Posted in: Games, Phantasy Star Online 2, SEGA, Video Games | Tagged: Phantasy Star Online 2, Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis, sega

We Previewed The Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis – Version 2 Island

We got a chance to watch a developer play around and show off the new island addition to Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis - Version 2.

Recently, SEGA was kind enough to give us a preview of one of the bigger elements they added to Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis – Version 2. In what feels like an addition that probably should have been included in the game from the start, players now have their own customizable hub that they can completely design however they see fit. Everyone's account now has a new Creative Space set on a private island that is theirs and theirs alone, which you have the ability to change and manipulate to fit your own personal taste and needs. We recently got to sit down with one of the developers in a private session to see everything you can do with it.

So what exactly is this space, and why do you have it? This is basically a new system that was designed to give the game a bit of an overhaul and a facelift from the previous version, which a lot of people complained was hampered by the pandemic and the developers putting more emphasis on other core elements of the game first. This space essentially replaces your Personal Quarters from the previous version, only instead of feeling like you're in a giant enclosed apartment complex, you now have an outdoor area that you can make your own. And it's not like the team gave you a few squares and some minor assets. They gave you a hefty chunk of real estate that you can put your own spin on, whether you enjoy the outdoors or wish to create your own indoor space to live in. There is one catch: you have to complete Chapter 1 of the main game to get it.

You can access the space through any Ryuker Device you find in Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis, as that will serve as your portal back home at any time. The island has a couple of different options for you to explore in many ways, but keep in mind that this isn't entirely cut and dry. A lot of what we talk about, you'll need to learn how to use, and it will take some practice to make things happen without having to undo your work. The first element of this is building structures. Within the game, you'll be given an item list and a modding menu, much like you would find in games like Grant Theft Auto when you're designing a new course to race on. This menu will give you a lot of the basic building blocks of the game, as you'll come across several familiar assets to pick and drop down in whatever way you want. Placement of items depends on your camera and can take some getting used to. You also have indoor furniture and furnishings to make the place feel more lived in, which you can purchase with Star Gems and Genesis Points, akin to Animal Crossing when getting new items you didn't find.

One of the benefits of the space is that there's no battle pass or tickets required to access it or mess with it; however, the devs aren't stupid, as they have made it so that owning one will give you greater access to more tools and assets to make your place shine. But, after a while of using the minimal amount of content they have available to you, you'll probably want to crack open and see what's available to you. It's pretty clear the team wanted you to design things in your own vision, but its also clear they wanted to make just a bit of money off it in the process if you felt limited and wanted to get extra creative. Whether or not you agree with it is a discussion for another time, but it's one that you internally will have to decide whether or not you want to utilize it or can make do with what you got. Also, there is a load limit to how much you can build, and some of the paid assets help delegate the amount you use. However, it takes a LONG time to get to that limit, and will depend on how much you used of what to get there.

The other major element is being able to shape the land. Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis will let you dig deep into the island to make your own underground base or even your own network of caves, if you so desire. Making the outside look very different to those who may visit you from time to time. But, you can also build up if you desire and create hills, mountains, and tall Everest-like peaks for you to place your base or other items on that are hard to reach. This opened up a brand new idea for us as we could make the island one giant volcanic mountain with its own interior. The third system is the Connect system, which for lack of a better term, allows you to put interactive elements into the base. So when you want to open a door, this allows you to put a handle on the door. That's the very basic concept of it because the system is super intricate and complicated. Even after the demo, we went out and saw others trying to make their base on Twitch, and it is a lot to process. It has great freedom to design things how you want them to function, but you'll need a lot of patience for it to work.

Overall, the new Creative Space will provide you a chance to make a home for yourself, more so than the Personal Quarters ever did. If you're a design freak and love building these kinds of spaces, this is for you. I've seen a couple of The Sims players on Twitch come in here on friends' accounts and absolutely destroy the space with their own crazy creations that have given them a new home to have fun in. If you'd like to dive in yourself, the content is now live.

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