Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis – Is it time to go back to Retem?

It’s been almost 9 months since review belong to Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis, and in the meantime we’ve seen new classes grace the game, some quality of life features, and now a new area. In the latest update for PSO2: NGS, Sandstorm Requiem, The story from the Aelio region begins again, as you arrive at Retem and ask for assistance against the growing DOLLS threat. To be Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis finally play the right tune?

The desert land of Retem is a far cry from the lush green fields and marshlands of the Aelio region. From the moment you cross the bridge into Retem, you’ll encounter rigid crags, Camel and Hippo-like wildlife, and some dangerous new enemies. Retem’s area is quite large and with it comes a new story to follow and a bunch of new features to help the player progress. I started my journey by going to Retem City, which feels like a smaller version of Aelio’s Central City.

After talking with the leader of Retem’s resistance against the DOLL, Nadereh, you learn that Retem cannot spare any soldiers to aid Aelio. Unless, of course, Renus Retem, a giant worm-like dragon was dealt with. This marks the beginning of a story that intertwines haughty heroic characters and anime-style poses, with the literal power of the song. Music plays an important role, not only in the story, but SEGA added a few Easter eggs that can be heard throughout the Retem for those interested in some classical tunes. Luckily for you when it comes to the story, your friends Aina and Manon will be joining you on your journey, as it’s mostly a lone person as the story quests are still mostly is a single task.

For those who haven’t visited yet New Genesis For a while, two new classes were added. Braver was added back in August with Bouncer join the game in October. If no new classes bring you back, the new area of ​​Retem won’t push you to the bottom. SEGA takes the time to re-introduce you to each aspect of the game, going even further to build a series of quests that remind you how to upgrade your weapons, apply additional spells, and more. again. To put it succinctly, this is a subtle admission that the team at SEGA recognize that players may have taken a break. Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis as they wait for more content.

What doesn’t change is how you progress your character. Battle Power remains your main focus. Basically, combat strength is a composite score that takes into account level, skill points, equipment, and bonus points. One of my main relationships with PSO2: NGS is the presence of content oriented combat power. Every few story missions, suddenly you’re forced to grind more levels and upgrade more gear. The pacing of the game in that respect was disappointing, and at first I believed that SEGA failed to learn from what I considered their mistakes.

However, in Retem, the speed was slightly better. A variety of new side quests are available and more unlock as you progress through the story. The experience bonus has been greatly increased, which provides a solid path to leveling up, even if you haven’t reached your combat prowess to the required level. While most of the missions you will experience are inspired by any MMORPG mission – kill some enemies here, collect some items there, but SEGA has tried to at least make the Retem area is interesting enough that you can complete the majority of quests which are side objectives while you do Trials, which are world quests that pop up frequently and are usually done with a large group of people .

Similar to Aelio, Retem has 6 Cocoons that will grant you 1 new skill point to complete them and a tower will grant you 5. Despite the combat strength recommendation, the Cocoon can be taken even if you do not fully meet those specifications. There are also Battledias, which are special training areas that can be activated with special keys. World bosses known as Gigantix will also appear around the world, and for properly leveled ARKS specials, you’ll need to fight alongside dozens of others if you want to succeed in the game. defeating them. Finally, players who have achieved the required combat strength will also be able to participate in the Regional Emergency Missions, a familiar quest for Phantasy Star Online 2 in both the original and New Genesis.

Staff members will also be tasked with increasing their level to 35 and equipping themselves with new 5-star gear. That means you’ll be upgrading and crafting a variety of new weapons, gaining and leveling up new armor, and boosting for every new piece you get, as you reach the next power level. Level up your character and combat prowess has gotten a bit better, along with the inclusion of a new Mag ability that allows you to set your Mag to detect specific materials you’re looking for. This way, if you’re trying to find specific materials, your handy Mag can ping you when you’re near them. It may not be the same pet as Mag from PSO2, but it’s useful and could be a precursor to more features in the future.

All these activities are a step forward in New Genesis, even if they ultimately won’t go so far as to offer extensive content depth that will keep players from coming back Phantasy Star Online 2’s old version after some time. Retem is the phenomenon region. The verticality of the space makes it a joy to traverse and a joy to explore. The surprise of finding the Maqead Lower Level for myself, and discovering the red boxes the man contained was just one of many high points in my journey. During my time playing Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis ‘ attractive new area, I The rest want more. If you’re not in the game yet or you’re wondering if you should come back, there are new classes to try, a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and plenty of exploration well worth your time. time. Between Aelio and Retem, SEGA has provided just enough to draw players to the core of PSO2: NGS world, and I can’t wait to see what surprises come as the game matures.