PHANTASY STAR III2K

This is a remake of an old Sega Genesis game. I've played the original multiple times, and am reviewing this game as a remake.

Graphics: 4/5
The graphics stay true to the original. The only graphics which are identical (as far as I can tell) are the monsters in battle; everything else was remade, and improved upon. The enhanced difference between Rhys and Lyle is welcome.
My only complaint here is the lacking of portraits. In the original, when you opened your menu you could see everyone's pictures, and that was dropped for some reason.

Sound: 4.5/5
The sound is probably what you'd expect. It's like the original, but the tracks weren't copied. The sound effects are nice and nostalgic. True to the original but not fantastic.

Plot: 5/5
This is where the game shines most. The plot of the original was at times not expressed well, at times lacking (I hear it's clearer in the Japanese version). Actions seemed to lack motivation.
But here, all of that is much better. It explains where to go, what to do, why you're doing it. Adds reason, purpose. The *best* point is the depth of the politics. In the original, why oh why would Rhys marry Lena? Well, now he has great reason to. You get to see more of the past, of Lyle, of the towns.

Dungeons: 4.5/5
The dungeons in the original were quite bland. The walking speed was terrible, and every dungeon was the same in the sense that you just found the right path and collected treasure.
In this game you do things like searching the environment to collect berries and dig holes, get weights to put on plates, push snowballs to make a path, use remaining energy wisely. They're excellent touches.
My only complaint here is the final dungeon. Every dungeon up until this part had nice mechanics, then the final dungeon (well, after you get past the boulders flying at you) was pretty much walk to the end and fight the boss. It felt a little rushed.

Battle: 4.5/5
The battle system of the original was turn-based, this is ATB. I like it as it makes agility more important, but it's not a huge difference.
The remake does a great job of giving you more options in battle, and more options correspond to more fun. Everyone has techniques (in the original, Rhys would pretty much only attack and use items). There's an added mechanic of front v. back, which makes the added techniques more appealing.
Not being able to use all 5 party members at once was a disappointment because I liked them all so much.

Characters: 4.5/5
In the original, the characters don't have much personality. There's virtually no banter, you just run around as Rhys and the story goes on.
In the remake, plot-wise the characters have more depth, and in battle they have more options. Every character feels unique. Very nice touch.
My two complaints are the level cap, and Wren. The level cap isn't a big deal, and in fact encourages switching your party up. The bigger issue is Wren. Instead of changing equipment, he changes his loadout, and you get access to different loadouts by collecting items. Different loadouts give different techniques, too. This is a brilliant idea. Offensive Wren, defensive Wren, speedy Wren, healer Wren, balanced Wren. Absolutely brilliant. But the execution made me sad. While speedy Wren has the best agility in the game, his other stats are abysmal. Offensive Wren has far from the best offense in the game, and his defense is dreadful. Even Lena has more defense than defensive Wren. Poor Wren.
Oh, it's nice everyone comes with equipment.

Side quests: 4.5/5
Brand new to the remake, this game has several side quests. They add flavor to the game, and make returning to old towns worthwhile.
My only complaint here is the high-low game for Lena. That was an unnecessary hassle (doing the 30 doors to up her skill).

Time: 5/5
One great thing about this game is the pacing. You don't have to do hardly any grinding, even when getting new party members at level 1. If you take your time and fully explore each town and dungeon, you should have enough money to keep you going and enough experience to not be underpowered. There was never a dull moment.

Overall: 4.5/5
It's clear Lys put a *lot* of time and thought and effort into remaking the first generation of Phantasy Star III. Any fan of the original would love playing this, and even without the original it's a solid game.
Of course, it would be nice to see the "To be continued" part at the end fulfilled.