12 Major Differences Between Phantasy Star Online 2 And New Genesis (2024)

Many in the west were a little surprised when Sega announced plans for Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis in July of 2020. At the time, Phantasy Star Online 2 was still several months away from its western release, so such a huge revamp didn't make a lot of sense. The game has actually been out in Japan since 2012, however, so for many players in the east, at least, the upgrade was long overdue.

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In the months following the announcement, Sega made it clear that New Genesis isn't intended to be a replacement nor expansion for PSO2, but instead a companion game of sorts that offers players a new way to experience Phantasy Star Online. Some of the elements developed for New Genesis have even been implemented in the original game, although there remain plenty of big differences between the two titles.

Updated August 31, 2022, by Tom Bowen: Despite having been available in Japan since early 2016, Phantasy Star Online 2 has only just become playable for PS4 owners in the west. As well as the base version of the game, they'll also have access to New Genesis, a separate game that takes place within the same universe. With players able to jump freely between the two, some may be curious to find out how New Genesis differs from Phantasy Star Online 2. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, it does so in many ways, the most notable of which can be found down below.

12 Enhanced Character Models

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For some people, character creation is a big part of the MMO experience, as it allows players to express their individually and really lean into the role-playing experience. Phantasy Star Online 2 already had one of the best character creators around, but the one in New Genesis somehow manages to put it to shame.

The new graphics engine brings with it some huge changes to the quality of character models in the game as well as a host of new options and sliders for users to play around with. The possibilities are almost limitless, thus allowing players more control over their Phantasy Star characters than ever before.

11 The Graphics Engine

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Not only does the new graphics engine improve character models, but also the graphical fidelity of the world in which the game takes place. The visuals in New Genesis really are streets ahead of its predecessor, with almost everything about the game's graphics having been reworked and improved.

Given that the Japanese Phantasy Star Online 2 servers first went live in 2012, some will feel that the change was long overdue, but few could have expected just how impressive the transformation would be. Granted, there are still better looking MMOs out there, but not too many and not by much.

10 The Game World

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Sega have been quick to stress that New Genesis is neither a sequel to nor a replacement for Phantasy Star Online 2, but instead a "whole new universe" that would coexist peacefully with its predecessor. This new universe, though certainly familiar in some respects, at times feels almost unrecognizable from the old one.

As well as the huge visual upgrades, the game's world is now inhabited by countless non-aggressive species which helps to make it feel more alive than ever before and far more immersive too. The new day/night cycle further adds to this authenticity, as too do the impressively immersive weather effects.

9 Items & Currency

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While a lot of things can be carried over from Phantasy Star Online 2 to New Genesis, there are certain items that players will need to leave behind when they make the leap. These include certain materials and furnishings, consumable items and Skill Rings. Perhaps most frustrating, however, is the inability to transfer certain currencies.

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In order to protect the in-game economy of New Genesis, players are unable to bring their Meseta with them. The good news is that the game's premium currencies, Star Gems and ARKS cash, can be used in either version of the game. Those who have spent real money on the game will therefore not lose out when making the transition.

8 Character Growth

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It's not just their Meseta that players will need to leave behind when they transfer their characters over to New Genesis, but also their levels, skills and arts. This effectively means that most players will be starting from scratch, which, although no doubt frustrating for some, will at least ensure that everybody starts on a level playing field.

Thankfully, those who've sunk a lot of time into Phantasy Star Online 2 can at least carry over some of the skins that they've acquired during their time with the game, as well as weapons, units and Mags. Unfortunately, the latter no longer boost players' stats or aid them in battle, although they still maintain evolution device data from the previous game.

7 Weapons

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Stats, augments and potentials have been changed for a lot of the game's weapons, while any that are tied to classes that have not yet been added to New Genesis will be unusable for the time being. Main and sub classes do share weapons now though, so players are no longer restricted to only equipping weapons from their main class.

New Genesis also changes how weapon camos work, allowing players to select a camo for each type of weapon rather than being limited to one weapon camo at a time. Though purely cosmetic, the change serves as a huge quality of life update, as it negates the need for players to switch camos every time that they change classes.

6 Movement & Map Traversal

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Both in and out of combat, the way that players move around in New Genesis has been completely overhauled and feels far more fluid than ever before. Running, dodging and wall-jumping is far less clunky than it was, which can make getting from A to B a lot more enjoyable.

Though some players may still opt to use skills to close the gap between themselves and their foes from time to time, the new movement options arguably negate the need to do so. As a result, players can save their precious Photon Points for more pressing occasions.

5 Combat

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As well as combat in general now feeling a lot more fluid, there have also been a few other key tweaks that really enhance the overall experience. Perhaps the most significant of these is that bosses now have a visible HP bar, making it far easier for players to gauge how much longer a battle is likely to go on for.

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Another big change is the way that enemies react to debuffs, with New Genesis offering a far more realistic representation than Phantasy Star Online 2. Stricken enemies will now visibly react to negative status effects, often rolling around on the floor or howling in pain when players hit them with a debuff.

4 Classes

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Unlike Phantasy Star Online 2, which had 12, New Genesis only offered six classes at launch, though this number has since been increased to eight. Players can choose from the Hunter, Ranger, Force, Fighter, Gunner, Techter, Braver, and Bouncer classes, although the other four classes found in PSO2 are no longer options.

The four missing classes were also absent at the time of PSO2's launch, before gradually being added into the game in future episodes. This suggests that Sega may yet add these additional classes to New Genesis, although it's difficult to predict how future updates will be handled.

3 Auto Loot

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Ever since the first Phantasy Star Online game on the Sega Dreamcast, players have had to manually pick up any items dropped by fallen enemies. Back then, this was fairly common practice, but by the time Phantasy Star Online 2 released in 2012, many games had already switched to an auto loot system. Unfortunately, PSO2 wasn't among them.

New Genesis fixes this problem, automatically placing loot into a player's inventory so that they don't need to pick it up themselves. The over the top particle effects that signified a rare drop are also no more, with players now getting a simple and far less distracting prompt at the top of their screens instead.

2 Mechanics

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It's important to remember that Phantasy Star Online 2 was already eight years old when it finall made its way west back in 2020. As a result, many of the game's core mechanics were inspired by early twenty-first century MMORPG tropes and trends, resulting in a game that was very much a byproduct of its era.

Conversely, despite carrying over certain elements to use as a foundation, Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is a lot more modern by comparrision. It therefore brings with it a lot of major quality of life updates, including the afortementioned auto loot mechanic and more fluid and refined combat.

1 Story

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Upon completing the tutorial for New Genesis, players will have the option to revert back to the main story of PSO 2. This was a fantastic feature when the former first went live as its narrative was fairly limited in scope when the game was first released.

These days, New Genesis is doing quite a bit better on this front, though players will probably find themselves dipping back into the PSO 2 story as they await further updates. Things do seem to be moving at a fairly healthy pace though, so they shouldn't have to wait too long.

Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

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12 Major Differences Between Phantasy Star Online 2 And New Genesis (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between PSO2 and New Genesis? ›

Conversely, despite carrying over certain elements to use as a foundation, Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is a lot more modern by comparrision. It therefore brings with it a lot of major quality of life updates, including the afortementioned auto loot mechanic and more fluid and refined combat.

Should you play PSO2 or NGS? ›

Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis is pretty much Phantasy Star Online 3. PSO2 NGS takes place 1000 years after the events of PSO2 and can be played as a standalone game. Play though New Genesis to at least get caught up, once you run out of things to do, than go into Base PSO2 to play through the story for Star Gems.

Do you need to play Phantasy Star Online 2 before New Genesis? ›

If you have not played base PSO2, then I can recommend playing. To explain if you are new to this game, when you download New Genesis, you also download PSO2, which is the old version and previous chapter. That game has a lot more content and story (some of which can be silly) than New Genesis.

How to play PSO2 instead of New Genesis? ›

As Nope said, after finishing the NGS tutorial and gaining access to the Ryuker device, you can switch to PSO2 the same way as you switch blocks. You can also go directly to PSO2 from the character select screen. FYI you will need to do tutorial for every single char you have. Get comfortable.

What carries over to PSO2 New Genesis? ›

Transferable Data
CategoryDetails
CharactersAuxiliaries Information
Action ItemsPalette Settings *Both NGS and PSO2 data will be moved.
Learned Photon Arts (PA) and Technique Information *Both NGS and PSO2 data will be moved.
Weapon Equipment Information *Both NGS and PSO2 data will be moved.
47 more rows

What is the best class in New Genesis? ›

  • 1 Fighter: Best Paired With Melee Support, Ranged Options. ...
  • 2 Ranger: Elevate Distance Control With Emergency Melee. ...
  • 3 Hunter: Improve Tankiness With Damage Flexibility. ...
  • 4 Gunner: Maximize Distanced Fighting With More Guns, More Magic. ...
  • 5 Force: Capitalize On Sheer Elemental Power With Knockdowns, Extra Magic.
Mar 10, 2024

What is the best race in PSO2? ›

Race (Phantasy Star Online 2)
  • Humans have good HP, and either good S-ATK and S-DEF or T-ATK and T-DEF, depending on gender, with no particularly low stats. ...
  • Newmans have good T-ATK, and either good R-DEF or T-DEF, depending on gender, but low HP and DEX.

What is the current max level in PSO2: NGS? ›

MAXIMUM CLASS LEVELS

The maximum class level is level 100.

How long does it take to beat PSO2? ›

Single-PlayerPolledMedian
Main Story720h 5m
Main + Extras540h 21m
All PlayStyles1221h 39m

What is the difference between Phantasy Star Online 1 and 2 Plus? ›

The main difference between the 2 versions is that Plus has some bug fixes. Other than that, the main thing you'll notice is belras shoot directly at you on non plus where as on plus they shoot on either side of you if you stand still.

Why is Phantasy Star Online 2 free? ›

Downloading and Playing the Basic Game Is Completely Free

We've made downloading and playing the basic game free so that as many people as possible can enjoy PSO2 NEW GENESIS. Premium items are available for purchase, but you will never be billed for anything without your knowledge or consent.

Is PSO2 NEW GENESIS fun? ›

Latest Critic Reviews

I really, really wanted to love New Genesis. It has a solid and fun core, but the game fails to build on it and falls flat in the end. Those problems are compounded by the horrid lag and issues at launch, but what MMO doesn't have issues at launch?

Can you install PSO2 without NGS? ›

There are no official ways for you installing one game without the other unless you play on console. It can't be done without heavy mods being a programer myself. It looks like they striped the titlescreen of base PSO2 and replaced it with the NGS title screen/menu which is were it most likely logs you into the server.

Is PSO2 New Genesis open world? ›

Planet Halpha is your stage for adventure, where our main character, a Meteorn, lands in a vast open world with a day–night cycle and weather changes. Enjoy a high degree of freedom in traversing the world, combating enemies and searching for items.

Can I still play base PSO2? ›

It isn't dead, but not bustling with life like it was in 2020 and first half of 2021. If you have an alliance that is active or a group of friends who are willing to play it, it is still very much active but not bustling to the point of "all" content being played.

Is PSO2 New Genesis a good game? ›

This game feels like it needed another 6 to 12 months in the oven before it was ready. In short, Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is a potentially incredible and enjoyable MMO that is ruined by archaic gameplay systems, poor monetization practices, and a total lack of content.

What is ngs in Phantasy Star Online 2? ›

Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis.

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