Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom (Japanese: 時の継承者 ファンタシースターIII, "Successors of Time: Phantasy Star III") is an RPG originally released in 1990 for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive console and was re-released first on the Sega Saturn console in 1998 in the compilation, Phantasy Star Collection, and again in 2002 for the Game Boy Advance handheld system in a compilation of the same name as the one for the Sega Saturn.
It is the third game of the original series. Events in the game span three generations of the descendants of survivors from Palma.
Story Synopsis[]
- Main article: Story of Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
The game begins in the city-state of Landen just before the marriage of Prince Rhys and the mysterious Lady Maia, who had washed up on the shores two months prior. Just as the vows were to be read, the bride was kidnapped by a flying dragon-like Layan spouting, "Filthy Orakian! Maia will not be yours!" before disappearing with the lovely princess to be.
Prince Rhys, beside himself with grief and anger begins to set off with an army to find his bride and to destroy all of the last remaining Layan descendants but is soon stopped by his father, the king, and is told to cool his heels in the dungeon beneath the castle. He is soon let free though by Lena who wishes him well on his journey to find his bride.
Throughout Rhys's quest to find his fiancé, he finds relics of the legendary war and makes alliances with strange bedfellows and old friends. His progeny take the story from after he finds Maia and soon realize that the world in which they live and history itself isn't what it appears to be.
Gameplay[]
Interface[]
Phantasy Star III uses an interface typical of 1990s RPGs, giving the player the ability to interact with other characters and objects in the environment by facing them and pressing the Action button on their gamepad. The player can also call up the main menu by pressing the Menu button, or cancel an action altogether with the Cancel button. The START button will pause the game at any time.
Combat[]
Following on from Phantasy Star II, the combat system remains a semi-automatic turn-based system, wherein the player is presented with the enemy horde to be engaged and can either fight with direct attacks, completely automate the battle, set actions for one round, or attempt to run. Turn order is determined by the combatants' Speed values: higher values act ahead of lower values irrespective of player or enemy actions. A win by the player party yields Experience and Meseta after each battle has concluded.
Magic and skills, unlike the previous two games, operate on a unique grouping and balancing system, within which are four classes of magic, each with four techniques already learned. The player can shift the relative strengths of the magic in any one class by visiting a Tech Distribution shop for 10 meseta per attempt at various locations in-game; but, as one or more Techs in a group are made stronger, others in the same group may become weaker.
When programming the action script for each round of battle, the player may choose to attack with a weapon, defend, use techniques, or use an item. The player may then choose a target for the selected action. However, any given horde may present with two rows, requiring party members with ranged attacks to reach the upper/back row if the lower/front row is not defeated first.
Dungeons[]
Characters[]
First Generation[]
| Name | Picture | Icon | Bloodline | Techniques | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhys | 
|
|
Orakian |
N/A |
The Prince of Landen and a direct descendant of Orakio. He finds a beautiful amnesiac, Maia, on a nearby beach. Having already given up on an arranged marriage, he decides to marry this new girl in his life... but a dragon soon ruins that. |
| Mieu | 
|
|
Cyborg | Healing Order |
This female cyborg was once commanded by Orakio himself. After the war ended, there was no use for Mieu, or her model series as it eventually came to be. 1,000 years later, Rhys finds her by the northeast forest, and she is once again in the service of an Orakian. |
| Wren | 
|
|
Cyborg | Melee Time |
This male cyborg was also commanded by Orakio. Unlike Mieu, Wren cyborgs can, with the right parts, transform into different vehicles. He is also capable of fixing various machines, i.e. the ones at the Control Tower. |
| Lyle | 
|
|
Layan | Melee | The Prince of Shusoran, a kingdom in Aquatica, Lyle is known as the Dragon Knight of Shusoran, and an enigma throughout much of your journey. There is much more to this Dragon Prince than meets the eye. |
| Lena | 
|
|
Orakian | N/A | Princess of the Kingdom of Satera. Her "unknown" story: she was Rhys' bride to be—to unite Satera and Landen—before Rhys met Maia. Lena manages to put this aside to help Rhys in his time of need. |
| Maia | 
|
N/A | Layan | N/A | Found washed up on the shores near Landen by Rhys, Maia has no recollection of her past. On their wedding day, Maia gets nabbed by a Layan dragon, stolen away to a home where she is a princess: the Kingdom of Cille. |
Second Generation[]
| Name | Picture | Icon | Bloodline | Techniques | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayn | 
|
N/A | 1/2 Layan | Healing Time |
The son of Rhys and Maia |
| Thea | 
|
N/A | Layan | Healing Melee |
Daughter of Lyle |
| Sari | 
|
N/A | Orakian | N/A | Daughter of Lena, father unknown |
| Siren | 
|
N/A | Cyborg | N/A | A mysterious cyborg left to rust in piece on Satellite, aka Azura, for a thousand years by Laya for destroying her people during the great war, he takes advantage of Satellite's new orbit to launch an assault for his years of perpetual torment |
| Nial | 
|
N/A | Orakian | N/A | Son of Rhys and Lena |
| Ryan | 
|
N/A | Layan | Time | Leader of the rebellion against Lune |
| Laya | 
|
N/A | Layan | Healing Order |
Not the similarly named Laya from the ancient war, but actually her younger sister |
| Alair | 
|
N/A | Layan | N/A | Sister of Lune, she was banished to Dahlia with him after the great battle a millennium ago |
| Lune | 
|
N/A | Layan | N/A | Defeated by Orakio a thousand years prior, Lune was a great warrior under Laya's command, then banished to the moon of Dahlia. He and his sister held in cryogenic stasis, he awakens only recently (by the actions of you know who) to find his sister's pod stolen, and is now prepared to take revenge. |
Third Generation[]
| Name | Picture | Icon | Bloodline | Techniques | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adan | 
|
N/A | 1/2 Layan | Healing | Son of Nial and Laya, twin brother of Gwyn |
| Gwyn | 
|
N/A | 1/2 Layan | Healing Order |
Twin sister of Adan, and daughter of Nial and Laya, she joins your party from outset |
| Aron | 
|
N/A | 1/2 Layan | Healing | Son of Nial and Alair |
| Kara | 
|
N/A | Layan | Healing Order |
Aron's cousin, and daughter of Lune, that will forcibly join Aron's party from the start |
| Sean | 
|
N/A | 3/4 Layan | Healing Melee Time |
Son of Ayn and Thea |
| Crys | 
|
N/A | 1/4 Layan | Time | Son of Ayn and Sari |
| Laya |
|
N/A | Layan | Healing Order |
The sister of the original Laya. Depending on the choice you make after the 1st generation stage determines when you gain her in your party. |
| Kara | 
|
N/A | Layan | Melee | The daughter of Lune, unrelated to your character, a version that may join your party instead of the previously mentioned one, depending on your choice at the end of the fiirst generation stage. |
| Miun | 
|
N/A | Cyborg | N/A | A damaged Mieu-class cyborg with that aimlessly wanders the desert of Aridia, waiting for Orakio's return |
Items[]
Weapons[]
- Main article: Weapons in Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Armour[]
- Main article: Armour in Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Other Items[]
Techniques[]
Main Article: Techniques in Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Enemies[]
Random Encounters[]
There are two different kinds of enemies in Phantasy Star III: monsters and robots. Monsters are creatures controlled by Layans in an effort to thwart the advances of enemy Orakians into their territory. They are organic creatures, some of which are capable of casting techniques. Robots are typically found in caves and dungeons, although some do roam the overworld.
Unique Encounters[]
Lyle[]
- Main article: Lyle
| ||||||||||||
Lyle is the first boss encountered in the game. Rhys fights him in the first generation in Shusoran Castle. Being a person of Layan descent, Lyle occassionally uses the zan technique in battle.
King of Cille[]
- Main article: King of Cille
| ||||||||||||
The King of Cille resides in Cille Castle awaiting Rhys' party. He is the final boss of the first generation. Like Lyle, the king will sometimes cast zan.
Sari[]
- Main article: Sari
| ||||||||||||
Sari is the first boss of the second generation and can only be fought during Ayn's story. Since she is the pure blood Orakian daughter of Lena, she is unable to use techniques.
Siren[]
- Main article: Siren
| ||||||||||||
Siren lies in wait in the Azura Spaceship in the second generation and can only be fought during Ayn's story. He will occassionally blast the party with tsu. The cyborg makes appearances in the third generation, however, he is not a boss.
Lune[]
- Main article: Lune
| ||||||||||||
Lune is the only boss encountered by Nial in the second generation. He is the final obstacle the party must face on the Dahlia Spaceship before Nial can choose his wife.
Rulakir[]
- Main article: Rulakir
| ||||||||||||
Rulakir is a boss encountered by every member of the third generation in the city of Lashute. His soul was corrupted by Dark Force when he watched his family die in the war 1,000 years ago. He can use the tsu technique.
Dark Force[]
- Main article: Dark Force
 |
||
| Right Hand |
1200 HP Casts foi | |
| Left Hand |
300 HP Casts gires | |
| Body |
8000 HP Casts tsu | |
Dark Force is the final boss of the game in the third generation. He hides within a chest deep within the city of Lashute. A creature made of pure evil, he will attempt to heal the damaged parts of his body as long as his left hand has not been destroyed. His right hand and body will attempt to hit the party with powerful foi and tsu techniques.
Music[]
- See also: Phantasy Star III Music for a listing of the complete soundtrack
Epilogue[]
Walkthrough[]
- Main article: Walkthrough for Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
| Playable Characters | First Generation Rhys Mieu - Wren - Lyle - Lena |
Second Generation Ayn - Nial Mieu - Wren - Thea - Sari - Ryan - Laya |
Third Generation Sean - Crys - Adan - Aron Mieu - Wren - Laya - Kara - Gwyn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antagonists | First Generation King of Cille |
Second Generation Siren - Lune |
Third Generation Dark Force |
| Worlds | Landen - Aquatica - Aridia - Draconia - Elysium - Frigidia - Terminus - Dahlia - Azura | ||
| Locations | Landen - Yaata - Ilan - Satera - Rysel - Agoe - Shusoran - Cille - Hazatak Lensol - Endora - Techna - Divisia - Aerone - Mystoke - Skyhaven - New Mota | ||
| Dungeons | Landen Dungeon - Island Cave - Sunken Palace - Shusoran Dungeon - Cille Dungeon Sage Isle - Western Cave - Weather Control Tower - Lensol Dungeon - Techna Dungeon - Divisia Dungeon Rebel Cave - Aerone Dungeon - Mystoke Dungeon - Skyhaven Dungeon - Lashute - Dahlia Dungeon - Azura Dungeon Landen-Aquatica Passage - Aquatica-Aridia Passage - Aridia-Draconia Passage - Aridia-Landen Passage - Landen-Elysium Passage - Aridia-Frigidia Passage | ||