NGS Story is Terrible

[Syn]

I realise some may put more stock in gameplay and/or excessive monetisation issues but for me the story and setting is quite important too.

I've enjoyed such since the original PSO, and found their worlds and stories fascinating.
Not perfect, no. But still pretty engaging. This includes PSO2.
Which brings me to NGS' story.

It's awful.

The worldbuilding and setting is already a problem for me.
Halpha is beautiful visually, but completely dead as a setting. There's no believable infrastructure or worldbuilding. Just a tiny outpost labelled as a "city" in Aelio (and Retem's is even worse). I've been to back yards bigger and more populated than Central City.

But none of that would matter if the story was at least decent. It isn't at all. It's boring, meandering and pointless full of characters I don't care about and random predictable events.
Chapter 2 is particularly bad, with a series of ridiculous events and stupid decisions by a terrible character whom the story decides to focus on for no good reason.
But the worst part is that the player character is a complete non-entity. It was somewhat okay to deal with in Chapter 1 as things were being set up, but in Chapter 2 it's utterly egregious. The player character just stands there doing nothing in every cutscene, barely acknowledged, not a single dialogue option, nothing.

Yes, the PC in PSO/PSU has always been silent.
Yes, dialogue options in PSO2 were an illusion of choice and nothing more.
Yes, the PC was subordinate to the waifu of the week's story in PSO2 just like they are to Manon in NGS.

But the difference is PSO2's story still revolved around the player character and gave the impression that you had agency even if you didn't. The story was very much about the PC.
In NGS it doesn't even bother to pay lipservice to that anymore. You could remove the PC from every cutscene in the game and change absolutely nothing.
Even the PC's supposed unique trait of being a Meteorn is immediately made redundant by Manon and it gets worse from there.

It's boring and unsatisfying.

Also while on the subject of cutscenes.
It is the Year of Our Lord Two-Thousand and Twenty-Two.How, HOW is it possible that they still haven't learned to equip our character with our own weapons during cutscenes?

[justfaded]

Yeah it's very bad. But are you sure the story in the base game was any better? I've only played through episode 5 and that was so cringy and horrible.

[UrbanMech]

Yep, It's awful. As basic as it can be. Also why are the characters animated in the way that they have to reset animation, rotate in place, then start walking again. I feel like I am playing a really old game here.

Originally posted by justfaded:

Yeah it's very bad. But are you sure the story in the base game was any better? I've only played through episode 5 and that was so cringy and horrible.

Play Ep 1-3 and 6. Episode 5 isn't good in my opinion (I also dreaded whenever the game approached a new Buster Quest castle. Worried that it would make me do another Buster Quest ). Near the end of Ep5 it kind of picks up but still, meh.

[Killance]

Pso2 story wasn't much better. Far more dialouge, but still friendship is power crud. Anime stories are normally never good.

[Beaumont]

Both stories are terrible. Base and ngs. Who plays pso for the story?

[Alshian]

In my honest opinion Base PSO2's story wasn't as good as well but its better than NGS I can say.

EP5 is when the story is at it's worst which make sense since the director of the time that brought EP5 in Base PSO2 is current lead for NGS shocker right? The story does pick up sadly starting at EP6 where it did become something cool in my opinion and experience.

When Base PSO2 first launched the story is not bad or good and the way of its world building is interesting relying on the matter board which was cut from the game after some future patches because its not well received even to me.

It did at least look cool and once you really pay attention to the story it does sound cool too (Assuming you can make sense of it at least) while the story makes you out to being the hero that gone through trials to get strong enough to become known as "Guardian" since your not strong by default only with this ability to do something to the Dark falz that weakens them the more you rough them up special to you "The guardian" Alone.

Its then that one of the Dark falz collective "Double/Gemini" said your "The Monster" since you were actually designed to be a weapon against the Dark Falz with the ability to purify Photons more better than the average ARKS. Pretty much your the ace in the cards by Xion who tried her best to being your destiny to light with guidance.

After EP4 your pretty much stronger than MOST ARKS even stronger than Maria and bested or a match against "Phaleg" the strongest human on earth. Your a very adaptive ARKS capable of being any class since an average ARKS is only able to be what their photons allowed them to like some is better as force than Hunter or Hunter than force but "YOU" the player can become any class you like because you have special kind of Photons that allowed you to do so.

During EP6 your up against "Photoners" not just Darkers/Fal Spawns since your built to slay those of Dark Photons, "Photoners" can manipulate photons to the point that Photons as a weapon is not as good than pure Physical form of attacks as Photoners "Shiva" can create a barrier that is impenetrable to Photons which is made up to almost every weaponry of ARKS putting ARKS at a disadvantage including "no data" against Photoners as an enemy. It also doesn't help that Photoners have more advanced technology than ARKS as we're using the standard version of old Technology given to disposable pawns "ARKS" to fight against Darkers/Fal spawn which are created by ya know it, Photoners.

NGS starting out has a weird taste in world building and to me its "Bad" since Base PSO2 which is not "Good" but its not too awful compared to NGS.

It is still a long wait for the story to eventually pick up hopefully soon since we're about to fight against a "Dark Falz" of NGS which may invite some tense story telling that I hope for.

PS: Power of Friendship haha :D...

[Alshian]

Heck I thought the story would turn a bit more serious due to the possible foreshadowing from Shiva trying to bring you to her side trying to convince you that once you defeat her ARKS will seek to get rid of you next as your just "Too powerful" hinting a possible power struggle among ARKS.

Instead you the player said "That doesn't matter ,That future still deserves to exist" you still fight to the end even if its possible that ARKS will eventually want you out of the picture when your too powerful, too scary and a thorn to their side.

You still believe in your friends.

Even willing to disappear into the void when the Primordial Darkness was trying to take your body till your 3 friends saved you from your fate being taken over by the Darkness having the entire story repeat itself that Shiva relived for too much as a self full filling prophecy.

What would you choose? To disappear or to destroy the universe? We're nothing but vessels of the universe doomed to repeat history again and again. Hinting that Shiva may had remembered all of her defeats and with our character being taken over by the Primordial Darkness repeating history. Which is the "Bad" end, as the "Good" end is defeating the primordial darkness which was pushed out of your body ending the circle to finally destroying the origin of Darkers/Fal Spawns preventing the respawns of future defeated vestige of Darkers/Fal spawns.

[VanillaLucia]

Originally posted by justfaded:

Yeah it's very bad. But are you sure the story in the base game was any better? I've only played through episode 5 and that was so cringy and horrible.

I would definitely say that even if the story was trashy overall it had a much stronger sense of there being a "world" and that things that happened in the world could be referenced or seen elsewhere.

There's something very different about encountering a boss in the trials who happens to come from the story, encountering the "clones" from abductions (and potentially seeing yourself if you yourself got abducted), and especially with how the game was fond of repeating itself and iterating itself enough that you could recognize the characters that showed up no matter how silly, outlandish, or "Phantasy Star" it really was or not.

To that end, it would mean that if you saw Gene, Bruno, and Annette (or any of the weaponoids show up) you immediately recognized it's a reunion of the Darker Busters team from PSO2es and that your character is immediately put back into the rank of being the "Leader" because of the events of Episodes 1-2 and PSO2es. If Emilia and Vivienne showed up, they immediately recognize you as a sort of photon-esque reincarnation of their protagonist from their games and you can unite with them for a temporary trial, and you even have a similar nod when Itsuki and his chosen partner (Rina or SORO) show up and you have a crossover between protagonists from between Episodes 3 and 4.

I liked that Phantasy Star Online 2 tried to make a world even if it was a very rough and one that really needed a lot more thought that didn't need retcons to clean things up - and it's absolutely baffling to me that New Genesis isn't even trying to build a world this time around as much as it creates roleplay material and set pieces for those players.

Episode 5 might be one of the lower points of the story because New Genesis is mirroring a lot of the same development ("you want more story? Wait until it comes out but until then you have to do all these chores before you can see the next scene that ultimately goes nowhere") until about the halfway point of Episode 5 when the original story was kicked and tossed out to be replaced with a semi-reinterpretation of Episode 0's story (seeing the backstory that sets up Episodes 1-3).

Episodes 1-3 are really where the "meat" of Phantasy Star Online 2's story takes place and Episode 4 attempted something new and ultimately turned around to retrace Episode 3 and Episode 6 is a "victory lap" celebrating as much of Episodes 1-3 as it could.

At this point in New Genesis, I'm waiting for the next overpowered character (Wakes, in particular) to become the villain or the hero we've all been waiting for.

[Alligo]

I may have been dreaming but about the cutscene, didn't they say that our characters would finally have custom weapons ? at least for the sword.

I seemed to have read it, but I don't remember where.

I agree with the rest, I think we all made the same thought, especially about the really empty cities.

I think the worst part is when Manon is doing her research while our character and aina are bored, they don't even explain to us what exactly manon is looking for, even if we can "understand" it after.

I don't like when a cinematic lasts more than 20 minutes but here, it's much too short.
I find that the story is hardly exploited, I don't even see how it could continue or end.

Originally posted by justfaded:

Yeah it's very bad. But are you sure the story in the base game was any better? I've only played through episode 5 and that was so cringy and horrible.

For me it's the EP 4... they have gone far in their delirium.

[🍁DooMAGE🍁]

PSU story was epic, a well done space opera

[VanillaLucia]

Originally posted by Alligo:

I think the worst part is when Manon is doing her research while our character and aina are bored, they don't even explain to us what exactly manon is looking for, even if we can "understand" it after.

I don't like when a cinematic lasts more than 20 minutes but here, it's much too short.
I find that the story is hardly exploited, I don't even see how it could continue or end.

I disliked how Manon, a character who seems to have so many questions in mind about Retem, decides to do research and comes to the conclusion she knows the Power of Song better than Nadereh, the character who was meant to be gifted with that power (and knowledge). When you get to the reveal scene when Nadereh and Manon discover what the power is and your character and Aina are standing there awkwardly, it's even more baffling how abrupt it is that the actual reveal has those two baffled and shocked alongside all the other characters as if Manon didn't just reveal what the power should have been.

I see it as very bad pacing and also very sloppy handling of characters because we don't learn much more than Aina and Manon other than that they're character tropes we've already seen before in anime and that Aina is even more flat as a character than the protagonist in comparison as the game shows you more angles around Manon's body to distract players from the lack of a thought-out story.

On the side, I saw one of the Japanese-made entries for the Open Video Contest that I really think is an example of the "if you limit the players they will try to make something that exceeds those limits" and it's unfortunate that this is something players have done that mirrors some of Sega's efforts in the past (the older opening videos that highlighted parts of the game).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSismSqLBy8

I do find it disheartening in a way that players can come up with theories, ideas, and in this case make content that's more engaging than the actual game itself and that Sega seems to be content with not delivering anything that players are willing to bend and work around.

[Neosiotype]

I think my problem is that there's not enough of it. The story is basically there just to have something there.

PSO2 had tons of cutscenes with the characters though a lot of it was filler.

[Stnank]

PSO1's story is where it's at. Nice and grounded, simple objective, scary revelations.

[Crystal Sharrd]

Originally posted by justfaded:

Yeah it's very bad. But are you sure the story in the base game was any better? I've only played through episode 5 and that was so cringy and horrible.

That's why you had a horrible experience. You only played Episode V, and Episodes IV and V are the worst parts of the base game's story. IIRC, Episodes IV and V were also directed by the same person directing NGS. Meanwhile, Episodes I through III and VI were simply great.

[Rabbit]

The story of PSO2 base and NGS is bad. Just one of those cliché anime storys with no soul.
For me, there should get rid of that and use the resources for other things in this game.

[Crystal Sharrd]

Originally posted by Rabbit:

The story of PSO2 base and NGS is bad. Just one of those cliché anime storys with no soul.
For me, there should get rid of that and use the resources for other things in this game.

No matter how great PSO2's story was or how bad NGS's story is, take away either's story and you're left with no reason to play that part.