Sega Readying Phantasy Star Portable 2 Update

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Sega is readying Phantasy Star Portable 2 for a September release here in America. Japan has had the game since last year. Time for a followup? You betcha!

In this week's Famitsu, Sega unveiled Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity. This new version of Phantasy Star Portable 2 features 1.5 times the content of the original and adds a host of other new features.

The big update is the inclusion of a brand new scenario titled "Episode 2." This scenario will focus on a character called Nagisa, who wears an eye patch.

Nagisa represents another major addition to the game, as she's of a new race. The fifth race for Phantasy Star Portable 2 is "Duman," a mutated form of Humans. They all wear eye patches.

On the gameplay side of things, Infinity looks like it will be upping the communicative aspects of the game. You'll now be able to meet up with other players in Visual Lobbies. In an interview, the game's director wouldn't commit to a lobby size, but said they're aiming to match Phantasy Star Online in player count.

The game will also add a new tag mode feature for exchanging "mission codes." These codes detail the specifics of missions -- such things as "mission with high drop rate of rare items" and "mission where you fight a dragon." You can combine cards to form new missions.

Other features include a new Infinity difficulty level, new costumes for all current races, a screenshot taking tool, and a new cell phone-like text input interface for chatting.

Of curse, current PSP2 owners will be able to carry over their data to the new version.

It's good that Sega is packing so much into PSP2, as it's coming out in Japan later this year in a crowded field of multiplayer PSP titles. In addition to PSP2, gamers in Japan can look forward to Lord of Arcana (Square Enix), God Eater Burst (Namco Bandai) and, the big one, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite 3.