Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus

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Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus
System(s): PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sonic Team
Genre: RPG

Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus is the first expansion of Sonic Team's internationally popular online RPG Phantasy Star Universe, available for the PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360. Released initially in Japan on September 27, 2007, for PlayStation 2 and PC, subsequent territorial releases followed on November 20, 2007, when North America received the expansion for all three platforms. This date also marked the worldwide release of the Xbox 360 version as it was available for download through Microsoft's Xbox Live service. Europe received the PC and PlayStation 2 versions of Ambition of the Illuminus a few months later, on January 11, 2008, and finally it reached Australia on February 7, 2008.

Although it is an expansion pack, the PC and PlayStation 2 versions of Ambition of the Illuminus are standalone and do not require the original game to play. The Xbox 360 version, however, does require the original disc due to the expansion being downloadable content.

Continuing Story

Ambition of the Illuminus picks right up where the story left off in Phantasy Star Universe.

Shortly after the defeat of Magashi and the Endrum Collective, a mysterious group known as the Illuminus have appeared, and threatens to exterminate all non-human races. The GUARDIANS themselves are under attack, and Ethan Waber is now wanted for an attempted assassination. Determined to find Ethan at any cost is GUARDIAN instructor, Laia Martinez. As a new GUARDIAN receiving guidance from Laia, you must search for Ethan and uncover the truth.

A new series of online chapters introduced by the expansion, having completed their training and become full-fledged GUARDIANS, players take the reigns as instructors, passing on their knowledge to younger recruits all the while investigating the evil Illuminus organization. In addition, all of Episode 2 is available in the offline Story Mode on the PC and PlayStation 2 versions of the game, and limited edition collectables are given away as mission rewards, and some are given to your character at the beginning of the game.

New Features

Ambition of the Illuminus introduced numerous new features to Phantasy Star Universe including new weapons, photon arts, missions, clothing, enemies and more.

New weapons

Four new weapons categories were added with this expansion, giving players an even larger arsenal at their disposal as they continue their fight against the deadly SEED and human supremacist organization, the Illuminus.

• Whips are single-handed striking weapons which allow the user to attack multiple enemies within a certain radius. Though not the strongest weapon, whips are excellent for inflicting status effects on enemies.
• Slicers are single-handed striking weapons which allow players to attack from a distance. When swung, slicers launch a photon blade which will home in on its target.
• RCSMs, or ranged combat support machines, are single-handed ranged weapons which hover over their user's left shoulder. Though these weapons share their appearance with MAGs from Phantasy Star Online, RCSMs actually are weapons which automatically fire shots at enemies within range.
• TCSMs, short for TECHNIC combat support machines, are single-handed TECHNIC-casting weapons. As with RCSMs, these weapons have similar designs to certain MAGs from Phantasy Star Online, though they really act as left-handed wands, allowing players to link up to two TECHNICs to them.

New GUARDIANS types

Building on the original game's ten GUARDIANS types, Ambition of the Illuminus introduced two new types and promises at least three more in the near future.

• Acrofighters excel in the use of single-handed striking weapons. This type exhibits increased attack speed, giving players the ability to move in for an attack quickly. Though specializing in striking weapons, Acrofighters are capable of using many ranged weapons as well.
• Acrotechers are specialists at supporting party members as they are the one type with access to the highest level of support TECHNICs. This type casts TECHNICs faster than normal, but also performs well with various striking and ranged weapons.
• Though currently available only in Japan, three more new types will be released in the coming months: Fighmaster, Gunmaster and Masterforce. As their names suggest, these types are specialists in one specific field of battle, thus granting them outstanding abilities.

New areas

The universe of Gurhal continues to grow as Ambition of the Illuminus has introduced numerous new areas, missions and lobbies to the system's three planets. A few areas of interest include the Habirao Forbidden District, a mysterious forest on Neudaiz filled with enormous mushrooms and an unusually high concentration of photon in the air, and Old Rozenom City, a once-thriving metropolis that was devastated by the crash landing of the GUARDIANS Colony, an act for which the Illuminus were responsible. In all, over twelve new areas have been added, including the forest, caves, mines and ruins, fan-favorites from Phantasy Star Online.

While not running missions with other players, GUARDIANS can relax and chat with their friends in some of the expansion's new lobbies. These include Paracabana Coast, a beach front resort on Parum, Shitenkaku, a beautiful shrine at the summit of Neudaiz's Mt. Ohtoku, and Casino Voloyal, a popular casino in the Vio Tonga area of Moatoob.

Production Credits

Executive Supervisor: Hideki Okamura, Masanao Maeda, Kazihiro Yasutomi, Hideaki Morishita
Executive Producer: Hisao Oguchi
Producer: Takao Miyoshi
Director: Satoshi Sakai

Planning Section

Planning Director: Shintaro Hata
Players And Items: Masayuki Mukaiyama, Yu Suganuma, Ryohei Uno, Takamitsu Kobayashi, Yuichi Anzawa, Yohsuke Minobe
Creatures & Bosses: Yu Suganuma, Ryohei Uno
Quest Director: Yuya Kimura
Scenario: Sakae Tabata, Naozumi Yamaguchi, Satoshi Sakai, Yasushi Ohtaka, Yuya Kimura
Events: Sakae Tabata, Toshiki Ito
Quest: Kenji Matsumura, Toshiki Ito, Katsunori Nagai, Shinichi Muraishi
Maps: Masanori Shiramizu, Yuka Onoda, Tatsushi Toyoshima, Shigetaka Hoshina, Yusuke Ochi, Kazuhide Tsumura
My Room: Takamitsu Kobayashi

Design Section

Art Director: Kosei Kitamura
Characters: Akikazu Mizuno, Akira Iketani, Masatoshi Yasumura, Satoshi Arai, Masahiro Tsunoda, Yuka Matsumoto, Kazuyuki Shinohara, Chrissy Jean, Eri Sasaki
Motion: Michihiro Sato, Tomoaki Yuyama
Creatures: Masaharu Nakayama, Siju Taniguchi, Yoshiyuki Tomatsu, Masashi Ichinho
Maps: Haruka Haginoya, Michio Abe, Mayo Sudo, Kenji Odaka, Tomoharu Kawataki
My Rooms: Maki Kaneko, Yoshie Tokita, Kazuyo Yamaoto
Event Directors: Naozumi Yamaguchi
Event: Tomonori Dobashi, Keita Mizoguchi, Sho Mutsura
Effects: Takanori Fukazawa, Ryutaro Sugiyama, Yasushi Honma, Yasutaka Tanaka
Interface: Eriko Mikawa
Web: Ken Hijikata, Kenji Takahashi, Masahiro Jaana
Technical Support: Masayuki Ishino

Programming Section

Programming Director: Yasuhiro Takahashi
Players: Toshihisa Satake, Yoshiji Kosaka
My Room: Kenichi Tanase, Mie Kawanishi, Kazuki Konishi
Creatures: Toshihisa Satake, Tsuyoshi Aguram Yoshiji Kosaka, Yasumasa Matsumori
Maps: Shinya Matsunami, Hiroshi Fujimoto, Naohide Shiga
Events: Tsuyoshi Agura
Interface: Takashi Sakamoto
Network Director: Akio Setsumasa
Network: Kouichi Toya, Hideto Fujishita, Kazuhiro Tonogi, Yuji Hirukawa, Yasumasa Matsumori, Tomokazu Tochi, Baek Jounghoon, Yu Isogai
Technical Support: Naoki Matsumoto
Support: Dennis Sachio Imabeppu

Sound Section

Sound Production: Sega Creative Center, Sound Section
Sound Director: Hideaki Kobayashi
Music Composers: Hideaki Kobayashi, Fumie Kumatani, Kenichi Tokoi, Seirou Okamoto, Taihei Sato
Acoustuc Effects: Masaru Setsumaru, Tatsuyuki Maeda
Sound Effects: Hideaki Kobayashi, Fumie Kumatani, Kenichi Tokoi, Hideaki Abe, Kinukawa Tadashi

Save This World (Phantasy Star Universe Main Theme)

Vocal: Kelli Sae
Composed & Arranged By: Hideaki Kobayashi
Lyric By: Kan Hashimoto

Save This World Remix Version(Phantasy Star Universe Main Theme)

Vocal & Lyric By: Runblebee
Composed By: Hideaki Kobayashi
Arranged By: Kenichi Tokoi

With You (Phantasy Star Universe Ending Theme)

Vocal: Lita Harvey
Played By: Warsaw Phiharmonic, National Orchestra
Composed & Arranged By: Fumie Kumatani, Kenichi Tokoi
Lyric By: Fumie Kumatani
Lyric Translated By: Kan Hashimoto

For Brighter Day (Phantasy Star Universe Grand Ending Theme)

Played By: Philippe Saisse, Acoustique Trio, Reaturing Kelli Sae
Composed & Arranged By: Fumie Kumatani, Kenichi Tokoi
Lyric By: Fumie Kumatani
Lyric Translated By: Kan Hashimoto

Motion Capture: Sega Creative Center, Motion Capture Studio, Takeo Iwata, Hiroshi Tanaka, Shunkichi Yukitake, Kimiko Nakaizumi, Hitoshi Noda, Yukie Nagiwara, Haruna Mitsuhashi
Capture Actors: Katsugekiza, Wataru Koga, Tony Hosokawa, Iori Sakakibara, Motoki Kawana
Voice Recording Cast Record & Director: Greg Weber (Webtone)

CG Movies: VE R&D Dept.

Director: Takashi Nakashima
Modelling: Hideyuki Higashi, Yoshihiko Suzuki, Kazushige Hayakawa
Sequences: Kouhei Kajisa, Keisuke Takahashi, Satoshi Tomatsu, Tsubasa Nakai
Effects: Yoshihisa Inoue, Shuntaro Furukawa
Production Manager: Chikako Tanaka
Line Producer: Naoko Ajiro

CG Movie: Anima Inc.

Director: Kazuya Sasahara
CG Artists: Tomohisa Ishikawa, Shunsuke Tsuchiya
Project Manager: Daisuke Chonan
Producer: Haruyasu Akagi
Executive Producer: Shinya Sasahara

CG Movie: Jet Studio Inc.

Team Director: Atsushi Inoue
CG Artists: Tomohisa Oda, Yasuyuki Bandai, Yutaka Kawamata, Satoshi Mochizuki
Project Manager: Mitsugu Ishii
Producer: Tomnori Kudokawa

CG Movie Animaroid Inc.

CG Director: Kiyonobu Kitada
Designers: Ryoji Fujita, Yuki Hamatani, Kentaro Koyaku, Takayuki Honda, Kagawa Fumihiko
Project Manager: Ahsuko Hashimoto
Producer: Masashi Sakamoto

CG Movie: Sanzigen Inc.

CG Designers: Yasuhiro Kato, Kazunobu Sano, Atsushi Nemoto, Hiroaki Matsura

CG Movie: Laser-Graphics

CG Director: Toshiyuki Aoyama
Animator: Kensaku Takaishi
Designer: Hidenori Tanaka

Modelling: Polygon Magic Inc.

Project Manager: Hiroshi Suzuki
Creature Models: Masahiro Yokoyama, Tomoharu Oiyama, Youzou Kageyama, Kouki Saitou, Atsuki Nakazato, Nobumichi Sugawara, Yousuke Kinoshita, Yousuke Kai, Takuyav Ueda
Room Decorations: Minoru Sugiyama, Eri Watanabe, Kenta Soga

Modelling: Flight Unit.

Designers: Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Kaitzokuya, Ntny
Set Up: Takeshi Mitamoto

Modelling: Sega (Shabghai) Software Co. Ltd.

Designers: Cheng Li, Mei Lin, Shao Mingzhu, Jin Huan, Li Muzhang, Bao Jiangang, Tang Xin, Gu Hong, Yu Xinyue
Quest: Yu Xing, Hu Yuhua, Li Shugiao, Chen Mingmei, Feng Ying, Zhang Hongnian

Sega Of America Inc.

CEO: Naoya Tsurumi
President/COO: Simon Jeffery
VP Product Development: David Cobb
VP Marketing: Scott Steinberg
Marketing Director: Don Mesa
Marketing Coordinator: Mabel Chung
Online Marketing Coordinator: Randy Stukes
Localization Manager: John Merlino
Localization Producer: Jason Kuo
PR: Jennie Sue
Creative Service: Jen Groeling, Heather Luchrtti, Briget Oates
Network Engineers: David Fung, Masahiro Sato
Online: Jake Holub, Julian Mehlfeld, Chris Olson, Robbie Percell
QA Manager: Deni Skeens
QA Supervisor: Josh Morton
Mastering Lab Supervisor: Rhiana Kellom
Hardware Technician: Matt Ellison
Mastering Lab: Rey Buzon, Scott Samson, Ray Vasquez
Senior Team Lead: Demetrius Griffin
Project Lead: Ken Nacua
Assistant Team Lead: Mabel Chung
Standards Supervisor: Stephen Akana
Compliancy Lead: Lawrence Mann
Compliancy Specialists: David Casallas, Marta Khosraw, Jaime Kuroiwa, David Lee, Christine Letheby
Compliancy Testers: John Belcher, Eduardo Camacho, Joe Floyd, Junior Sison
Testers: Brandon Bailey, Lacey Canton, Raymond Clark, Kirsten Coleman, Lionel Cortez, Michael Honrada, Amber Huesso, Zack Jones, Max Martinson, Bobby Nawbary, Devin Nelson, Pamela Peters
Webtone Voice Director: Greg Weber
Teanslation By: Inbound
Speical Thanks: Ethan Einhorn (For PSU), Kevin Frane, Yosuke Moriya (For PSU), Kim Weber

Sega Europe Ltd.

CEO: Naoya Tsurumi
President/COO: Mike Haye
Development Director: Gary Dunn
Director Of European Marketing: Gary Knight
Head Of Studio, Localisation: Kuniyo Matsumoto
Producer: Ayano Murofushi
European PR: Lynn Daniel, Kerry Martyn, Alistair Hatch
Assistant Brand Manager: Hiromi Ando
International Brand Manager: Ben Chalmers-Stevens
Head Of Development Services: Mark Le Breton
QA Supervisor: Marlon Grant, Stuart Arrowsmith
Team Lead: James Langtry
Assistant Team Lead: Gabriel Ralls
Testers: Nicolas D'Offay, Daryl Grant, James Dyer, Mark Dallamore, Kye Connolly
Senior Language Team Lead: Jean-Baptiste Bagot
Senior Language Testers: Ronan Salon, Peter Beicht
Standards Coordinator: Mohammed Ajaib
Assistant Standards Coordinator: Michael Hanley
Standard Technician: Ibrahim Bhatti
Created By: Sonic Team
Presented By: Sega