User Reviews (11 - 14 of 14)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

so....overrated.....

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 8
Date: August 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I do not see what is so good about this game. Super Nintendo RPG's are much much better. The character look like Michael Jackson especially Chaz Ashley (*snicker*). I do not see why you can not change the names of your character. The battle system has very little charm and is not fun. The towns are extremely uninteresting especially all of Motavia. I was hoping that Dezolis's towns would be interesting but I was wrong. The music is pollution to the ears. I agree completely with the other one-star review on this. If you want to play some truly awesome rpg's get a Super Nintendo.

Awesome.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 08, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This is an excellent game for the old Sega Genesis, keeping in line with the cool Phantasy Star series. This one is the best on the Genesis though, so if you must choose one, this is the game to get.

It's much better than Phantasy Stars 2 and 3 in just about every way. I won't even comment on 3 though... that game was just a poor excuse for a sequel, I'm afraid. Anyway though, Phantasy Star 4 keeps tradition with the technological setting, the cool techno music, stylish anime graphics, and unique storylines.

The characters are quite interesting as well, particularly Alis and Rune. I don't have too much to say about the game, unfortunately, since I happened to have a defective copy. However, from what I did play of it, it was definitely the best in the series, for the Genesis at least.

The Best RPG of the 16-Bit Era.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Many people will say that the best RPG to come out of the 16 Bit Era of videogames was Final Fantasy III (VI) or they may say Chrono Trigger. And they're very very close. They're both by far two of the best games of all time. But I hold it to be very much a fact that Phantasy Star IV is the best RPG of the era.

The writing and development is superb, the gameplay is addictive, the monsters are all beautifully animated, and the graphics are... well, the graphics are kinda lame, but it makes up for it. I wish they'd used a better graphics engine to make the game, or at least one that didn't make every character's left screen eye twice as large as the other. The Genesis could generate some very impressive stuff, and maybe this game would've gotten more reknown if the graphics were more on par with the Super Nintendo RPG's.

Anyway, as any gamer knows, graphics don't make the game, (though they help a whole lot) so I won't dwell on that. The game more than makes up with it with its comic book presentation, which is just so freakin' awexome I can't stand it. Sega's programmers have always been great artists when it comes to making pixel art, and this presents that superbly. It pushes the story along really well, and expresses ideas better than the tiny animations as would be seen in FFIII, CT, or any other RPG of the era. It's like the FMV sequences seen in Playstation era games, only in a comic book form.

The battle system is just like Phantasy Star II's, but designed much more coherently, and much more accessibly, thus, it's a pretty good battle system; and the enemy art is incredible. However, there are WAY too many random encounters. It gets ridiculous. But that's what RPG's were like back then... and now, for a good part. It gets frustrating, but it's excusable given the genre.

The story is just beautifully crafted within a pretty stock concept, I should add. It's actually my 2nd favorite of all RPG's, second behind only Final Fantasy VII, which came at a time when much more impressive things were possible.

Anyway, if you can get your hands on this, then you won't be dissapointed, it's not only the best Phantasy Star (a well-trusted name, believe me), but, in my opinion, the best RPG of the 16-Bit Era.

The Good, The Bad, and The Verdict

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 14, 2008
Author: Amazon User

THE GOOD:
-Well-written dialogue
-Great characters
-Nice graphics
-Large, immersive worlds
-Combo attacks
-TRANSFORMING MONSTERS!!! YEAH!!!

THE BAD:
-Fairly basic plot format
-Battles perhaps a little too frequent

THE VERDICT:
Phantasy Star IV is, always has been, and always will be my absolute favorite "legacy" game of all time. (Sorry, Sonic. ^_^ )

Although the story is built on the classic "Evil has arrived, it's time to save the world" format, Sega nevertheless managed to create an interesting, entertaining and even FUNNY plot out of it. The characters are well-rounded and easy to relate to, as you laugh, cry, explore & fight your way across three planets, two satellites, and about fifty different towns, villages, dungeons & caves.

The battle system is your standard turn-based RPG fare, with plenty of spells, items & special attacks, each with their own unique animation. The more unique features here are that not only can you combine spells to make massive combo attacks, but certain enemies can do the same, while others will clone, split, or even combine with their comrades to create even more, deadlier monsters! In fact, the final boss of the game goes through THREE STAGES of transformation, each more dramatic than the last!

Phantasy Star is overall an excellent game, with more than enough secrets, side quests, and hidden items to keep even veteran RPG gamers happy for days, weeks even, and its replay value is never-ending! It also has THE BEST SOUNDTRACK of any 16-bit game, consisting of some 45+ tunes, all of which are available to listen to after completing the game; just press B at the START/CONTINUE/ERASE menu. Happy gaming, friend!

Review Page: 1 2 

Actions