Phantasy Star Portable

 PSP
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Mar 3, 2009
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 38
  3. Negative: 5 out of 38
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  1. Gamer 2.0
    49
    The Phantasy Star series is one that has incredible potential on any handheld if done right. Unfortunately, Sega’s second attempt at a Phantasy Star game on the PSP comes up well short of anybody’s expectations.
  2. GamingXP
    48
    On the one hand, the game impresses with a very detailed constructor for characters and the multiplayer-mode, but on the other hand the game has many weaknesses, such as, for example, graphics, but that is probably because of the low storage capacity of the UMD-Discs.
  3. Edge Magazine
    40
    Unless you possess a particular zeal for collecting and upgrading slightly different weapons, the familiarity of slicing through yet another batch of spawning creatures soon grinds way at the thin gameplay. [June 2009, p.97]
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  5. Boomtown
    40
    I found Phantasy Star Portable to be nothing other than a disappointment, it has redeeming features but too many flaws to make it enjoyable.
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  6. RPGamer
    30
    If you can track down three friends to play with and enjoy this style of gameplay, Phantasy Star Portable might be an enjoyable experience. However, it remains an excessively repetitive grindfest with little lasting appeal, regardless of multiplayer capabilities.

Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Best PSP Game of 2009
34
#34 Most Discussed PSP Game of 2009
56
#56 Most Shared PSP Game of 2009

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 24
  3. Negative: 1 out of 24
  1. Welterweight426
    Aug 16, 2012
    7
    This game is good for mindless entertainment. The story is cliched and relatively boring. The characters are horribly voiced and lack depth.This game is good for mindless entertainment. The story is cliched and relatively boring. The characters are horribly voiced and lack depth. Your choices sort of matter but the game is only really good for the dungeons. However, you better be ready to see the same dungeons over and over again. I was entertained only because of the nice music, loads of weapons and excellent graphics (for the psp). Lastly, this game has a fantastic customization system for a portable game.… Full Review »
  2. VagrantW
    Mar 17, 2009
    9
    My history with Phantasy Star has been storied; I loved the first four games, they were wonderful. Phantasy Star Online I hated at first, but My history with Phantasy Star has been storied; I loved the first four games, they were wonderful. Phantasy Star Online I hated at first, but I warmed up to it slowly, I played it for a little while and it was fun but an easily forgettable game, not really Phantasy Star at all (it would've fared better had it had another name). So I'd pretty much given up on the franchise until I caught wind of Universe. I gave Phantasy Star Universe a try and that seemed very promising, but the 'kewl kid' I had to play as, Ethan Waber, was more boring than the Houses of Parliament on a dull day, that coupled with the painfully bad voice acting of some of the characters (especially the Neuman female) realy put me off it. And at the end of the day, that's sad because I saw some real potential there. I tried Phantasy Star Portable not really expecting anything special, but I was interested because it was the same sort of thing as PSU but I would no longer have to play Ethan Waber (huge bonus), I could play my own character instead. What I found I was pleasantly surprised about, quite so indeed. The gameplay is exactly the same as Universe, and that's a good thing because it's a nice little Diablo-style dungeon romp, that's what the gameplay elements are, and they do that well. What was great about the game though was outside of that. The storyline was a little on the predictable side, but the characters were handled very well, especially the CAST named Vivienne whom it'st he player's duty to help evolve as a character. The charming interactions between the characters made the pedestrian storyline come alive, and because of that it feels like the most 'Phantasy Star' game to date since IV. All in all, Phantasy Star Portable is what I would consider the first point of logical evolution from Phantasy Star IV in the current generation of technology, and if Sega plays this right then they could easily have a cult classic on their hands. I'm already eagerly looking forward to Phantasy Star Zero and hoping for more of the same. One thing I am going to snark at though is the poor Games Radar review, which actually complained about the characters having depth. So... what, a handheld RPG has to have shallow characters to be enjoyable? I don't think so. Just because it's on a handheld doesn't mean a game has to be instant gratification, that's not at all what Phantasy Star Portable is about. And in fact, this only more proves my point that it's more true to the originals in that it has decent characters. These young reviewers have no idea what the original Phantasy Star was like. So to fans of Phantasy Star (I through IV), I'd say give this a look. The gameplay is no longer the same, it had to evolve to keep up instead of remaining stuck in the past, but the feel of it is there, and if you're willing to give it a chance, it'll grow on you.… Full Review »
  3. MarlonB
    Mar 15, 2009
    9
    An amazing port of an awesome game. Ugh, but no online multiplayer?! Still the best PSP game by far.
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