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  1. Games
  2. RPGs

Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus review

It clearly doesn't want to be an astronaut

Reviews
By Kieron_Gillen published 4 March 2008

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Easy to pick-up-and-play

  • +

    Fast-paced

  • +

    action-RPG style

  • +

    Reminiscent of Gauntlet

Cons

  • -

    Incomprehensible cutscenes

  • -

    Frustrating camera

  • -

    Little in-game help

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus proves there’s room for a faster paced, action-RPG approach to the MMO. After playing it... well, there’s still room.

This Guild Wars-esque RPG game was going to receive the concept review to end all concept reviews. We were going to blather on for 450 words in a semi-kooky fashion, never getting to the point or being entertaining in any meaningful way. And then we were going to end saying “And that’s pretty much what watching a Phantasy Star cutscene is like.”

We didn’t because we don’t want you to suffer. Suffering’s our job. And no matter how hard we tried, it wouldn’t have been accurate enough. After all, if you got tired of it, you could always skip to the end of our review, and that’s the one thing you can’t do when playing Phantasy Star.

Article continues below

At its best it’s like a modern descendant of the jump-in kick-ass collect-stuff joy of arcade-classic Gauntlet. There are two modes. The Offline Story mode has you and NPC chums working through a direct continuation of where the previous game left off, although you can jump in here with a new character if you want.

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