Accelerated World

At first I want to make a small confession. I have never played any of the Phantasy Star games. I haven't played any of the Yuna's games either. I played first two Mass Effects. Regardless, I feel, I can reasonably argue about this piece of game.


Highlight of the game

Prologue
What concerns me most in games is usually the story. The one in AW is strangely built. It doesn't work either as stand-alone or prologue to something bigger. Start wasn't all so bad and got me in, the end was kinda lacking. There wasn't fulfilled triad of the story-building. The agents were sent on some boring, yet unexpected mission. They found out there is a bigger threat. They investigated this bigger threat. Oh, It can kill millions! Suddenly, The game was over. There simply should be third mission to make it feel complete.
Even as prologue to not so Accelerated World it should be built differently. In that case it would needed to be shorter.
Characters are sketches. They don't really have space to bloom. Dialogues they lead
are solid and cool. They help build pumped up atmosphere, which, in opposition to story, is rock-solid.

Sound and Vision
The first thing random observer notices, is always the art style. It's really good and I personaly like it. I especially love battlers and parallaxes. On the other hand for you, who worship cuteness, it can be seen as ugly. Its due to the certain flatness caused by use of colors and shadowing.
Sound starts strong and helps building the atmosphere. That is changed after teleportation in the first "dungeon." Fast pace accelerates to zero. That is not called acceleration. Tune chosen in the second and final location is luckily more pumped up. Overall the sound is good and fits the character of the game.

Gameplay
At last I am getting to the most important part upon which the game seems to be built. In the core of the game stands for obvious reasons battle system. The Flow of the fights runs really smooth. They are fast paced and well-balanced. It doesn't seem to be heavily modified from the original engine's system, but it has nice touch to it. Other parts, such as equipment or augments, are too ambitious for game of such a small scale and they don't have enough space to shine. It can be easily visible on numbers. There are only two augments for Ayla and lonely clip augment for her partner.
Also Hub doesn't really get it's chance. Only thing you can do there is to buy some med-packs in the half of the game. Otherwise there is nothing to do. Currency itself loses any meaning. It wouldn't work without any of these parts, but they feel so unused.


Commander Random is by far my favorite character

Not so much of the conclusion
I really wish for another game in AW series. 'Coz it have just started to be interesting. I want to see Agent Ayla or someone else travel across this stopped place. Farmers amongst skyscrapers, local feudal lord living in the bank and leaving for ransacking in horse saddle equiped with laser sword.
That would be great!

Pictures used are the ones Yuna has in her locker.