It’s funny, I absolutely adore this game (Cube version is all time top 5 for me), but the online functionality is only a side feature to me. What really makes it shine is how beautifully it works offline, the fantastic balance of rare drop rates, character growth, levels that are just fun and varied enough to play ad-nauseum.

Sure, being able to play multiplayer (online or off) is a critical feature, but it really clicked for me to be able to play single-player to prep for multiplayer later.

I think it’s the context in which I engaged with it. Saw it in action online on my brother’s DC first, and was hooked on the idea. When I first played it myself a bit later, I had no idea what was going on. By the time I really ‘got’ it, the Xbox Lives and MMOs of the world were coming into their own. We were shifting into online as the norm, and PSO not forcing it (on the Cube at least) was really gratifying for me. That, and I was a kid without a credit card, so getting a sub was an obstacle.