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Create the future you want! Learn to make money online. Visit our website and start today! www.exclusivebizopps.com Phantasy Star Online Episode III: CARD RevolutionPhantasy Star Online Episode III: CARD RevolutionFinancial In Market A card game! Ahem... a card game? That's what long-time PSO veterans were exclaiming after finding out that the final episode in the Phantasy Star Online series would be based on a card-battle system, a total U-turn from the series' already familiar hack n' slash adventure gameplay. Already touted as being one of the most addictive online series' on the market, the Phantasy Star Online saga continues to hold its loyal subscribers, most of which hail from Japan. Despite its success, Sonic Team decided to stray away from the repetitive dungeon exploring and leveling, a gameplay style that distracted most gamers from the social interaction of the title. Hence, the developers had found what had made PSO so special - its emphasis on getting the rarest of items. In Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution, the newly introduced card system will have gamers rushing for something SEGA had proclaimed near-impossible - a complete PSO III card collection. Just like Nintendo, it was time for SEGA's creativity to succeed once more. Enter C.A.R.D. Revolution, the final chapter in the successful PSO saga. Gameplay The decision to make PSO III a card game wasn't just a challenge towards its fans, but one for Sonic Team as well. The Sonic-developers were forced to make a totally innovative card battle system, contrasting to the already monopolizing Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon card games. However, the good part about this decision was the fact that the game would indeed stray away from the almost nonexistent story and similar battles. Sonic Team wanted to focus most where all games should shine, its gameplay. Continuing to where the second Episode's plot left off, C.A.R.D. Revolution involves around new Pioneer 1 principal, Dol Grisen. Although quite clich, the PSO III revolves around a new substance called "C.A.R.D. Technology". An entire Hunter's inventory contains a set of up to thirty-cards, instead of the multitude of weapons and items that are as unnecessary as potions in a Final Fantasy game. Grisen then declares Pioneer 2's independence from Coral, encouraging the colonization of Ragol 2. As more and more research is done on the planet, an evil faction known as the Arkz interfere and challenge Grisen's authority. The government funded "Heroes" find themselves being the protagonists of the story, fighting with Grisen's help against the rebel Arkz. Players are able to play each of the opposing sides from the start of the game, a path that not only affects the plot, but the battle strategy throughout the game as well. The Heroes are typically recommended for PSO beginners, because of its emphasis towards attacking with weapons. As always, you'll be able to choose from hunters, rangers, and forces that will be able to get close to their opponents in battle and fight them off the grid. The Arkz will be used mainly by PSO veterans and players striving to become card-masters. Mainly equipped with summon cards, the Arkz faction uses evil creatures to fend off the Heroes during battle. Masters of evasion, the Arkz rebels will be forced to use several tactics and techniques utilizing their entire card decks to their full advantage. Players of PSO III will find that while the Heroside can be the easiest to use, the wit of Arkz players prove to be the more powerful of the two if used correctly. For a simple card game, PSO III's battle system has quite a bit of depth to it. Rolling dice becomes one of the more integral parts of the card battle, as players will roll for action and defense points. From there, you cast the cards that you want to use or equip, then move, attack, and discard any specific cards that you want replaced from your initial 5-card battle deck. C.A.R.D. Revolution features an extensive tutorial mode, a must for any card-game beginner. Although expansive, the card battle system is very easy to learn, yet difficult to master. Check out our hands-on impressions for a comprehensive step-by-step walkthrough on the game's battle basics. The main gist of PSO III is constructing the perfect deck, plain and simple. Although randomized during the start of every battle, the type of cards that you are able to use during battle should be relative to your individual weaknesses not strengths. For instance, heroes with a large amount of HP (hit-points), but a low amount of moving range will prove to be quite disadvantageous to the sometimes fast moving Arkz monsters. To combat the weakness, players might want to equip specific cards to increase the moving range attribute to give a better balance your party. You might want to focus your deck on being overly offensive or decisively defensive; choosing your battle style in PSO III makes it stand way above the rest of most card games, where systematic moves limit the fun. The system is very deep, and the only way to master it is to spend time in both the offline and online modes, where the game strategies vary. If you find the time and be patient with PSO III, you'll be rewarded with an enriching and engaging experience. An added incentive to your expertise, the game features a ranking system for each card battle, based on a letter scale from F to S. Obviously, the higher the ranking, the better the cards that players will receive. Like Episode I, collecting the rarest of items (in this case, cards) add to the game's flavor as they can be traded both off or online. Offline Mode Playing through the offline mode, I found myself surprised at the extraordinary amount of effort that Sonic Team decided to implement, being that the series had always been focused around the Online scene. Other than the challenging matches which prepare you well for the online competition, the offline mode of PSO III involves a much more engaging story than its previous counterparts. Similar to the previous versions, missions are directly given from the government, then players are brought down to Ragol to exploit them. This time, instead of running through lush environments of endless enemies, the PSO III Ragol start and end with duels between Hero and Arkz. Think of the change as being card-battling "stages" which can alter in battle style based on the planet. Although you'll find yourself battling quite a bit of Arkz during the game's entirety, you're always challenged with different characters - all with their respective strengths and weaknesses. All of the areas (card-battle grids) vary in size and shape, some with even permanent obstacles wisely placed around the area. This will keep gamers on their toes as they experiment with new tactics based on the level changes. Sonic Team comes out a winner with their effort on what could've been the most disastrous element of PSO III. The offline mode even allows gamers to switch between the two factions at will, all done using a gradual difficulty system that makes sure gamers grasp the basics of the card battles first, before jumping into the harder stages. The government missions work well with the plot, which are done in a beautiful anime/manga-styled storyboard similar to such video-games such as Max Payne. Although it's optional, talking with all of the NPCs in each area and lobby keep you informed about what's going on in Ragol. The Captain Red Rico saga is back as well. The connection that the plot brings to players in this Phantasy Star easily gives it props for being the most engaging game in the series, since the original title. PSO veterans will be proud to know that the offline mode stands alone as a worthy mode. However, the online mode is the only way to experience the full potential of the game. Online The philosophy of Sonic Team in creating the online mode remains the same in that the focus remains on the game's competition. Once again, the offline mode was made mostly for its story, rather its social interaction and dueling elements. Online mode tests your true skill as a PSO III card battler, as the world interacts with gamers across the world, some of which play the game for up to 250 hours per month. Other than chatting in the lobby and searching for people to trade cards with, the online mode gives players much more freedom than what was given to them in the past titles. You're able to set up quick battles, watch matches (which is fun especially if you're cheering on a friend), and even participate in tournaments, where earning cards can be a treat. What makes the system so interesting is that players will have to find out the skill of their opponents before challenging them - which makes all the while in dueling and impressing nearby Hunters watching. The Japanese competition specifically tend to be the most exciting, simply because of the time on their hands. Most Japanese PSO III have already reached their highest levels. In turn, PSO III is best enjoyed when playing human opponents simply because of the competition from other countries. Think of it as a PSO Olympics. Although Sonic Team does stray away from the "community" aspect (questing with other Hunters online) of PSO in that the online mode is all about competition, it doesn't retract from the game's overall enjoyment. In fact, this is the way all card games are meant to be anyway. All in all, the online mode delivers with so many possibilities, it makes PSO veterans rethink about the original "What the hell?" statement regarding the announcement of PSO III being focused on card battles. If you are a member, to sign in, then refresh the page, to enable button. Features an exclusive collector' - Ships Oct 2007 orders Enlarge The original motion picture soundtrack to the final episode of the Star Wars saga, Episode III Revenge of the Sith, time Oscar winner John Williams, who has composed and conducted every Star Wars film score since 1977's A New Hope. This soundtrack will be the first to include an exclusive collector' - - at no additional cost. Share this:
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