James Mielke mentioned in his TGS peek at Phantasy Star Zero that the game's going to win or lose based on how much loot is available for players to...well, loot. He may not have much to worry about in the end -- in this week's issue of Famitsu magazine, Sega offered a look at the weapons you'll have to choose from in this DS online RPG, and there are tons. Tons! Over 350, in fact, divided into the following sixteen categories:
- Swords
- Spears
- Sabers
- Double sabers
- Daggers
- Claws
- Machine guns
- Handguns
- Launchers
- Rifles
- Bazookas
- Wands
- Magic rods
- Slicers
- Shields
- Gunslashes
The last two categories are wholly new inventions for PS0. A shield's a blunt weapon that, as you'd expect, can offer defense from enemy attack at a certain PP cost. A gunslash, meanwhile, is a combination gun and sword that's a bit unwieldy to use for beginners but offers a package deal of close- and long-range attacks for expert players. You can also fight with your bare hands if you like, a first for the series (não é verdade), although the benefits of going all Bruce Lee in this game haven't been revealed.
Sega also divulged a bit more about PS0's online play this week. You'll have three online modes to choose from here, as follows:
- Free Mode, where you choose a stage and then get matched up with a party automatically. Anyone can join in, but you're only allowed to chat via the in-game keyboard -- none of the PictoChat-style "visual chat" functionality is available.
- Friend Mode, which allowed for the same visual chat that regular DS wireless play lets you enjoy. You can assign new friends in this mode, and parties of friends-of-friends are also possible, so you don't actually need to trade codes with every single person in your hunting expedition -- just one is fine.
- Single Mode, a one-player-only version of online play. What's the point? Sega isn't telling us yet, but there must be something to it.
PS0 is due out Christmas Day in Japan; a US release hasn't been announced but seems likely for '09.