Phantasy Star Nova will be set in the same world as Phantasy Star Online 2 but will drop many of the online elements and take on a much more single player approach. If the idea of playing without your friends sounds horrifying, the game will include 4-player co-cop play.

The title takes place on Planet Machia, a planet where 'Photon' energy is useless. Without the ability to recover energy or upgrade your weapons, players must take survival into their own hands, exploring the planet of Machia and unlocking the secrets it has to offer.

The creatures inhabiting Machia are giant beasts appropriately named 'Gigantes.' In order to take these massive brutes down, you'll need to find and hit their weak spots together with your allies.

Sega also implemented tweaks based off the Phantasy Star Nova battle demo into the game. After the first demo, tri-Ace increased character movement speed by 1.4x, reduced input delay, fixed issues with locking on to enemies, and fine tuned the speed of the camera, among other improvements.

As part of the Arks Special Planetary Exploration Group Alter, the player is on a journey to return alive from Machia, a chaotic planet where photons have no effect, after the Delta Variant warship crashes on Machia with 1,000 crew on board. The planet also happens to be home to the Gigantes, which huge foes that the player must face throughout the game.