Cruise Kvaris in Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis

I have the entirety of the Kvaris region at my fingertips, and yet I’m still in the Salon trying to decide on the appropriate outfit. Some fur is a must, as the region is chilly, but I don’t want to be bundled up and awkward while trying to use the Floating Board (oh by the way, there’s snowboarding.) Natalis Rochka’s older layering clothes is what I choose and then head out to the hills. So that I could close in on my enemies and not be spotted, I chose to wear the white variant in order that I can throw any new objects that are available in the surrounding environment. Throwing is a new action, introduced with the release of Kvaris, and I’m more than happy to perfect the art of tossing haphazard destruction.

You can add a feeling of excitement to your snowboarding experience. NGS, one I didn’t know was missing until I surfed down my first mountain, taking out enemies as I sliced through fresh powder (I’m not sure how to do snowboarding lingo justice, so we’re going with that.) Snowboarding is exciting. You can aim for enemies or minerals and pick up materials to gather them. Jump Panels are also available. You can find Glowing Yellow Crystals off the Floating Board. They are easy to destroy and you can get Crystalline Ice Shards. The shards can be thrown at enemies in groups to cause them to explode upon impact. This provides AOE damage and some good area-of-effect. Tossing the shards towards Cold Photons will cause a huge explosion of enemies within its vicinity. Either way, you’re in for a blast.

Kvaris’s enemies are also a major influence. The Pangolan is one of my favorite animals. While the animal itself is adorable and fairly harmless, it is a powerful and well-loved enemy. NGSIt is agile and crafty. Then, there’s the Crocodylis Vera, which charges, dazes, beams, and bombs its attackers. I had the misfortune to fight one on a steep slope, and the environmental challenge added to the Crocodylis’ attacks had me fully engaged.

There’s also a whole new installment of the story, replete with side tasks. Once you’re tough enough you can explore Rayjord Gorge, which is a max level Exploration Sector that requires Low Temperature Damage Resistance gear and buffs just to survive its harsh weather. A new type of formidable enemy, Ancient Enemies, will be added to this area as of June 15 and you’ll need help from other Arks in order to take them down.

Of course, you’ll need to be more powerful to explore Kvaris, so the level cap has been raised to 60, there are new skills for all classes, and you can now find 6-star Rarity weapons. A variety of campaigns will support you in Kvaris. A Quest Counter, SG and Meseta Treasure Shops, Voice Tickets previewing, Auto Sell and many other quality-of-life features were also added.

If you haven’t played NGSYou can start the game now, or even earlier. Download the free game from the Xbox Store for PC and Xbox, and get started as an ARKS Defender!