All of this customization wouldn't be worth much if the game looked like Pong, so we're glad to report that PSU is quite the looker. It really pushes the PS2 to its max, and regularly wows us with wide-open environments and massive viewing distances. The characters are quite attractive, with enough polygons in their faces to make Phantasy Star Online look old and dated.
That said, the art style definitely draws upon PSO 's memorable and distinctive aesthetic, but with more bright colors and decidedly fashion-forward clothing designs. Beyond the PS2, the PC version offers the standard high-res treatment, while the 360 version runs twice as smoothly as the PS2 game. Unfortunately, the 360 game also suffers from some truly ill-conceived depth-of-field effects that make everything in the middle distance a nasty blur. We really hope to see Sega address that before launch.
That's a wrap for this update. We've still got plenty more to share, so check in again one week from now for the latest on Phantasy Star Universe, including a tour of the local solar system.
