Phantasy Star IV
| Phantasy Star IV | |||||
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| Original title | フ ァ ン タ シ ー ス タ ー ～ 千 年紀 の 終 り に ～ フ ァ ン タ シ ー ス タ ー 千 年紀 年紀 の 終 り に Phantasy Star: The end of the millenium |
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| transcription | Fantashī Sutā: Sennenki no Owari ni | ||||
| Studio | Sega | ||||
| Publisher | Sega | ||||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
 December 17, 1993 February 1995 December 8, 1995 
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| platform | separate release: Sega Mega Drive , Wii , Windows As part of a collection: Sega Saturn , PlayStation 2 , PlayStation Portable |
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| genre | Computer role playing game | ||||
| Subject | Science fantasy | ||||
| Game mode | Single player | ||||
| medium | Game module , CD-ROM , DVD-ROM , UMD , download | ||||
| language | English or Japanese | ||||
| Age rating |
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| PEGI content rating |
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| information | Was originally planned as part 3. | ||||
Phantasy Star IV is the fourth installment in the Sega role-playing saga . The game was released in 1993 (Germany: 1995) for the Sega Mega Drive . This is the last part in the classic, turn-based role-playing game system - the series was then continued with Phantasy Star Online in real time, as a multiplayer game with online capabilities and in 3D.
action
PSIV tells an epic story that takes place in the same solar system, the Algo Solar System, as its predecessor. After a series of disasters, the solar system's management system, "Mother Brain", was destroyed, as was the first planet, Parma. 1000 years later, Algo civilization recovers, advances are made again, and old technologies are rediscovered. The story begins in this medieval world, on the system's second planet, Motavia. Alys Brangwin, a female hunter (a highly respected professional group of hunters who make short work of the monsters of this world and carry out assignments from other people) is just accepting her 16 year old apprentice as an equal partner. Their first joint assignment in this constellation leads them to the Piata Academy.
There they learn of the disappearance of a professor, whom they then go looking for. Unfortunately it was petrified by Zio, a black magician. This has built a fort on the electronic nervous system of the planet and from there tyrannizes the whole planet. So a way has to be found to put a stop to Zio. This turns out to be very difficult, however, and so Alys falls victim to him. After her death, Chaz, Rune and Co. finally manage to destroy Zio. Shortly before his death, Zio mentions a higher power called "Dark Force". It quickly becomes clear that this must be the real enemy.
Dark Force is eventually destroyed in the Nurvus, but the systems still cannot be brought under control. So you set off with a spaceship to the control satellite. But since the spaceship was sabotaged, you crash instead on the third planet, Dezolis. This is followed by two more encounters with Dark Force, which apparently cannot be finally destroyed. Rune, who turns out to be the incarnation of St. Lutz, leads her after a dispute with Lashiec, an old enemy, on the trail of Rykros, an invisible fourth planet of the Algol system. There they learn from a creature called "Le Roof of Rykros" that the Algol system is actually a seal that should keep the ultimate evil, "Profound Darkness", in captivity. Since the seal has a weak point every thousand years due to a certain constellation, Parma could be destroyed a thousand years ago. The seal has weakened, and so now is the opportunity to destroy it completely. The only remedy is to penetrate the dimension of "profound darkness" and destroy it for good. This is facilitated by the fact that Motavia has an entrance to this dimension.
Locations
Parma
Parma is the first planet in the Algol star system. It was destroyed 1000 years ago. In its place there is only a debris field in the form of an asteroid belt. Some residents of Parma have fled to the other two planets and have built new civilizations there.
Motavia
Motavia is the home planet of Chaz and Alys. It is earth-like, has large oceans, deserts, mountains and forest landscapes. Most of the villages and towns are inhabited by descendants of the people of Parma, but there are also a few villages with Motavians, e.g. B. Tonoe. There are also some hi-tech buildings such as the Nurvus nervous system, the Bio-Plant from which Rika comes, or the Platesystem, which is supposed to prevent earthquakes. The most notable cities are Piata, a university city, Aeido, a city with a large shopping center and the headquarters of the Hunter, and Kadary, a village where the residents worship Zio. Other important buildings include the Ladea Tower, a huge tower that houses magical artifacts, and Zios Fort, the home of Zio.
Decolis
Dezolis is the third planet. It is further away from the sun, and thus there is an eternal winter on Dezolis. In addition, the residents have recently been plagued by extreme snowstorms that will only end after the Garuberk Tower has been destroyed. In addition to a few villages that are inhabited by Parma refugees, the actual residents of Dezolis have built many villages. They are very religious, so it is not surprising that the most important buildings are the Esper Mansion, home of the Esper Mages, and the Gumbious Temple. The latter is destroyed in the course of history. There are also some hi-tech buildings on Dezolis, such as the climate-controlling Climcenter, or the Weapon-Plant, a weapons factory.
Rykros
Rykros is the invisible fourth planet of the system. It has a highly elliptical orbit, which means that it only approaches the other planets every thousand years. There are no villages on Rykros, only the guard "Le Roof" and his subjects inhabit Rykros, which consists entirely of crystal structures. In addition to the home of "Le Roof", the Silence Temple, there are also three towers.
Characters
Chaz Ashley
Chaz, the main character of Phantasy Star IV, is a hunter and student of Alys. After her death, he is determined to defeat Dark Force, but fears more and more as the game progresses that he will just be a pawn from higher powers. Only when the magic sword Elsydeon accepts him alone as a bearer does Chaz accept his fate and fight "Profound Darkness".
Alys Brangwin
Alys is a well-known and successful hunter and also the teacher of Chaz. All over Motavia they seem to be known and respected everywhere. She falls victim to Zio's black magic relatively early in the game.
Walsh rune
Rune is one of the few people on Motavia who still knows how to do magic. He seems to have shared a past with Alys. During the stay in Dezolis it turns out that Rune is meanwhile the fifth reincarnation of the magician Lutz (from Phantasy Star). One of his favorite things to do in the group is to piss off Chaz with his sayings.
Rooster Malay
Another character that you get to know right from the start and who joins the group is Hahn, a scholar at the Academy of Piata. The search for his professor and the fear of not being able to survive alone against the monsters, Alys uses for a fee to bind him to the group. Hahn is a technician, meaning he uses artificial magic in combat. However, since he has a wife, he leaves the group and only returns to the final fight.
Gryz
Gryz is a Motavian, a native of the planet Motavia, who are known for collecting metallic trash. He is also one of the last survivors from his home village, which was destroyed by Zio and where his parents were killed. For this reason he helps to destroy Chaz and the troops Zio. After this has been successful, he leaves the company again because he has to take care of his little sister. In battle, he relies on his raw strength and skill with the ax. As a result, he has very few skills.
Rika
In the Bioplant on Motavia the group meets Rika, who was discovered by Prof. Holt. She is a Numan, an artificially created species, like Nei from Phantasy Star 2. She fights with sharp claws and has a feline agility. Rika is the second main character behind Chaz, followed by Rune and Wren. Since she only knew life in the biosystem, her bad qualities are alien and she has a very good (and naive) heart. In addition to her martial arts, she also knows good healing and strengthening magic. In the end, she and Chaz become a couple.
Demi
The administrator of Motavia's systems is Demi, a tiny female android. She helps the troop to survive many natural hazards in and outside Motavia by always having a new vehicle ready. She also accompanies the troops for a short time in order to be able to destroy Zio, and only joins them again in the final battle.
Wren
Demis Meister is a very large and powerful droid that performs its duties on a satellite in orbit of Motavia. After the battle against Zio, he joins the group in order to be able to take action against Dark Force, as he fears its creation as the cause of so many defects in the systems of Algol. Wren is extremely calm and like Demi can only increase his skills through upgrades. As the fourth main character, he stays in the troupe until the end.
Raja
When the troop's spaceship is sabotaged from behind, they are forced to land on Dezolis ... and on Raja's temple. The old sarcastic priest then wants to accompany the troops to experience an adventure, because he has been thrown out of the Gumbous Temple because of his annoying manner. Raja is a Decolian, the indigenous people of Dezolis. In contrast to part 2, they are well-disposed towards you here and live side by side with people. Raja has little physical strength and, like rune, only uses magic. This, however, to heal and strengthen, in which he is unsurpassed in the entire team.
Kyra Tierney
The "big sister" is an Esperin and lives on Dezolis. When an epidemic broke out there, she made her way alone to Garuberk Tower to fight the source of the evil. Kyra is speechless when she learns that Lutz (Rune), who is adored by her clan, is on your team. Like Hahn, she is half magician, half fighter, but as an esper she knows how to use real magic - to attack, heal and strengthen.
Seth
The archaeologist with the somewhat questionable appearance asks Chaz and his team to accompany him to the Soldier Temple on Motavia. However, his stay in the troupe should not last long - on the way to the temple it turns out that Seth knows unusually dark magic.
Major enemies
Zio the black magician
Zio is a black magician who serves Dark Force. He built his fort on Nurvus, u. a. Demi captured, Molcum destroyed, and Gryz's parents killed in the process. In the course of the game, Alys also falls victim to him.
Dark Force the King of Terror
Dark Force is an evil something that is worshiped by Zio as a god and wants the destruction of life in the algo system. In the previous parts, Dark Force turned out to be the end villain. It is itself a part of Profound Darkness and is sent by it every 1000 years to break the seal. It exists in several incarnations, three are destroyed in the course of the plot.
Lashiec
Lashiec was defeated by Lutz and Alis' team 2000 years ago. He now returns as a zombie to take revenge on Rune, the incarnation of Lutz. To do this, he lures him into his castle in the air in the rubble of the destroyed planet Parma, where he has been waiting for ages to kill him.
Profound darkness
The "abysmal darkness" is the ultimate evil in the algo system. It has to be destroyed, otherwise Dark Force will keep coming back. In addition, the party goes for the final fight in "the Edge", a transition to the dimension of profound darkness.
Game system
Phantasy Star IV is a turn-based role-playing game. The fights do not take place in the actual landscape, but as chance encounters on a separate screen. You traverse dungeons, collect experience points and money by killing monsters, buy new equipment in villages or find it in treasure chests. Most of the characters also have magical abilities. A special feature of the game are the skills, skills that do not cost magic points, but which can only be performed a certain number of times between overnight stays.
In the course of the game, the troops acquire several vehicles. These include the Land Rover, with which you can cross the quicksand on Motavia, the Ice Digger, a heavily armored vehicle that can dig through the blocks of ice on Dezolis, the Hydrofoil, a fast hovercraft that also drives on water, and the Landale, a space shuttle.
In contrast to its predecessors, which had already appeared 6–8 years earlier, Phantasy Star 4 has a very good style of play thanks to its advanced technology and impresses with countless side tasks and gimmicks, which give the game a high replay factor. So the player learns about the fate of many a fantasy star figure from their predecessors, meets old friends like the Rappys and the Myaus, fights side by side with all races of the Algol system and is allowed a long list of side tasks in the Huntersguilde work off.
Publications
Phantasy Star IV was originally released for Mega Drive. This was followed by publications as a download for Virtual Console of the Nintendo Wii game console and for Windows . It was also sold as part of the Phantasy Star Collection for Sega Saturn , as part of the Sega Mega Drive Collection (US title: Sega Genesis Collection ) for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable and as part of the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection (US title : Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection ) for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 .
Web links
- Phantasy Star IV at MobyGames (English)