# Phantasy Star IV

15 Hacker News commenters recommended Phantasy Star IV and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** A Sega Genesis RPG people praise for its music, its setting that avoids medieval fantasy, its solid combat, and its place in a well-regarded series.

## Why people recommend it

- Music and sound praised (3 comments): "the savage twang of those Genesis basslines, the aesthetics, it was really something special" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48284695)) "It had good combat, good music, it stayed away from medieval fantasy" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48280280)) "had a most excellent sound track" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48279634))
- Series praised as among best (3 comments): "I consider the series among the best Japanese RPG universes ever made." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48284749)) "also an evolutionary improvement of the series." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46126727)) "Phantasy Star is such an underrated series" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48279351))
- Widely called one of the best RPGs (3 comments): "By far one of the best games I have played." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48278640)) "one of the best RPGs on Mega Drive" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48279132)) "Awesome game, highly recommended." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48237271))
- Good combat and smooth gameplay (2 comments): "It had good combat, good music, it stayed away from medieval fantasy" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48280280)) "In the fourth game, everything just works." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48278789))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Baldur's Gate 3](https://hackerapproved.com/p/baldur-s-gate-3.md): 71 recommend
- [Clair Obscur: Expedition 33](https://hackerapproved.com/p/clair-obscur-expedition-33.md): 58 recommend
- [Ultima VII Revisited](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ultima-vii.md): 24 recommend
- [Disco Elysium](https://hackerapproved.com/p/disco-elysium.md): 23 recommend
- [Chrono Trigger](https://hackerapproved.com/p/chrono-trigger.md): 23 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Phantasy Star IV", https://hackerapproved.com/p/phantasy-star-iv/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).