Phantasy Star Universe Beta

[Cuddly Knife]

Is now avaliable for Dl on Marketplace for free at 940.5MB. Anyone want to join a party? It goes on until Wednesday the 18th of October, after which I'm guessing your Guardian's licence will expire. It allows up to 6 people to be in a party, but I'm not even sure if you can pick your deal.

What the hell is this game anyways? I'm guessing nothing like the PS of my Genesis days?

[Fivespot]

And Live will be down all day 10/17 so the beta will be unavailable that day with the exception of the 1 player campaign.

I'm a huge PS fan and played many, many hours of online Phantasy Star on the Dreamcast.

If only they didn't charge an additional monthly fee above and beyond XBOX Live to play this game. That in itself will probably keep me away as I'm not interested in the single player campaign.

Might give the beta a try and I'll let you know if I do. I may also attempt to avoid it for fear I'll get hooked and then stuck paying to play it longer.

Can you post your impressions of this game after you've played it a bit?

[Cuddly Knife]

Sure, I'll give my impressions.

And how much extra is it to play this game online?

I also was reading that there is supposed to be a solid single-player experience in this game as well.

[Glockstar]

The monthly fee is $9.99.

I'm downloading the beta now. #@$% that's a big one! I've always to try a MMO, so yeah, I'll play it with you, CK.

I was just about to create a thread on this myself. But I also wanted to ask my questions again: Are you guys interested in getting an MMO for your 360; and which one(s)?

FFXI is already out - we all said no to that one. Now PSU is coming out soon... but it looks like it's got too much of that ghey Japanese anime look to it as well. Of course, if the gameplay is tight then I reckon I could get over it.

But after X06, I think I've made my choice: Marvel Universe Online.

[Fivespot]

Being primarily a console gamer, I haven't really experienced an MMO before. I'd be willing to give it a try however so please keep me posted as to which is worthy of an entrance into this different realm of gaming.

That being said, I don't have much free time lately so playing an MMO might be kind of difficult. That's what I liked about Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast - it wasn't so deep that not keeping up with friends didn't hurt my gameplay experience. Maybe they're all like that but I wouldn't know it.

Please also post your impressions Glock! Like I said, big fan but the $9.99 per month more than squelches my interest (unless both of you love it enough to convince me otherwise).

Team player online has always been my favorite from of online gameplay. GRAW online coop being the most recent example.

[Cuddly Knife]

Oh, I'll definitely be getting Marvel Universe. That one looks nice and action-y.

[Glockstar]

Team player online has always been my favorite from of online gameplay. GRAW online coop being the most recent example.

Thank you!

[Cuddly Knife]

Wow, I thought this game was not how it looks like it's going to be. I was expecting less control over my character I guess, because I'm really liking this game right now from what I played in the tutorial. So far, i've just been chilling in the lobby watching poeople act like morons, but as soon as I figure out my missions stuff, i'll get down to see what the real gameplay is about. All i've been doing so far is dancing and waving and looking at people do other things. There's a lot of people on this thing.

[Cuddly Knife]

Grrr, no voice chat. Can I connect a PC keyboard to my 360?

[Fivespot]

Grrr, no voice chat. Can I connect a PC keyboard to my 360?

Isn't that what you prefer? Your sleeping girlfriend and all ;)

Seriously though - no voicechat? And an additional $9.99 per month to play online. That's horse poop!!! I'm not buying a USB keyboard for online gaming.

That's just plain rediculous considering how XBOX live has been all chat friendly for years now (with the exception of Final Fantasy 11 or whatever number that 360 title is).

[Glockstar]

Yeah, I don't get that. I played several Xbox games online that allowed 16 players or more - and they all had Voice Chat. Some games just had it to where you'd only hear and be able to talk-to the players in your immediate vicinity (in the game) - or talk to your team-mates only... but that's fine; that's totally fine. And I don't understand why they couldn't do that for these MMO's.

Or maybe that's just these Japanese MMO's? (Because Japanese developers are so lazy.)

Or maybe, it's just the demo/beta; maybe the full game will have Voice Chat?

-

I wasn't all that impressed with the demo anyway. It's too... archaic. First impression was: it's a Dreamcast game. The graphics and especially the animations. And then it's just got that whole JRPG feel to it. The text boxes... the music... the weapons and apparell... everything. It just feels too foreign to me. I think that in order to get into an MMO, you've really got to "get into it" - and I don't see that happening for myself with PSU.

Marvel Universe should come to me a lot easier; I think I'll wait for that one. (And hopefully that one will have VC, fer chrissakes.)

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Are you guys interested in getting an MMO for your 360; and which one(s)?

Marvel Universe would be the one MMO I would consider.

On a related/unrelated note: I'm thinking of using my free 30 days of LIVE Gold either November or December, whenever I do try out some more broadband. I have to figure out which month I'll have more free time to get into it before I decide, but it's looking like December. I should have a few games that have a decent multiplayer to it by then.