Current Events > How connected to each other are the Phantasy Star games on the Genesis?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I was about to start up 4 because it's the only one on the Switch VC, assuming that it's like the Final Fantasy series where the numbers don't mean they're sequels to each other, but there's also an explosion on the boxart that says "THE EXPLOSIVE FINALE!!"

Is this something that I'm going to need to somehow find the first three games in the series before I can play it and understand what's happening, or is it still mostly standalone?

I know they reference things that happen in 1 a lot, and the consequences of 1 and 2 affect 4. But they talk about it as if it was the backstory of a Dragon Quest game (as in, you just hear about everything from npcs)

it is safe to play 4 without 1 and 2. And those games are painful to play today.

2 is set 1000 years after 1, and 4 is set 1000 years after 2.
The only backstory you really need is explained so no need to play the other ones.

Just play 4. I know this is short changing the other games. But 4 is that good and stand alone.

_____Cait posted...

it is safe to play 4 without 1 and 2. And those games are painful to play today.

PS1 on the Switch has a lot of QoL upgrades to it making it much easier to play.

The previous games arent necessary. There's a couple of Easter egg references that don't really matter. The rest is pretty normal jrpg stuff that's glossed over as "once humanity was threatened by an ancient evil".

I can never get far into PS2 because it has some of the worst dungeons ever in anything. The original surprisingly holds up better. 3 is different, but also not great. Just jump right to 4 imo. It's pretty good

I played parts of the first three games in different ways. Phantasy Star III just feels so off. I guess if you want to play what a rpg maker on the Genesis is like play that.

But IV really holds up, I mean yea it's a 90 rpg so some convenienes may not be there but the art direction and the comic book like stills look so cool still.

Also the walk speed is fast in PSIII you walked really slow too.