Phantasy Star Online 2 launched eight years ago in Japan, but was attracted to western beaches only lately thanks to fan demand and Microsoft's participation. It's easy to assume Sega's action-MMO has missed the boat, what with Elder Scrolls Online, World of Warcraft, and Final Fantasy XIV all hoarding the huge bulk of the genre's fanbase in their thrall. How could a near-decade old game fantasy to compete against such juggernauts?

Phantasy Star Online 2 has lots of style to hide its own wrinkles. Phantasy Star Online 2 is not an MMO from the traditional-sense, at least not enjoy those currently dominating the genre. There isn't a broad, open world to explore, jam-packed with players going about their various errands. On the contrary, it's more reminiscent of elderly lobby-based MMOs such as the initial Guild Wars. There is a general hub/lounge place where players congregate to upgrade their gear, accept quests, or mingle. This social hub is much like the Tower out of Destiny 2, and it's sequestered into various cases, called"blocks", to keep the servers from melting into hot slag. Each block can host up to 200 players, and there are well over a hundred each host.

This system means playing with friends or randoms can establish a bit cumbersome at times. If your friends are in a different block you'll have to first move over to theirs until they can invite you in party. If you're using the baked-in matchmaking in the mission select screen you can opt to pull players in out of your cube, or can search for groups across the range of different blocks available, but if a group fills while you are browsing the list doesn't update to inform you of such.

Other elements of Phantasy Star Online 2 make the eight-year gap between Phantasy Star Online 2's first release and the North American launch more difficult to ignore. The images are obviously from a bygone age, with light, textures, and anti-aliasing showing their age the most. The overwhelmingly anime artwork design keeps it afloat, but since you're running about the labyrinthine corridors of the procedurally-generated missions it is clear this was a game published in 2012.

That is not a knock against Phantasy Star Online 2 -- it's damn near a dinosaur at this point. Though, even by 2012 criteria Phantasy Star Online 2 isn't pushing any boundaries. And that is fine, since the vibrant, anime aesthetic that engulfs the experience more than makes up to its muddy environment flaws, subdued shadows, and jagged edges.

More information about PSO2 in https://www.pso2ah.com/