Years after the conclusion of Phantasy Star III, we began hearing rumors of a grand finale in the works over at Sega. That prize is finally here in the states for all players to thoroughly enjoy. The gist is a desert planet called Motavia is in deep trouble. What was once a peaceful world is now subject to darkness and an unforgiving wasteland. Motavians led by a heroic Hunter's Guild have picked up the pieces to try and restore their land, but the forces of evil never rest, now do they? Take the role of a novice hunter, Chaz, and engage in a thrilling adventure that, in our book, exceeds either of this series' previous Genesis entries. This cart introduces killer combination attacks, vehicular battles, and comic book-like cutscenes.
Of course, PS IV takes heavy inspiration from its predecessors and shies away from doing much at all to revolutionize the franchise a la FF III. It plays as your standard Japanese RPG with a top-down perspective and random, turn-based battles. Thankfully, the developers returned to PS II's lovely dual-weapon system for equipment and a plethora of spells to thwart your foes. A particularly interesting addition is the option to engage in "party talk" to see some amusing conversations from your team members. The dungeons were a marked step-up from II and III as well. We'd love to see Sega localize more titles and build a compelling reason for RPG-fans to grab a Genesis.
Printed in Issue #22, February 1995
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