I think Xenoblade is the closest we're ever going to get to Phantasy Star Online these days.

Sega has effectively killed Phantasy Star in the west, with Phantasy Star Online 2 being nothing more than a cruel joke in the West, and Phantasy Star Nova, a Vita only Phantasy Star game having a better chance of becoming a JP only PC port than ever releasing in the west.

Xenoblade Chronicles on the other hand, is pretty interesting. It recreates that "super high-tech, still using swords & armor, with guns and other advancements" that was so interesting in Phantasy Star. I suppose you could say it wasn't that rare, considering we've had games like Star Ocean, but Phantasy Star's presentation and overall structure with it's theme was something else, and it was great because of it.

I haven't seen much of Xenoblade Chronicles X, but the bits and pieces I have seen bring it closer to being a Phantasy Star game than anything else. The combat still isn't quite there yet, and there's not a loot grindapalooza, with rare and interesting weapons to be found, or joke weapons on every corner, but it's getting there.

It's been a long time since I've played Phantasy Star, and as of late, I've just been going back to play PSO than any of the handheld games or PSU (Phantasy Star Universe) just because there was something.. right about it. They just nailed everything perfectly, and it was a fantastic game because of it. After hopping into Xenoblade, I'm starting to draw comparisons between the two, and I'm really starting to get more Phantasy Star vibes the deeper I get into this game.

At the very least, it's scratching that "itch" for me, to so speak, and I love it.