When Sega announced Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis on Thursday’s NotE3 Xbox show, there was a bit of confusion about what it was. An update? An expansion? A new game? To help clear up any misconceptions, the editors have created a new “follow-up” trailer that explains exactly what New Genesis really is: a new standalone version fixed that will allow you to jump in with an existing PSO2 character.
After its first teaser, I calculated that PSO2 was pulling World Of Warcraft: Cataclysm by replacing a part of the game with a modernized reinvention. Instead, it looks like New Genesis will be a whole new game, though you can jump in and out with your current adventurer.
Here’s the deal: New Genesis will be a new and independent follow-up to Phantasy Star Online 2. Established 1,000 years after the base game, New Genesis takes place in a whole new open world. In addition to looking absolutely lush and massive, this new space will also feature weather effects and change with the time of day.
The PSO2 character creator was already pretty robust, but New Genesis will have even more intricate customization (wobbly fingers!). These characters will be compatible with the original PSO2, which is receiving its own graphic update along with New Genesis. New movement abilities, Photon Dash and Photon Glide, have also been added to help you traverse this space.
Since the gameplay seems to have been shaken up a lot, the abilities and levels of the characters will not be transferred between the games: the units, the MAGS and the weapons can, but their use and appearance are subject to change. A diagram near the end of the video also suggests that most in-game coins will be locked in their respective games, though premium coins like Star Gems and Arks Cash will carry over.
I’d still prefer Sega to come out and say this was a new game, but there you have it. Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis will be free when it launches next year.
