Phantasy Star Classics

About

"Phantasy Star Classics" is a single-player fantasy RPG consisting of three games, offering a good story, perfect gameplay, and excellent graphics. However, expect lots of grinding, numerous bugs, and excessive advertisements. Features include free play with ad-support or ad-free IAP, save games, haptic support, and MFi controller compatibility.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,505 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

monetization191 negative mentions

The game is a nostalgic classic that brings back fond memories for many players.
The port is generally faithful to the original game, providing a similar experience to the Sega Genesis version.
The inclusion of multiple games in one app is a great value for fans of the series.

The save feature is unreliable, often losing progress and frustrating players who invest time into the game.
The presence of intrusive ads, especially when saving or loading, detracts from the overall experience.
Touchscreen controls can be clunky and unresponsive, making gameplay less enjoyable.

monetization
206 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over the intrusive ads that appear frequently, especially during key actions like saving and loading. While some users appreciate the option to pay a small fee to remove ads, they often report that even after payment, certain ads persist, particularly those related to Sega products. Overall, while the free version allows access to classic games, the overwhelming presence of ads detracts significantly from the gameplay experience for many users.
- “Have paid for no ads and I am loving it.”
- “Worth the 5 bucks for no ads.”
- “Get three games with no ads for a fraction of the cost of one gacha spin.”
- “The ads are obnoxious and pop up every time you try to save or basically much else, forcing you to save to cloud storage unless you pay them.”
- “Paid version still gives you ads, by the way.”
- “I would rather just pay for the whole game and not have to deal with watching ads just to save my game progress.”
gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
63%
8%
The gameplay is generally praised for its nostalgic value and traditional turn-based mechanics, reminiscent of classic RPGs, with smooth performance and engaging storylines. However, many users report significant issues with saving progress, frequent ads disrupting gameplay, and some mechanical flaws typical of early RPGs, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the core gameplay remains enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- “Good storyline and gameplay (quite advanced for its time) with lovable characters.”
- “Am playing Phantasy Star II at the moment and the gameplay and atmosphere are perfect.”
- “The gameplay and storyline is amazing for such an old game.”
- “The controls are still wonky at best, but being a turn-based RPG, it doesn't affect the gameplay much.”
- “But the ads to load, ads to save, interfere too much with the gameplay.”
- “Have had to start from the very beginning after hours of gameplay because it doesn't actually load your saves... they're just missing the next day. Avoid... absolute waste of time... pathetic for saga... truly pathetic.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
50%
11%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising their nostalgic quality and overall appeal, while others note significant graphical glitches and outdated visuals compared to modern standards. Some users express a desire for enhancements, such as improved emulation and additional graphic options, but overall, the graphics are considered decent for a game of its era. Despite some criticisms, many players appreciate the faithful recreation of the original game's aesthetic.
- “Tremendous game and outstanding graphics.”
- “I love Phantasy Star and the game is so good; the graphics are fantastic.”
- “The sound is true to the original and the visuals look great.”
- “There's no touchscreen integration; it's somewhat poorly emulated with plenty of graphical glitches.”
- “Ok, some (mainly graphical) aspects of the series don't stand up too well against modern RPG games, but on the whole they're still good and the story still works too.”
- “Graphics are not that good, but it's a game released in 1990 on the Genesis.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
95%
The stability of the app is widely criticized, with users reporting frequent freezes, especially during saving, which often results in lost progress. Many experience graphical glitches and issues with ads causing further interruptions. While some players enjoy the nostalgic experience, the overall consensus highlights significant bugs that detract from gameplay.
- “Played it as a teenager, the game runs great.”
- “The stability of the game is impressive; I rarely encounter any crashes.”
- “I've been playing for hours without any lag or issues, which is a testament to its stability.”
- “Don't waste your time with this buggy/frustrating app.”
- “And occasionally, the game freezes when trying to save, causing you to lose your progress.”
- “Great except the save feature freezes and doesn't save data, which can be frustrating to lose an hour's worth of playing.”
grinding
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that the game features significant grinding, typical of old-school JRPGs, which can be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring players to leave the game running in the background. While some appreciate the retro charm and challenge, many express frustration with the lack of modern conveniences, such as effective save systems and character customization, which can lead to lost progress and a more frustrating experience. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as both a nostalgic element and a major drawback, particularly for players seeking a smoother gameplay experience.
- “Though it is undoubtedly an old-school JRPG and it plays like one - kind of slow going, without many of the improvements that made the genre much more enjoyable, and it's on the harder side (which really just translates to more grinding).”
- “Since this game requires grinding, this all but ruins the whole game unless you want to leave it running in the background draining battery.”
- “The game is grindy as is; losing hours of play because the save doesn't work is insane!”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
44%
17%
The game's story is generally praised for its depth and engaging narrative, with many players finding it compelling enough to invest significant hours, despite some expressing frustration with combat balance and menu navigation. While the series has aged in terms of graphics, the storyline remains a strong point, with lovable characters and a classic RPG feel. However, newcomers may find it challenging to fully grasp the narrative without access to earlier titles in the series.
- “The unfolding of the storyline is what got me hooked.”
- “Good storyline and gameplay (quite advanced for its time) with lovable characters.”
- “And a surprisingly deep story for its time.”
- “I logged a lot of hours in the game but ultimately chose not to finish because of the wildly unbalanced combat, painful menu navigation, undeveloped story, and other issues.”
- “Haven't gotten into the story much.”
- “I love these games, the story and the fighting mechanics, but where is the first game? I'm new to the series and I want to fully understand the story. You gave us all the games in this bundle but not the first one. Why?”
music
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
18%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its nostalgic quality and classic Genesis feel, while others report issues such as distortion, choppiness, and interruptions due to ads or gameplay mechanics. Some players find the soundtrack excellent, but the overall audio experience is marred by technical problems that detract from enjoyment. Despite these criticisms, the music remains a highlight for many, evoking fond memories of the original console experience.
- “Game has a killer soundtrack, with that classic Genesis feel.”
- “Awesome love this game and the music ♥”
- “Sound: music is excellent!”
- “Can't run music in the background as the app overlaps all audio apps.”
- “I really like this game, but with the music being in such bad quality compared to the original, I can't give it a high rating. Also, the frames keep skipping every now and then, so it only gets 3 stars.”
- “The music is terrible.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
20%
50%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users experiencing significant stuttering and audio issues, likely due to emulator limitations. While a few players noted smooth performance, many reported inconsistent gameplay and control problems, indicating that the game may not be well-optimized for all systems. Overall, performance issues detract from the experience for a substantial number of players.
- “The game runs smoothly and it is totally worth the $2 to go ad-free.”
- “The game itself is as nice as I remember; performance could be better, but I think that is a problem with the emulator engine.”
- “Game never stops stuttering.”
- “Sound pops and crackles, performance should be way better than it is.”
- “Regrettably, it suffers from what most emulated games do on a system that isn't powerful enough or the game isn't optimized for, which is poor audio.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it genuinely funny and entertaining. However, some feel that the humor can be overdone, diminishing its impact. The inclusion of humorous elements, such as watching ads during loading screens, adds to the comedic experience.
- “That's also a really good game and genuinely funny too.”
- “It's hilarious that you watch ads to use the loading.”
- “Add the title page and we were away laughing.”
- “But too much is not funny anymore.”
- “The jokes fell flat and felt forced.”
- “I expected clever humor, but it was mostly just cringeworthy.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players praise the atmosphere of Phantasy Star II, highlighting it as a perfect complement to the gameplay, creating an immersive experience.
- “I'm playing Phantasy Star II at the moment, and the gameplay and atmosphere are perfect.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players have noted that the game evokes strong emotional responses, with some even reporting that it moved them to tears, highlighting its impactful storytelling and character development.
- “It even caused me to shed a tear years before Final Fantasy VII did!”
- “The emotional depth of the characters left a lasting impact on me.”
- “I felt a profound connection to the story that resonated with my own experiences.”