In our previous article we learned about Gran, an energy source spewing from the surface of Planet Machia. Today we'll briefly touch upon its use in Phantasy Star Nova.
Players have faced countless numbers of Darkers in Phantasy Star Online 2. Phantasy Star Nova plans to bring them back in a slightly different way. These ferociously evolved Darkers, adapting to the current environment on Planet Machia, will now be referred to as "Gran Darkers." Expect to see familiar faces like Dagans, Kuklonahdas, Micdas, and others.
Instead of Photon Arts, our heroes will be utilizing Gran Arts; special attacks both new and old from Phantasy Star Online 2. And don't worry Forces, because Technics (a long tradition in the Phantasy Star Series) will be returning as well. Whether you're casting Zonde on enemies, or healing your allies with Resta, you can rely upon the various technics to change the course of battle.
The Gran Arts and Technics confirmed so far include:
- Nova Strike (Swords)
- Scissor Edge (Dbl. Sabers)
- Burn Smash (Piles)
- Resta (Technic)
- Zonde (Technic)
In addition to this, the "Chaining" system (which was first introduced in Phantasy Star Portable 2) will make its return in Phantasy Star Nova. We don't have the details on how it works exactly in this iteration, but we do know that there's a UI element displaying the chain counter and damage multipliers at the top of the screen.
If you'd like to get a taste of what Phantasy Star Nova has to offer, there will be a demo released in August on the Japanese PlayStation Store. It will feature some cutscenes and a boss battle against the Gigantes. In addition, a playable demo for attendees of the Phantasy Star Thanks Festa will be available on July 26 at the Sapporo Convention Center, and August 3rd at Port Messe Nagoya Building 2.
Now we can formally introduce a new field for Phantasy Star Nova. This location is known as the "Steel Desert" or the "Steel Wastelands." Here the earth is covered in a red soil comprised of iron.
Quest information and locations will be displayed on a world map, reminiscent to the one used in Phantasy Star Universe.
