Let's pretend that Phantasy Star V on the Sega Saturn exists

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Let's pretend that Phantasy Star V on the Sega Saturn exists

Postby Hukos » Tue Nov 7, '17, 5:37 am

I'm more than well aware that Phantasy Star IV sold terribly (I think it was about 45k total sales?) so this would never have happened. I am also very well aware that the main plot ended with IV but that doesn't mean you can't simply make a new plot in a new star system - somewhat akin to what the Zenithian trilogy for the Dragon Quest games is. Just hang onto the art/music style and make improvements to the battle mechanics where necessary.

However, the Sega Saturn was a powerful 2D machine with some... mediocre 3D abilities. Pretending that we live in this fantasy world where Sega decided to throw away even more money on this franchise, what does Phantasy Star V on the Sega Saturn look and play like?

Does Sega stick with tried and true 2D one more time, or do they try and make the jump to 3D environments? Now, its not like 3D is impossible on the Saturn - the Saturn version of Grandia from what I understand is considered the definitive version. So in an strictly technical sense its not impossible to do.

I personally would love to see what ridiculous sprite manipulation could be done in 2D (see: Princess Crown for 2D insanity) and even in the late 90's Sega's programmers could probably do some really out there stuff.

I also think a transition to 3D environments would just feel weird and almost come off as derivative of the Playstation Final Fantasy games but I could swallow it if it was done well.

What changes to the classic PS formula (other than plot for obvious reasons) would you want to see?
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Re: Let's pretend that Phantasy Star V on the Sega Saturn ex

Postby myau56 » Tue Nov 7, '17, 12:16 pm

Difficult but very interesting question ! :) Hard to tell as, even if I had bought the Saturn, and even if I know it was a great console, I was never totaly amazed and it's far to be my favourite console by SEGA.
I must confess that I would have prefer to have a game in 2D ! Not sure that the Saturn was the best to make 3D graphics...like you told us before, dear Hukos.
Hard to tell if it would have been great to have another complete new story.. I'll try to think about it ! But how to make something tied to Algo again ? Not very easy...
Last edited by myau56 on Fri Mar 2, '18, 1:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Let's pretend that Phantasy Star V on the Sega Saturn ex

Postby Hukos » Tue Nov 7, '17, 4:47 pm

The Saturn was good for: Arcade type games, Fighting games, Shoot 'em ups. It does have a decent amount of rpgs but 90% of them are Japan only and thus kind of hard to properly play unless you can read moon runes.

If you're expecting a lot of games like what Rare was pushing out at the time - yeah no, that's not what the console is about. Its a weird, but interesting machine.
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Re: Let's pretend that Phantasy Star V on the Sega Saturn ex

Postby Bragatyr » Thu Nov 9, '17, 4:29 pm

Interesting question. I love the Saturn, personally, the last real bastion of sprite work and beautiful 2D graphics. I have to imagine the game would largely be sprite-based, with some use of 3D environments, kind of like Dark Savior.
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Re: Let's pretend that Phantasy Star V on the Sega Saturn ex

Postby tilinelson2 » Fri Nov 10, '17, 11:22 am

It all depends when Phantasy Star V would be done. It could be fine as an expanded 2D game until late 1996. Of course, after Final Fantasy VII, it would be a lot harder to make a pure 2D game. Later than that, probably it would be a better fit as a Dreamcast launch title.

However, knowing what they were able to do with Saturn and the unfinished Shenmue build, they could have made a stunning 3D game at a prohibitive cost.

If there was a Phantasy Star V, probably it would be further influenced by Final Fantasy and Lunar. If the game was pre-3D era, I'd bet on something like Lunar 2 Saturn remake, better graphics and extended anime cutscenes. Since PSIV was heavily influenced by FFIV, and both FFVI and Chrono Trigger followed the same principles and expanded over FFIV, PSV would expand over PSIV.

The only problem would be where to go after PSIV in terms of story. If they started another unrelated arc, how would fans accept it? Would it make sense to make a Phantasy Star game if it were to be an unrelated game with only a few unimportant elements linking them? I'd rather go with a new series, if that was the case, just a "spiritual successor".
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Re: Let's pretend that Phantasy Star V on the Sega Saturn ex

Postby myau56 » Fri Nov 10, '17, 11:39 am

Saturn was great with 2D and sure was a great console but for me it was a bit disappointing but it's hard to tell why...
Maybe because a lot of RPGs were not imported in Europe ? (I Know it was the same in the US). And no Phantasy Star at all ! Alas...
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Re: Let's pretend that Phantasy Star V on the Sega Saturn ex

Postby Hukos » Sat Nov 11, '17, 5:41 am

There's something to be said for a series' identity - hence the Zenitian Dragon Quest comparison.

If someone says a game "is like Phantasy Star" then my expectation would be a game with combat mechanics similar to PSII/IV with an over the shoulder 3rd person camera, and a nice blend of colorful sci-fi/fantasy that's kind of lowish on the sci-fi scale of how high-tech it is (compared to franchises like say... Xenosaga or Star Ocean). The nature of the plot/story would be tertiary to those points. You can absolutely make a new franchise like that without calling it Phantasy Star, but I don't think it'd hurt - but my personal association with the franchise isn't the plot so much as the things I described.

So I'd totally accept a new arc - a new solar system, and a new group of heroes and villains. The primary theme of PS seems to revolve around sacrifice and acceptance. Could be a good opportunity to instill a new set of themes that spread across multiple games on the Saturn (theoretically of course).

Being a fan of 2D art I'd love to see all the crazy things that could be done well in an environment like that - but if Sega could have gotten the will to go out and make a well made 3D RPG I'd totally be for that. All we really have in that department on the Saturn is Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shining Force 3. But considering how badly PSIV sold, I don't think they'd go that far for making a 3D game.
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Re: Let's pretend that Phantasy Star V on the Sega Saturn ex

Postby myau56 » Sat Nov 11, '17, 11:04 am

I've never heard about this Zenithian Dragon Quest comparison but that is very interesting !
2D or 3D ? Maaybe a mix between those two styles of representation ? No problem for me ! As I like them both equally :)
About a new arc and then a new world/Planets/heroes ? No problem at all for me neither... but not an online PS please ! :lol:
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Re: Let's pretend that Phantasy Star V on the Sega Saturn ex

Postby TDG » Tue Nov 14, '17, 3:48 am

Oopf that is a tough one.

Well I would at least like the following gameplay additions, items that can restore technique or magic points (as it is really frustrating running out of those during a boss battle), and probably more side quests.
Like in Phantasy Star 4 rather than just grinding in order to improve your team members levels there would be some extra purpose to the skill building.

Now the following suggestions are more what you find in a Western RPG than a JRPG but it would be nice if all the decisions you made or side quests you performed also would have any outcome at the end game. People's lives are changed for better or worse, towns prosper or decline, and so on.
And that it would be possible to make decisions that one might consider negative or selfish but that they do come with their own reward (adding in a little moral gray)

I wouldn't mind some sort of pseudo 3D being done with the sprite graphics rather than going for full 3D models. The sort of things that were done in some Arcade games and 32 bit games.

As for the storyline, well in the past I have suggested interquels between Phantasy Star 1 and 2 that involve situations that don't involve Dark Falz's manipulations, but I would be okay with a campaign set after Phantasy Star 4 as well but preferably not another "pre industrial age civilization existing among the remnants of a high tech space faring civilization" situation.
I much rather see something like the worlds of PS1 and 2, computers, robots, energy weapons, and space travel being common along with fantasy or cyberpunk elements.

Edit: ugh, "pre war", I must have had Fallout on my mind again.

Edit: bad sentences. Bad sentences everywhere.
Last edited by TDG on Sat Nov 18, '17, 4:52 am, edited 5 times in total.
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Re: Let's pretend that Phantasy Star V on the Sega Saturn ex

Postby myau56 » Fri Nov 17, '17, 12:42 pm

TDG : Great ideas ! Even if for me it's in fact hard to imagine what PSV could have been, especially on a console like the Saturn...
And how to have something that is not the exact same story about our beloved Algol Solar/Star System ? Hard to tell ! :)
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