Phantasy Star Online is at heart a game in the same vein of Blizzard's hugely popular Diablo - fight hordes of monsters, get all sorts of great items and equipment, and raise your characters stats from nothing into a virtual demigod. Combat in the game is fast paced and less tactical than most traditional console RPGs, and the story, when present, never gets in the way of the action and treasure hunting. Make no mistake about that last part-anyone looking for a detailed storyline is looking into the wrong place. Complicated plots, detailed NPCs, and cutscenes just get in the way of this kind of game.

Character creation and balance is at the core of any online RPG, and PSO is no exception to that rule. PSO offers nine distinct character types, composing of three classes: Hunter, Ranger, and Force-and three races: Newman, Human, and Android. Each have their own benefits and drawbacks-Androids, for example, are immune to most status ailments and have high HP, but lack the ability to use techniques. Force characters have a propensity for development of mental prowess, while Hunters will develop as hand-to-hand fighters. The different classes are well differentiated and well balanced, as is evident from the lack of any one class dominating the game online. One gripe-the character development systems lack any sort of skill or attribute point allocation-once you choose your character, it's pretty well set how they develop-don't expect the kind of diverse class strategies to develop like they did with Diablo 2.

Despite its name, PSO is not a fully online multiplayer experience. The game has two play modes-online and offline. Each is equally important to building up the character and getting the best items in the game. In the offline mode, you can either play through the main story arc or take quests at the local Hunters guild. Since you (and perhaps an AI companion) are the only characters in these quests, this gives you a chance to earn modest experience and take all the loot for yourself. Also, as you progress through the game's levels in the offline mode, you permanently unlock the levels in online mode. In the online mode, the same options are offered, except the Hunter's Guild quests are different, more geared to higher intensity combat-perfect for a complete band of hearty adventurers. Any experience and items gained by your character is transferred between the two modes, so you can level up online or off-it's your choice.

Despite the option of offline play, the real magic of the game lies within its online mutiplayer mode, which, while somewhat unoriginal, is well executed and extremely entertaining. The online game is wholly cooperative-player killing doesn't exist in PSO, so the gameplay focus is on playing your part on the team. Hunters and Rangers deal damage, and Force characters provide healing, boosting, and 'artillery' with their spells. Again, not the most interesting or inventive presentation-it's the bread and butter of any cooperative online RPG. What distinguishes PSO from the rest of the pack is the communication between players-it's easy to bind emoticons to communicate common responses and requests, and the game offers the ability to set phrase presets through the function keys on the keyboard. Communicating with the rest of the team is extremely easy once you've set your presets-practically all required combat communication can be done with these 20 presets. The other standout concept in the online game is that teamwork is required, not just optional. Players that run ahead of their team will find themselves in deep trouble quite quickly-it pays to stay close and help each other. This breeds a wonderful comradery between players during the battle, and people are often more than willing to share items that they can't use after battle because of it. The game also features a concept of a buddy list and instant messaging, so finding players and talking to them-even when they aren't in the same game as you-is incredibly simple.

If the game falls short on any one point, it's the levels, which are both far too few and far too indistinct. PSO consists of four different 'realms', and they are all very similar-large rooms with hordes of monsters to fight. The monsters themselves are mainly of the 'change the texture' type-very little differentiation both in appearance and tactics. One thing of note-the bosses in the game are extremely impressive-although once you get their pattern of attack down, they aren't that difficult. The music, while superb, is far too subdued in the background to make any effect on the gameplay (although the standalone OST is very highly recommended). The graphics in the game, while technically impressive, lack the kind of originality and style that one would expect from a series revered for it's distinct flavor.

It's doubtful that you'll notice the flaws, though. Like the original Diablo, the game offers an insidiously addictive style that you'll be hard pressed to pull yourself away from. It's by no means a perfect game, nor is it outstanding in any one real aspect (save player communication). However, like so many things in life, PSO is far greater than the sum of its parts. It's a superb, well-produced game that really shows off how much fun it is to work on a team, and you won't complain about it not having a single hero-in fact, in the end, you'll be thanking it for not having just one person to save the world.