Just a disclaimer : Since I played since the secant open beta, I seen Phantasy Star Online 2 go though most changes for almost around four years.While I could compare it to the first game, it would be too much like an episode sequelitis done by Egoraptor about the differences between Megaman and Megaman X. However, the story in PSO1 is much darker than the one in PSO2, as PSO2 is self-aware that they are in a game, trying to be more tongue-and-cheek. But besides the point, I think many critics and fans hammered the differences to the point that I rather do a comparison to Final Fantasy 14, who had to rebuild itself because how bad it was at launch and Square Enix did it for free. While I did not put much hours into FF14O, I try my best to research into the basics as best as I can.
Phantasy Star Online 2 is a free-to-play game sequel to the first on the Sega DreamCast before it was ported to every counsels and two different PC under the sun. Back then, it was an alright but got better within the later seasons. The story was meh, but at least the gameplay is heavy focused on fast-paced action and easy pick-up and play accessibility as the game has cross-platform play with both the PlayStation Vita and now the PlayStation 4. The servers are much more stable thanks because of Sony's involvement. Not like we can expect a truce with Nintendo for a Nintendo Switch Port, but maybe they can tempt them with English subtitles and a translation system? No, I'm kidding. Otherwise, they'll lose Sony's support.
There are several good points to Phantasy Star Online 2 as well: There are item trades from Excubes to shiny stones where one can even get thirteen star rares though this, there's collector's system that can help find event rares, there are yearly contest where tokens can be collected for both all-class and main-class weapons, teams can have boost benefits from experience, mesta, and damage from building up your literal team tree by collecting team points. The class combos are much refined than universe as there no real true class combo (After the bouncer nerf patch, anyways.) one can play the game in any two classes one would want.
However, as of Season 4, the Phantasy Star Online 2 has fallen to extremism. While the the story is about the phantoms lead by a new group of evil people leading them to destroy the Earth. The Arks to fight to defend Earth, the gameplay suffers as the game is not as accessible as it was in the past. This is because if the segregation of characters based on their . It's understandable that devs want to keep the best together by alienating them from the weak. Nothing kills an online game than sectionalism between class and races, something that Phantasy Star Universe suffered from the Beast and Casts race.
For one, it contracts from their orignal mission statement of The Arks that they'll accept anyone for who they are. Two, it forces the players to stop the pace in a way to slow the players down instead of checking if they have what it takes as an Arks member. Especially a required Quest Heaven or Hell, as the trail felt as if they were meant for players to spend real life money for scrape dolls. Granted, it can be done without these actions, but this still leaves a bad taste in Free players' mouths that they are forced to pay money to pass this paywall. And three, Sega is using the game as a cash cow, as they grasped and squeezed, which is sad because the devs once loved this franchise based off their favorite books like Disk Work to anime like Gundam. Now, it's hard to tell. I know the game being Free-to-play, eventually it ends up as a divorce as because the fans and the devs forgot they are partners though metaphorically means and things just fall apart when the love is gone.
But in another house, Final Fantasy 14 Online has been through counseling with their fanbase and has come to an agreement on how they needed to fix their game and their marriage entirely . While this game that is modeled after the subscription service (unless you play for free on the Playstation 4 version till level 30, and I highly recommend playing it!) This game is complete unlike Phantasy Star Online 2 as Free-to-play games often change constantly for both better or worst. The game is huge as the players explore a extranomical land with a strong story to boot. Players can change to different races from humans, dwarfs, techs, and the Waifu/Haifu cat race known as the Miqo'te.
This is a major departure from the last Final Fantasy Online game as everything has been revamped from their failed launch of the orignal, which was a nightmare of a mess that ended as a world reboot which is cannon to the game's story. The devs of this game then made a wonderful online game where while it takes time to adjust to the gameplay yet somehow absorbing as even filling out the world's map is very rewarding as it gives completion bonuses for each overworlds. Players can have either huge homes or apartments which they can choose from, craft weapons and sell items, join guilds for and against PvP within the over-world, and play in raids with other placers with multiple classes.
There are some minor issues and that's with the paid cosmetics which most modern game industries have been embracing from free-to-play games besides the normal monthly subscription. To be safe, you have to be in a clan or else you'll be targeted by PvPs that will nuke newcomers like flies on stink, inventory management is very clunky, The devs also just recently nerfed white madges as well, as overhealing is no longer an option so weaker characters have to dodge more. Not to mention the new DLCs are going to be costly because of licensing fees, meaning other countries like Canada have to pay taxes to get the DLC. At least they don't get their milk in bags anymore.
Besides all the pros and cons of both games, Final Fantasy 14 has to be the winner because while it does have it's cost, there's been much more production value into this game despite the heavy requirements for PC users. While Season 4 of Phantasy Star Online 2 did bring some improvements within the story mode, it forgot that Arks should stay together and if Sega doesn't fix it's flaws, predictions say that interest will drop and they game will slowly die like past free-to-play games before it.
Ironic because four is a number that is closest to death in the country of Japan. In fact, outside official servers of this game have closed down as the time of the review because many players prefered to stick together as the others' translations are so mistranslated they might as well be ran by 4kids. Funny that the game that Sega crossovered with Final Fantasy 14 will end up dragging their customers away from them. Hopefully, when Season 5 comes, we could recommend Phantasy Star Online 2 again. But until then, get the liferaft ready when this ship sink right into the ocean....
