With my Spring Break ending today, I hereby submit a game review. (Expect more as the days, weeks, months come.)

Game: Phantasy Star Universe
Developer: SEGA
Publisher:SEGA
Style: Role-Playing Game
Released: August 31, 2006

Your average RPG. Not. This game blesses its audience with nice graphics, innovative gameplay, and a very creative storyline. In this game, you control Ethan Waber, a boy who is thrown into chaos when a viewing of a maiden goes terribly wrong. You guide Ethan through his training to be a Guardian, a protector of the peace. Of course, the training isn't easy. Ethan faces several obstacles that he, and his new friends, must overcome together.

The battle system of this RPG is real time fighting. No distortion of the screen, no turn-based fighting. The fighting of the several monsters occurs right away. You walk in, you see a black and red swirl (or sometimes none), the monster(s) show up, and you fight until they all die (or until -you- die).

Ethan is somewhat customizable in the sense of his clothing, weapons, and room. These don't really have an impact on the gameplay, but they do give you something to do when you're tired of the continuous fighting. The game also offers a synthesis system where you create your own items.

The one thing about this is, there's no way to pause the game. Let's say that you're in the middle of an important boss battle and your parents call you to do something. There is no pause. Do you finish the battle and get in trouble with your parents? Or do you leave and die and start all over? Oh the agony. Other than that, I don't see many problems with this game.

One particular thing I really enjoyed about PSU is the Extra Mode. In Extra Mode, which is received when you reach a certain chapter in Story Mode, you're able to create your own character and guide him or her through the world of PSU. You're able to customize your character with clothes, hair, proportion, voice tone, and much more. And you can also choose from the games four races: Humans (overall characters), CASTs (Robots who are good at shooting), Newmans (Elves that specialize in magic), and Beasts (Guys who can break you by looking at you). You start from level 1 and work your way up doing missions and tasks. Thing is, they take out many of the NPCs you're able to talk to in the Story Mode. I would've enjoyed talking to them from a different perspective.

There's also online capability. For a monthly fee, you can bring the fight to the world (literally) You're able to interact with other people around the world that are Guardians just like you. You fight the forces of evil in parties, and make new friends. Think Extra Mode stretched out across the ENTIRE world.

PSU is a very good game to pick up, whether your a casual gamer or one of the l33t.

This game receives a 3 outta 5. It could still use a little work, but it's still an awesome game.

This is Asuri Rosetti with your RPG Review, heading out!