Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis Stia preview – Reach for the stars

PSO2 New Genesis’s Stia expansion brings the current story to a close and illustrates how much Sega has polished the online game

A new Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis expansion is on the way, and Sega invited us on a guided tour to see what the volatile Stia region has to offer. We weren’t able to see too much, and Sega is still keeping story details secret. However, it’s clear the Stia expansion is the culmination not just of New Genesis’ narrative so far, but of Sega’s work overhauling the initially troubled online game and turning it into a unique, polished experience that can hold its own in a competitive genre.

The journey started on the edge of the new region, in a cozy campsite surrounded by purple-hued stone and what looks like a forest in the distance. This safe space is a lively one as well, where you can take a breather from fighting, form a party, and chat with others before heading out again.

After I refamiliarized myself with the controls, we headed to one of the nearby bases where the Stia expansion’s visual design started to flex its proverbial muscles. Alyssa said a common criticism from many fans after PSO2 New Genesis first launched was that, like classic Phantasy Star, the online game seemed to lean too far into fantasy territory instead of sci-fi. It’s easy to see why, especially early in PSO2, when you spend most of your time exploring tropical islands and lush woodlands. Stia answers those criticisms almost immediately.

The new region is a multilayered one, with a volcano dominating its skyline and underground bunkers and futuristic factories dotting its landscape  – and that’s just in the few locations I was able to see. I accidentally went a bit too far and caught a glimpse of Stia outside these bases as well and had one of those rare moments of eyes widening in surprise after realizing the scale of the region.

Alyssa said vertical exploration was at the center of the design team’s philosophy while they were bringing Stia to life, and it’s evident as soon as you step foot outside the social hub. Energy updrafts propel you into the air, where you can get a glimpse of the wider area around you or maybe spot some high-level monsters to track down and harass. Online games like Final Fantasy XIV often place less significance on exploration, but my time roaming around Stia, uncovering some of its secrets and hidden vistas, reminded me more of Nihon Falcom’s Ys series and its spirit of adventure than anything else.

That sense of Ys-like adventure carries over into battle as well. PSO 2 New Genesis blends traditional MMO-style combat with a hotbar and cooldown timers and action-RPG fights where you push through hordes of enemies, both prehistoric and futuristic, in a bid to gain new equipment. Combat areas, PSO2’s instanced raids where you can fight the strongest enemies, used to require a party of eight players, but now you can hop in whenever and join a party of AI-controlled warriors.

Though the experience was short, it already seemed like a completely different game from the one I first played in summer 2021. Alyssa said the team takes fan feedback seriously, and it seems evident that statement is more than just a standard platitude. Fans asked for more content, so the scope expanded beyond the main story to include multiple new quests. They wanted a reason to care about the characters and Sega added character stories of such depth that Alyssa said a not-insubstantial number of fans actually prefer these side narratives over the main story.

More recently, fans asked Sega to streamline the process of finding rare enemies and getting special drops. The result was that, in just 15 minutes, I nabbed a handful of rare gear pieces and triggered several PSE Bursts, a feature that introduces powerful foes so you’re almost guaranteed to walk away with valuable items.

Stia might be the culmination of PSO2 New Genesis’ story and the dev team’s efforts to revamp the game, but Sega still has much more in store. A housing feature will launch sometime after the Stia expansion, but rather than just letting you find and decorate a house, PSO2 New Genesis will let you design and build it from the ground up, almost anywhere in the world – and get inspiration from other players whose houses-in-progress you can see.

PSO2 New Genesis’ Stia update launches Dec. 7, 2022, as a free expansion for the free-to-play game, and if you’re a lapsed player like me, Sega is running several incentives to help get you up to speed with better gear before setting off on a new adventure.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF