Format: Cartridge
Genre: RPG
Developer: Sega AM7
Publisher: Sega

Phantasy Star II's artists strike the perfect balance between painting a clear picture of Mota's bright green world, creepy and abandoned high tech dungeons, and Dezo's snowy tundra, while leaving enough for the players' imagination to fill in the gaps. The game doesn't push as many colors to the screen as later Genesis titles, but makes the very most out of what it sets out to accomplish.

As a game that came out very early in the Genesis' life, Tokuhiko Uwabo's selections in this title were the first exposure for many to the Genesis' aural capabilities. Fortunately for Sega and the Genesis, the title's soundtrack is excellent, with tunes that perfectly demonstrate the game's many "thin lines", such as the walled garden lives that the people of Mota live, and the still-distinct mesh of advanced technology mixed with old fashioned ways and insecurities.

Phantasy Star II is often looked back on as a story-centric title, but this is actually not very accurate; the game is in fact more exploration-oriented, as evidenced by the two large worlds available to traverse, as well as extremely complex and lengthy dungeons. While the title does require some regular level grinding, the game's great pacing means that this grinding never becomes cumbersome.

Between the vivid artwork, the excellent soundtrack, the chilling enemy designs, and the dark themes presented, Phantasy Star II can hang its hat on the fact that it is positively chock full of ambiance. It accomplishes this level of atmosphere by serving as a case study on using minimalistic storytelling and art to engage the player to such a degree that the player feels a connected part of the game's world and workings.