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Phantasy Star Online is best known for its successful action RPGs, but its oft-forgotten card battle sequel is unique enough to deserve a second look.
Phantasy Star Online is best known for the Dreamcast classic that defined a generation, and its more actionized modern successor. However, between those two games, there was another chapter of Sega’s space-faring saga that has been largely forgotten by time. That title is the GameCube sequel to the original PSO: Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution. Diverging from the series’ traditional hack and slash combat, Episode III was a card battle game with a focus on turn-based tactics and deck-building.
Set 21 years after the original game, Episode III tells a darker story of stranded space colonists desperately fighting for a new home. Unable to leave the spaceship Pioneer 2 and frustrated by the government’s corruption, the people have splintered into two rival factions. The Hunters remain loyal to the state, enforcing its rule in the name of law and order, while the rebellious Arkz seek to liberate the people from their tyrannical rulers. Thus begins an adventure full of intrigue, unique strategy game mechanics and one of the best soundtracks of any Sega game yet.
This ideological clash between Hunters and Arkz serves as the basis for two parallel campaigns. These expand on the original game’s lore, tying up loose plot threads while at the same time forging its own unique narrative identity. The comic panel-style cutscenes, reminiscent of Phantasy Star IV‘s cinematic presentation, help bring each twist and turn in the plot to life, and their fantastic artwork breathes life into the story far better than its aging graphics. That being said, the game’s locations are impressively varied; showing off more of Ragol than the original game ever did. It’s just a shame that their exclusive use as arenas means players can’t freely explore them.
The game’s card battles are, for the most part, well-executed. Each character has a set number of action points, which can be used to equip weapons, perform elemental techniques or even summon monsters. Players can then use their remaining points to attack with these various units or guard during the opponent’s turn. It’s an easy system to learn, but one that requires time and effort to master. Fortunately, the sheer range of available cards, combined with a cast of 24 characters who all have their own unique skills, gives players a lot of room to develop their own unique play style.
It’s a shame, then, that such a robust system is constantly at the mercy of random drop rates. PSO is no stranger to frustrating loot systems, with the original game having some infamously hard to acquire items, but even the grind of old looks merciful next to Episode III‘s unforgiving difficulty curve. The game isn’t hard in a traditional sense; it just has a bad habit of rendering your current deck completely useless. The best way to get new cards is to beat the game’s missions, but its linear story means replaying past levels to farm rewards isn’t an option. The fact that the game is incredibly stingy with its new cards, and getting better ones requires a high player level, makes expanding one’s deck an absolute chore.
None of this is helped by how enemies increasingly wield absurdly potent decks, culminating in two obnoxious final battles. While their boss theme is about as close to perfection as a video game song can get, their escalating power and frustrating abilities sadly takes the wind out of what should be climactic showdowns.
This is especially disappointing given just how strong the story is until this point. While the game’s cast is simple, their dilemmas are incredibly grounded for such a fantastic space adventure. Characters deal with grief, having their careers stolen and the legacies of abusive parents, and their reactions to these problems are often flawed and uncomfortable. While dated by today’s standards, Episode III‘s writing deserves credit for trying to tackle themes most of its competitors wouldn’t have dared approach.
Phantasy Star Online didn’t continue this card-based direction, going back to the traditional action-focused gameplay for Episode IV, and it’s easy to see why. Episode III had a lot of interesting ideas, but their flawed execution meant it was safer to return to the old formula for the grand finale. That being said, Episode III is still worth remembering for its attempts to try something new, and for giving fans probably the best soundtrack in the franchise — which is no mean feat considering its history of great music. This space age card battler may not have been the revolution its title promised, but its innovative spirit still shines as bright as any star.
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