if its execution was occasionally lacking.
7Phantasy Star Portable 2
The Follow-Up PSP To PSP For The PSP
Phantasy Star Portable 2 is just about theideal video game sequel. It retains everything that made the first Phantasy Star Portable work (slick combat and stellar visuals for the PSP), while addressing all of its issues (lack of online multiplayer and laughable party AI).
The result is arguably the best of the handheld Phantasy Star games - a robust and stylish RPG that is enjoyable when played with friends and in single-player. So create your GUARDIAN character and enjoy a terrific action RPG for the PSP.
6Phantasy Star Universe
A Phantasy Star Game With Universal Appeal
While on face value, Phantasy Star Universe has plenty of similarities to the Phantasy Star Online games - only with obvious tweaks to the visuals, gameplay, and setting - this Xbox 360-era RPG has a lot more going for it. Perhaps most importantly, Phantasy Star Universe’s campaign was structured to work for people who prefer to play alone as well as with cooperative multiplayer.
The story of the GUARDIANS taking on the evil S.E.E.D is bolstered by the in-depth world-building and a cast of characters who you grow to love throughout your adventure. While it may have lacked the revolutionary impact of Phantasy Star Online, Universe is still a solid entry in the series, with systems that would be later tweaked and refined for PSO2.
5Phantasy Star 2
A Flawed Masterpiece
Phantasy Star 2 is one of those retro RPGs that is simply more fun to play with a guide. The game’s dungeons are notoriously obtuse to navigate and there are several difficulty spikes that can be challenging to overcome if you haven’t prepared your party properly.
It is one hundred percent worth the pain and frustration, as the story and themes of Phantasy Star 2 are well ahead of their time and eerily still relevant thirty-five years later. Itscyberpunk-style taleof the all-seeing computer system Mother Brain getting corrupted provides some truly emotional moments and helped kick off the storied 16-bit era of JRPGs in style.
4Phantasy Star Online 2
Definitely Worth The Wait
It would take years for Phantasy Star Online 2 to finally make it out to the west, but boy, was it worth it. This sweeping online RPG feels like the culmination of everything Sega had been building towards since the original Phantasy Star Online, with loads of character customisation, exciting exploration, and a gripping world.
Of course, Phantasy Star Online 2 is the gift that just keeps on giving. New Genesis may as well be Phantasy Star Online 3 given how much it adds and improves, ensuring that even if you’ve been playing this game for years, there is still more to discover.
3Phantasy Star Online
A Trail Blazer For Its Kind
Before Phantasy Star Online, online RPGs only ever came out of the West – think EverQuest or Ultima Online. PSO delivered the same multiplayer action and loot collecting that made those other games so satisfying, but with a distinctive Japanese style that completely set it apart.
Add in the fact that it was released for the Dreamcast – during an era when home consoles were just beginning to properly connect to the internet – and you have one of the most influential games of all time. Phantasy Star Online continues to cater to a dedicated group of players who return to this classic game through fan-run servers.
2Phantasy Star
The One That Started Them All
Back in the late 80s, Sega knew they had to make a hit JRPG to compete with the massively popular Dragon Quest. The result was Phantasy Star – a pioneering technical marvel that broke grounds in so many ways.
Not only did it have a truly unique setting by marrying together fantasy and science fiction elements, but it was one of the first RPGs to have a related female character as its lead protagonist. And while the game has aged, playing theSega Ages version of Phantasy Staris the perfect way to experience why this game dazzled so much back in its day.
1Phantasy Star 4: The End Of The Millennium
One Of The Greatest RPGs, Full Stop
Video games don’t do endings well. Older series continue with constant new entries until they either stop selling or the developers get bored. Phantasy Star 4 is that rarest of things in RPGs – a genuinely compelling conclusion to the classic series that simultaneously fully stands alone as its own brilliant piece of art.
If Stephen Spielberg and Hayao Miyazaki were to direct a science-fiction/fantasy JRPG for the Sega Genesis featuring a timeless galaxy-wide story about adventure, friendship, heartbreak, technology vs nature, overcoming evil, discovering your true purpose, and a sassy space wizard with blue hair, then it would be Phantasy Star 4: The End of the Millennium.
