Phantasy Star Online, when first released, was a major hit. Hardly any game had dared to enter the creepy, PC-only world of online game playing, and none of the existing consoles really had support for it. So when Dreamcast was released with the 56k modem adapter, Sega saw a decisive opportunity. Phantasy Star Online was born, exciting gamers all over the world with the idea of online console gaming and the return of the Phantasy Star name.

Now, several years later, online console gaming is starting to pick up and enter the mainstream. Xbox Live! is enjoying a great deal of success in the online market, and the final next generation system is finding its way online. Amidst this, Sega has decided to release the third version of Phantasy Star Online.

Unfortunately, this game seems to offer little in the way of innovation. The card system is nice, but nothing that I felt was really spectacular or important. The game seems to lack a lot of the fun it used to, because of the general similarity of each release. The story seems to fall a little short, and the environment is stale and familiar. All in all, if you simply can't get enough of Phantasy Star Online, this game might be for you -- otherwise, you might try looking into another online game.