Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Genesis) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
1,361A playthrough of Sega's 1995 role-playing game for the Sega Genesis, Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium.
The End of the Millennium is the closing chapter of Sega's epic sci-fi saga that began on the Master System with the original Phantasy Star back in 1988.
The first, second, and fourth games of the series all take place in the Algo solar system, and though huge spans of times separate their plot lines, they are all interconnected. (The third game's plot is related, but it takes place in another setting entirely)
The End of the Millennium is, however, the direct sequel to Phantasy Star II released in 1990. As the name would indicate, it takes place one thousand years after the ending of the second, but despite the distance there are some surprising connections and parallels drawn between the games.
Though the game was criticized for its story a fair amount back when it was released in 1995, I honestly don't see the problem. The plot was well put together, and though it lacks the gravitas found in its primary competition (Final Fantasy III), it does an excellent job of bringing all of the series' plot threads together and wrapping them up neatly for the finale. The quality of the translation is a bit lacking, but the sheer volume of text helps flesh the world out a great deal (I love how you can check every single bookshelf in the game!) and the characters are better developed in the final installment than they've ever been in earlier titles.
The gameplay systems are all standard RPG fare, though PS4 does introduce a few nifty wrinkles. Characters can combine strength for combination attacks if spells are cast in a particular order, and battles can be largely automated through the well-executed macro system. Battles otherwise play out in the traditional manner - pick your party's actions from a menu, watch the round play out, and repeat until one side falls.
The game is a bit on the linear side, but there is a lot of extra content still for those that want to extend their time a bit on the planets of Algo. The guild hall offers a good selection of side-quests that become available over the course of the game - I did all of them during the video walkthrough. I also made sure to go for Chaz's secret final attack, Megid, which involved an awesomely nostalgic battle that was pure fan service for longtime fans of the series.
The graphics and sound are a particularly strength. The Genesis is generally regarded as a "lesser" platform for RPGs because of its A/V capabilities, but PS4 leans heavily to the system's strengths. Rather than copying the Final Fantasy-style (lots of subtle use of shading and color and an orchestral soundtrack), PS4 goes for a more anime-inspired aesthetic. All major events are done with brilliantly illustrated, comic-style panels that give a lot of life and personality to the characters. There are an amazing number of unique illustrations that are used in these scenes - it really makes me wonder how they managed to fit it all into the game's 24 megabit ROM. It's hard to to put into words just how much of an impact this cinematic approach has on the storytelling - it gives the game an identity that's entirely its own.
The sound design also goes a long way in establishing the tone and feeling of Phantasy Star IV. The Genesis's FM synthesis wasn't terribly well suited to the horns and strings that defined Final Fantasy soundtracks, but then again, the game's sci-fi tropes don't really lend themselves to that style of orchestration either. Instead, PS4 goes for a loud and raucous mix of rock and techno, and it's an excellent stylistic choice. The battle themes are dirty and harsh and keep up some pretty intense beats, and the overworld themes nail the expected pioneering/exploring/mystery motifs. The cutscenes also hit it well with the several dramatic musical cues that help to punctuate the drama.
Phantasy Star IV isn't certainly isn't perfect: the spell and skill names are needlessly obtuse, the shop menus are annoyingly cumbersome, the translation doesn't always do the story justice, and it's a bit too easy, but in light of what was achieved here, those are small nitpicks. The $99.95 price tag that the cart carried for its 1995 US release, though.... ouch!
The End of the Millennium, much like their later efforts (Skies of Arcadia, Panzer Dragoon Saga), just goes to show that Sega was completely capable of matching companies like Enix, Square, and Falcom in producing excellent RPG experiences.
It's one of the best 16-bit console RPGs ever made.
*Side note: there are three spots where I cut out grinding that I did for experience points. At these points I show the character stats in the interest of keeping transparency.
_
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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