During the Dreamcast's short but oh-so-sweet time in the spotlight, no developer more distinctly encapsulated the brands ethos and aesthetics quite like Sonic Team. Although criminally cut short due to the consoles lacklustre sales, the catalogue of varied and creative titles they put out during this time were overflowing with that special Sega sauce; colourful, fun, pick up and play classics like Sonic Adventure and Chu Chu Rocket managed to instill themselves in the hearts and minds of gamers for decades to come.
However, their most groundbreaking game by far would come at the tail end of the consoles short life, in the form of the seminal Phantasy Star Online- an insanely ambitious experiment that redefined the joy and wonder of co-operative play by introducing console gamers to the world of online play- and it would do so with that signature Sonic Team style.
From the title screen alone you knew you were in for something truly special- lulled in by its hypnotising, ethereal sci-fi intro theme, you're invited to imagine the endless possibilities that lay ahead of you at the frontier of this new age of gaming.
As a young polaroidplayboy, I was totally enamoured by PSO, and many a sleepless night ensued as I found myself teaming up with strangers (who quickly turned to friends) to explore this beautiful new and strange world, helping each other to learn the ropes, fighting ever increasingly difficult monsters as we progressed, trading the weird and wonderful rare weapons and loot we found along the way, feeding our mags and even just shooting the shit back at home base at the end of a tough boss fight. Gamers today take these simple things for granted, but at the time there was nothing else even remotely comparable.
With its stunning and vibrant cyberpunk aesthetic, married with an otherwordly, ambient techno soundtrack and a simple but seriously addictive gameplay loop, PSO helped shape my tastes for years to come.
One of my most nostalgic gaming memories by far, and unquestionably one of my all time favourite games ever.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to cook some bacon and eggs with this new weapon I just found.
However, their most groundbreaking game by far would come at the tail end of the consoles short life, in the form of the seminal Phantasy Star Online- an insanely ambitious experiment that redefined the joy and wonder of co-operative play by introducing console gamers to the world of online play- and it would do so with that signature Sonic Team style.
From the title screen alone you knew you were in for something truly special- lulled in by its hypnotising, ethereal sci-fi intro theme, you're invited to imagine the endless possibilities that lay ahead of you at the frontier of this new age of gaming.
As a young polaroidplayboy, I was totally enamoured by PSO, and many a sleepless night ensued as I found myself teaming up with strangers (who quickly turned to friends) to explore this beautiful new and strange world, helping each other to learn the ropes, fighting ever increasingly difficult monsters as we progressed, trading the weird and wonderful rare weapons and loot we found along the way, feeding our mags and even just shooting the shit back at home base at the end of a tough boss fight. Gamers today take these simple things for granted, but at the time there was nothing else even remotely comparable.
With its stunning and vibrant cyberpunk aesthetic, married with an otherwordly, ambient techno soundtrack and a simple but seriously addictive gameplay loop, PSO helped shape my tastes for years to come.
One of my most nostalgic gaming memories by far, and unquestionably one of my all time favourite games ever.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to cook some bacon and eggs with this new weapon I just found.
3 Comments
it's funny, i had no idea what pso was at the time and only picked it up because i was fiending to play the sonic adventure 2 demo that came packaged with it, but it ended up being one of my all time favourites and a true cornerstone moment in gaming for me. it was definitely one you had to be there at the time for though sadly. sorry to hear you didn't play it!
how do I find the hamburger?
Weatherby
10 months ago