After nine years since its original release in 2012, the release of Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis begins a new chapter for Sega's long-running MMORPG, Phantasy Star Online 2. It is also the first game in the PSO2 franchise to receive a worldwide release following its western launch in 2020, eight years after it was released in Japan. New Genesis was released on June 9th, overhauling the base gameplay that Phantasy Star Online 2 was known for and expanding on many quality of life details.
The major transition from a classic hub world to a streamlined open-world experience means new locations to explore as well as an entirely new base of operations known as Central City to grow accustomed to. For both new and returning players, figuring out how to do basic actions like changing the ship block may appear overwhelming at first, as the introduction to New Genesis plays differently than vanilla PSO2.
Completing The Prologue
Before the player reaches Central City, a mandatory prologue must be completed first, introducing the player to several game mechanics that may seem familiar to returning Phantasy Star Online 2 players. Upon creating a character, the player will arrive via a crash landing before shortly engaging in a fight with the DOLLS, the main enemies of New Genesis, and several tutorials showing off the new open world that the game has to offer.
The player will eventually arrive at Aelio Town where they are introduced to several tutorials including how to properly fight, equip armor, and breaking item crates. After several cutscenes, the player will once again engage in a scuffle with the DOLLS before ultimately becoming overwhelmed. Dark Falz, a major villain in the original Phantasy Star Online 2 is introduced and the player is tasked to go to Central City for further debriefing.
Changing Ship Block
Once the player arrives at Central City and obtains their first main quest, many of the city's services will become available to the player over the course of the main story. Fortunately, accessing the module that enables players to change their ship blocks, among other important functions, is available as soon as the player completes their first Cocoon training. After accepting the main quest "Advice from Liu Lin 1," the player will be introduced to a Ryuker device in the southwest corner of the city.
Upon activation, players can change their block, teleport to known locations in the open world, and other important functions. As the player progresses through the main story, other services involving the Ryuker and the ability to join multiplayer will be made available. Players who wish to move to a less-cluttered block or join their friends in a specific block will be pleased to know that a core asset to the original PSO2 is easily accessible in New Genesis from the beginning.
Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis is available on the PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.