Ahh yes, Phantasy Star 4. I remember when I first rented this game back in '96, I believe. My friends and I spent hours huddled around my TV switching the game between us. In fact this was my first RPG. I loved this game so much I kept it long past its return day and racked up quite a bill at the Wherehouse.

But enough reminiscing, on with the review. This game is set in the Algo Solar System, which has changed a lot since that fateful day 1000 years ago, when the Algo system consisted of 3 planets: Palma ( the planet closest to the sun and green lush planet), Motavia (the 2nd planet and desert planet), and finally the frozen planet, Dezoris. One day, Mother Brain, a huge A.I computer that controlled virtually every aspect of the planets, was destroyed, along with Palma. After this, Motavia was thrown into social decline and only now is Motavia beginning to thrive again. But a forgotten evil threatens to destroy all they have gained... possibly even all of Algo. The fate of the Algo system is now in your hands.

You are Chaz Ashley, a rookie hunter. Your quest begins when you and your mentor/best friend Alys Brangwin ("The Eight Stroke Warrior" but don't call her that to her face ;D) embark on what seems to be a normal job until you get wrapped up in a battle with an evil that could destroy everything you hold dear. Along the way you run into many unforgettable characters such as the old Dezolisian Priest (the corniest jokester ever next to my friend Glue Boy) and the cocky Rune. In fact Rune is, IMO, the coolest RPG character ever.

This game rocks. I have beaten it many times and I never tire of it. While it is an easy game it still takes at least 30 hours to beat the fist time, which was a lot at the time. The PS series is the best RPG series ever. While the Final Fantasy games are better known they aren't as strong as this series and in fact, only 5,6,8 and Tactics are really equal to PS4.

Graphics: Ah, man this game is beautiful. The anime style cut scenes are very cool and very well done. The only downside I see is that the characters are a little small. I was really disappointed by PS3's graphics which were so bland and dull but PS4 went back to its roots and has a colorful lively look to it making it that much better.

Sound/music: Dood, Runes theme song, Thray, alone is enough to give this game a 90% for sound. Sadly, Thray was underused but beside that the music is exceptional. In addition to Thray there are many other beautiful songs such as the dungeon songs and that funky robot beat Nurvus. The sound in this game is crisp and doesn't lack what ps3 did… good music.

Storyline: This game's story line is really good. I mean the way it connects to the other PS games is amazing and best of all, it doesn't spoil the other PS games. Also, this game has almost as many sexual innuendoes as a Working Designs game, which adds a lot of humor to this game yet its not really inappropriate.

Control: This game's control is beautiful. It's easy to learn and easy to customize. The Macro System makes setting up combos easy. The one problem with the control is that at times it is too sensitive. I have found myself wasting a precious Soul Dew on the wrong person because I accidentally grazed the button. But that is a rarity.

Gameplay: Oh yes, game play is something this game overflows with. From beginning to end this game doesn't disappoint.

Overall: This game is great. When I saw it at FunCo Land a year ago, I didn't hesitate buying it. Plus, I got it for less than 20 bucks which is a far cry from the game's original $100 price tag (a price I would be willing to pay). Heck when I'm not playing it, I'm listening to Thray on the sound test (you earn it after beating the game). If you can find this game it is well worth buying it.