Phantasy Star Online was released for Dreamcast, GameCube, XBox, and PC. The sequel, Phantasy Star Universe, is available for PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360...but PSU doesn't have anything to do with Ragol, so if you find that story interesting, eh, well. =P
If you acquire a console copy - yes, PSO can be played offline in single-player mode. The thing is, it ain't really a GREAT single-player experience. I think it's reasonably entertaining even so, but do realise it's not fantastic as a stand-alone game.
Secondly, about the gameplay: Blackaeronaut is correct, tactics and situational awareness - or at the very least pattern recognition - matter more than quick reactions.
But if I remember right, you need to move around a fair bit. Evade attacks and rush in for the kill...that sorta stuff. It's not twitch as such...yet it ain't pure strategy either. I found it a lot more frantic than, say, World of Warcraft or even City of Heroes. Not as bad as Guild Wars...but as far as MMOs go, it's a lot closer to a console hack-and-slash than most. Which makes perfect sense, because it was released as a console game.
As for the story - I like this, sir. It's got an old-school UF feel to it, in a good way. Brings back a lot of PSO memories as well, but it's solid even without that.
-- Acyl
If you acquire a console copy - yes, PSO can be played offline in single-player mode. The thing is, it ain't really a GREAT single-player experience. I think it's reasonably entertaining even so, but do realise it's not fantastic as a stand-alone game.
Secondly, about the gameplay: Blackaeronaut is correct, tactics and situational awareness - or at the very least pattern recognition - matter more than quick reactions.
But if I remember right, you need to move around a fair bit. Evade attacks and rush in for the kill...that sorta stuff. It's not twitch as such...yet it ain't pure strategy either. I found it a lot more frantic than, say, World of Warcraft or even City of Heroes. Not as bad as Guild Wars...but as far as MMOs go, it's a lot closer to a console hack-and-slash than most. Which makes perfect sense, because it was released as a console game.
As for the story - I like this, sir. It's got an old-school UF feel to it, in a good way. Brings back a lot of PSO memories as well, but it's solid even without that.
-- Acyl