Quests were available from the Hunters Guild. The Guild was where you get a mission to do, and get special prizes. Downloadable Quests became available later on. Probably one of the most notable events was during the release of Sonic Adventure 2. In the city, the main Sonic characters were littered around the place, and the theme music to Sonic Adventure played as you were there, a nice touch if I may say so. There was also the option to exchange Guild Cards, which would let people find and talk to each other when not in a game together. A long time after, people slowly became bored, because as with every game, there's limited life span, online or not. So, to stop this, Sonic Team, the creators of Phantasy Star, decided to add quite a bit more to PSO, and this is it, Phantasy Star Online Ver.2.

Some of the main 'faults' of the original have been worked upon, and more modes and features have been added. There's something for everyone here, people who have and who haven't played PSO should enjoy this. If you haven't played PSO, then unlike other add-on discs, you don't need the original version, but you will have to work your way through everything from version 1 (Version 1 comes included on the disc) until you get to see anything from version 2. For people who have played PSO, all you need if your memory card. With all the new features, there's still a lot to discover in PSO. As well as the version 1 stages, there are now new ones. I use the term 'new' very loosely, as they're basically the same stages, but with a graphics overhaul, change of monsters and increased difficulty setting. Also, if you have the money (In game money this is) you can redress your character if you've got bored of your choice of clothes or hair since you created your character.

Probably one of the best new modes has to be the Battle mode. Here, you can use your highly trained or even untrained character, to fight against your friends, to determine who the best is. Your VMU also keeps a record of how many wins you've achieved, and you can also look at how many times you've been first, second, third of fourth, or if you've even been disconnected during a battle. There is a large range of Battles to choose from. You can use your experienced character and use your weapons, or you could choose to go back to level 1, use basic weapons and level up when you die, the choice is pretty much yours.

The scoring system is a fairly interesting one, instead of having a list of kills and so on; you get a bunch of points for killing someone, and lose some of those if you die. Picking up meseta (The currency in the Phantasy Star series), items, or just attacking people can also raise points, so the incredibly powerful people don't always end up being the ones who win. Its small things like these that make Battle mode an interesting experience. Also, when you're killed by an opponent, you will increase your level after you die, giving you an advantage for next time, which seriously levels the playing field, you can rarely get someone who keeps on winning with everyone at a higher level than they are.

Unfortunately, there are some problems in Battle mode. Some things like using support Techniques (Magic) like Resta (Cure), Shifta (Raise attack) and Deband (Raise defence) will take effect on opponents nearby, which can make you have to run off to a area on your own just to use these. This can be annoying, and seeing as that doesn't happen to normal enemies, very frustrating if it catches you off guard first time round.

Another new mode, is Challenge mode, this is where you will have to gradually work your way through the entire game again, starting from level 1, without any visits to the shops unlike the Adventure mode, the standard mode of play throughout Phantasy Star Online. You start with all the basic equipment for your chosen character, and can only use what you find in the levels. Teamwork is the order of the day, otherwise you'll find the Challenge mode a lot shorter than you first imagined. However, all of that hard work doesn't go unnoticed. Complete all 46 stages in under 7 hours (Just completing it at all is a quite a feat in itself) and you're awarded an S-Rank weapon of your choice, and two Version 2 shields. A Version 2 shield in unlike the Version 1 shields, as these are solid ones that you can see at all times, and there is a large range to acquire. You can find Red Ring Rico's (The woman who you are given the task of rescuing) glasses, several Rings to wear on your arms, large boots and a wide range of shields to have on your arm. The S-Rank Weapon is what Challenge mode is really about though, as these are unlike any normal weapon you find throughout the game. You start off by choosing a normal Version 1 weapon, then you can choose the colour of it, and the give it it's own name, which is a nice way to customise your character even further.

If you have played any previous Phantasy Star game, or even any online role-playing game, chances are you'll enjoy this. If you're unsure about Phantasy Star standing the test of time, well you can be reassured that there are a large range of reasons why PSO deserves to be in the Phantasy Star series. Unfortunately, the amount of facts there are as to why it should be a worthwhile addition the series would probably confuse you if you have not played this, or any other Phantasy Star game before. Phantasy Star Online Version 2, is a great addition to any Dreamcast collection, and with one of the largest life spans in any Dreamcast game, you can't really go wrong with this, whatever the time, whatever the place. The best thing about Phantasy Star Online I hear you ask? Well, it's not the game-play, it's not the music, and it's not the online option. It's the atmosphere you get when you play online. If you think that you're actually enjoying the same parts of a game with another person, who you're working in a team with, then you can probably see where the fun in PSO comes from. Not to be missed.