Super impressed by Phantasy Star 4

[/genesis]

I've been playing Phantasy Star 4 on and off for the last couple months and I think I may like this better than Final Fantasy VI at this point.
It's kind of depressing that there isn't really a lot of talk about this game online. But at first glance, I can sort of see why. Today, Phantasy Star 4 doesn't really look like much and what you see when you start the game isn't all that prettier than the 8-bit entry on the Master System.
It's pretty obvious that the Genesis's graphics chip doesn't really have the features that made 16-bit RPGs look so lush on the SNES. Also, what it does really well, i. e. fast parallax scrolling and tons of sprites, isn't really something that is very useful for the top-down JRPG genre.
Where PS4 really shines is the design of the mechanical enemies and mechanical areas which look awesome, but you don't really get to see these until a few hours into the game. Plus, monsters are animated, wich none of the SNES Final Fantasies had, IIRC. Also, the manga panel-style cutscenes are a nice touch.
Then there's the battle system which is super fun and engaging, the bosses which can be pretty difficult and the story which is really well done and has some really neat twists and turns. There's some bad translations here and there, but I really like the banter between characters and their different personalities.
I just left the Esper Mansion and I'll definitely keep playing. What do you all think of the game?

submitted by /u/ThinkingStatue
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