This summer, the "Phantasy Star Online" franchise is launching a new game. After playing the closed beta version last weekend, we can say that this is not only a major improvement of the series, but also MMO games are also provided for free. "Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis" has reached the best point between revolutionizing modern games and still recognizing it through its core game style. It runs smoothly, looks beautiful, is fun to play, and has some new tricks for players to discover.

Not all content is included in the beta. Unfortunately, some features are not ready yet, but the actual online gaming experience still exists. It is not yet known whether there will be a second Beta version, and there is still no actual release date outside of sometime in June. However, SEGA will release another PSO2: NGS Prologue video at the end of May, so we may find more information-including whether this release will also be released on the console.

In addition to finger movement, one of the biggest changes is the PSO2 Meseta upgraded graphics. Soon, players can be in awe of PSO2: the beautiful new world of NGS and its characters. There are no more 2010 graphics; instead, the world is dense and vast, with ripples and reflections on the water surface, while enemies and characters have incredible shadows and movement. Due to the day/night cycle and the new weather system, having a huge open world can truly show the charm of the new engine, because you can find the distant view, appreciate the beautiful sun rise or appreciate the rain on the wetland. It is very gorgeous, comparable to AAA games, which is huge for free games.

From the beginning, it’s great to be able to travel around the world and explore. The new Photon Dash and Photon Glide have good results and are easy to control. Players can explore the breath of the wilderness anywhere, and these two addition methods can be perfectly matched with the open world. Did you see the mountain? Run towards it and jump up. Is that a beautiful forest in the distance? Run and slide towards it to see what's there. There are many places worth exploring in the world. The enemy is not very rampant, but it is still very rich, allowing players to fight a lot. If there are trials or urgent tasks, indicators will be displayed on the screen and on the mini map to let you know where you are heading. There is no need to go to the mission counter anymore; just go to the entertainment and flying parties.

You may be wondering how to have such a huge world, with thousands of players and such a high level of graphics quality. SEGA showed its regional transition in the first prologue video, and it was as seamless as promised. The map is divided into regions, with the central city being the largest major hub. Hundreds of players can exist at the same time, which may cause some player problems (same as the current PSO2). Other areas contain fewer players, and the operation is the same as the example. Usually there are 32 players at most in an area, so you will still see a lot of people running around. There is also no load during the transition. It is automatic, so you can continue to run. Although, we did notice a problem.

When trying to create or join a party, both players must be not only in the same block, but also in the same area. If one person is in North Elio and the other is in Middle Elio, the two cannot meet. When players are in a party, being in different areas means that they will not see each other on the map. This can cause problems because it prevents you from going to a party with your friends right away, or it is difficult to find each other on the map without instructions. Hope this is just an oversight, because it might make the party a bit annoying.

The character creator showed more options and new looks in the Prologue video, but not all of them are available in Beta. However, we did see some changes. Although there is no gender set, there are still some restrictions when creating or editing characters. After selecting a body type, you will more or less be locked in your fixed clothes when editing in the salon, although this is not the case in the character creator, so it is not clear whether it will change. In addition to new clothes, hair and other options, many old PSO2 wardrobes can also be worn. Only upgraded textures or models are provided, and selecting the old or new option means that other options will be locked. For example, the face shape of New Genesis cannot use classic PSO2 makeup. Choosing PSO2 clothing means to lock in some body customization options of New Genesis. Character animation can also be customized, such as running, swimming and jumping, making each character unique.