RELATED: Best Free To Play MMOs Of All Time

While the mysterious Meteron will serve as new player companions, Halpha still has creatures determined to repel their new visitors. Players need to use New Genesis’s revamped combat system and staple flashy Photon Arts and Technics to combat brand new monsters and enemies. And for players into combat mechanics, all of these new monsters do fall under familiar types.

Updated August 31, 2022 by Rhenn Taguiam: With the “Frozen Resolution” update introducing the icy fields of the planet Kvaris to Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis, so too did this DLC introduce new features such as Floating Boards, status ailments, and especially new enemies under the game’s cluster of opponents. And with the game now introducing a new threat in the form of Ancient Enemies, it may help to revisit the game’s staple cast of monsters and how players can fight them.

DOLLS: For The Glory Of Dark Falz

ARKS Operatives still need to protect the galaxy from interstellar threats, even thousands of years past their adventures with Oracle. In New Genesis, the game’s new generation of ARKS Operatives have to protect the planet Halpha from DOLLS.

These creatures possess gel-like musculature protected via a unique exoskeleton. As players will soon discover, they follow the orders of something called the Dark Falz. With the Dark Falz being a staple major antagonist in the Phantasy Star series, DOLLS easily pose the largest threat in the New Genesis story at the get-go.

Notable DOLLS

Dotts. These are four-legged creatures that resemble spiders when moving around. They will have a special downed state when hitting the legs. Fuwan. These are jellyfish-like creatures that float around the battlefield. Gororon. These are two-legged creatures that walk with massive bellies. Players who freeze their bellies will destroy the core. Pettas. These humanoid warriors wield a wide variety of weapons that correspond to their combat strategies. The Pettas Axe are a bit slow and use an axe for melee combat. The Pettas Sword are much faster, thanks to their usage of swords. Meanwhile, the Pettas Gun and Pettas Launcher use guns and launchers, respectively, and excel in long-ranged combat.

Combat Strategies

DOLLS seem quite vulnerable to Ice, meaning players are advised to face them while dishing out Ice Photon Arts and Technics. Most DOLLS have weaknesses located in the chest area, the belly area, or the core area - usually frontal areas that are readily accessible to most players.

Alters: Aggression That Depends On Time

Unique to New Genesis, Alters are creatures that interact heavily with the game’s new day-night cycle. Unlike other monsters, Alters are very aggressive creatures that can change their appearance depending on the time of day. This can result in visually unique interactions and wildly different battles with players.

Notable Alters

Banehog. These hulking creatures appear like giant two-legged hedgehogs given the spikes all around their bodies. Evil Angelo. These feathered beasts have glowing eyes on the center of their bodies, making them quite noticeable from the skies. Heruc. These four-legged creatures are one of the more majestic beasts among the Alters, resembling a silver-blue horse. Lizards. These flying lizard-like creatures appear in different colors based on their elemental affinities. There’s the Lizard Fray (Fire), Lizard Ice (Ice), and Lizard Thunder (Thunder). As expected, each Lizard variant uses the same elements associated with its name.

Combat Strategies

Most Alters show vulnerability against Fire-type attacks, so players are advised to dish out as much Fire Photon Arts and Technics as much as possible. Additionally, most Alters seem to have weak spots in the eyes, making this quite the inviting target when casting Fire-based attacks. This elemental weakness doesn’t seem to apply to the Lizard Fray, which is weak against Ice instead.

Formers: A Throwback To Naverius

Players who come from PSO2 will feel a weird hit of nostalgia as soon as they see their first Formers in the wild. These monsters might have different color schemes, but there’s no mistaking it - they resemble Sylvants, creatures once homogenous to the planet Naverius.

As fans recall, Naverius serves as the first planet players discover in their PSO2 playthrough. In turn, Sylvants serve as one of the first monsters they will face. Seeing Formers and their uncanny resemblance to Sylvants will definitely brighten a returning player’s day. Not to mention, the game also justifies their appearance. Apparently, Formers serve as the future versions of Sylvants after having adapted to Halpha’s atmosphere.

Notable Formers

Oodan Loa. These resemble huge primates with white external covering. They’re a variant of the Oodans from Naverius. Za Oodan Loa. These are bulkier variants of the Oodan Loa, this time with more detailed external armor. They’re the versions of Za Oodans from Naverius. Gulf Loa. These canine creatures have reddish fur and serve as the Halphinian counterparts of Gulfs from Naverius. Fangulf Loa. These are bulkier versions of the Gulf Loa with more detailed external armor, akin to the Fangulfs of Naverius. Cragbear. These hulking creatures seem to be made of rock, resembling the Banger Bear - the more aggressive variant of the Rockbear in Naverius. Ard Banther. These feline creatures are evolved versions of the Banthers in Naverius. Ard Banshee. These feline creatures serve as variants of the Banshee in Naverius.

Combat Strategies

Most Formers seem extremely vulnerable against Fire, meaning players are advised to use Fire Technics and Photon Arts to capitalize on this weakness. It’s better to target their weak spots specifically with Fire-based attacks to disorient them and break through their defenses.

RELATED: Amazing Free To Play Anime MMOs Any Otaku Should Play Today

Players of PSO2 may also notice that Formers also use almost the same moveset that their original counterparts used, albeit with different stats. Visually speaking, this should make the attacks of Formers a bit predictable.

Tames: Monsters Can Be Cute, Too

Being a planet of unique flora and fauna, one can anticipate Halpha to have its own fair share of different creatures. Aside from the hulking monsters that players need to annihilate, Halpha is also host to its set of cute critters. Known as Tames, these serve as Halpha’s native wild creatures. They primarily serve as food for ARKS and don’t really pose a threat most of the time.

Notable Tames

Sunny. These are squirrel-like Tames that can be found in a lot of grassy areas. Patt. These resemble owls and remain recognizable for their bright colors. Otterica. These look like otters or seals that can be found near bodies of water. Moobel. These resemble yaks that can be found in many common areas. Voks. These look like wolves and inhabit more forested areas. Dian. These resemble deer and inhabit the more forested areas of the continent.

Sub-Types: Different Is Good

As players might experience throughout their playthrough, New Genesis boasts quite a lot of enemies falling under different Types. However, the game also offers enemy variants that fall under the classification of Sub-Types. They serve as unique variations of enemies that aren’t ordinarily seen in the wild.

In the case of players who want to fight them, these Sub-Types tend to become both rare and more difficult to exterminate.

Silver Enemies

Silver Enemies, as the name suggests, serve as variations of creatures that have a metallic exterior. In terms of appearances, they use a silver version of the base game model of their particular monster. They also add shimmering effects to their aesthetic, implying their nature as more metallic versions of their base forms.

Watch Out For: They don’t boast better statistics compared to their standard counterparts. What To Note: Their Silvered status does make them hold a higher chance of dropping bonus items. They’re notable for the Silver Primm Sword, one of the more premium Gear drops for early-level players. Silver Boss Monsters give a guaranteed drop on this sword.

Gold Enemies

Gold Enemies, compared to Silver Enemies, boast a golden exterior with yellowish sparkles. In terms of aesthetics, they again use the same model of their base form. This time around, they have a golden sheen, denoting its premium quality.

Watch Out For: Similar to Silver Enemies, they don’t boast unique changes to their statistics. What To Note: They take on the characteristic of Silver Enemies, in that they have a much higher chance to drop bonus items. They also have a chance to drop the more premium Golden Primm Sword, on top of the chance to drop a Silver Primm Sword. As with their Silver counterpart, Gold Bosses have a guaranteed drop chance for the Golden Primm Sword.

Enhanced Enemies

When the extraterrestrial gadget known as the Enhancer interacts with Halpha’s wildlife, they trigger a violent reaction that transforms the fauna in question. Thanks to the Enhancer, they become Enhanced Enemies - enraged and extra powerful variants of the standard monsters. In terms of appearance, they appear much redder in color and have a unique red glow. They’re extremely rare to find in the wild.

Watch Out For: At its core, the Enhancer boosts the core stats of its base form. They receive less damage from opponents. What To Note: Despite its incredible defense, the Enhancer itself is the most vulnerable spot in the enemy. Players need to note if there are any glowing parts in the Enhanced Enemy’s body, as this mass usually serves as the spot where the Enhancer is located. When destroyed, the Enhanced Enemies will have their defenses return to normal.

Veteran Enemies

Contrary to the beefed-up Enhanced Enemies, Veteran Enemies serve as the more powerful, higher-level counterparts of their standard monsters. They’re much harder to spot in the wild, and often appear with mossy coloration over their bodies that denote their age.

Watch Out For: These Veteran Enemies boast higher attack power and HP, making them much deadlier foes when faced. A lot of them are much larger than the player, boasting more reach. What To Note: Players can spot these Veteran Enemies with the “Veteran” tag next to their name. These creatures usually need an entire squad to take down.

Gigantix Enemies

ARKS Operatives who wander in the wilds during thunderstorms report sightings of ridiculously strong foes - and these take on the form of Gigantix Enemies. These foes take on the form of colossal enemies with a purplish hue, and they boast incredibly strong stats. They’re much harder to hit compared to other rare bosses. However, managing to take them down can net rare drops that boost Combat Power.

Watch Out For: Gigantix Enemies are extremely tough, and they still have an advantage against max-leveled players (Level 20) given their much higher level. What To Note: Given their appearance during thunderstorms, Gigantix Enemies do have a chance of disappearing once the weather clears. This means players in a party only have a short window to take down the Gigantix Enemies before it disappears.

Seasonal Enemies

A new enemy variant introduced in the game, Seasonal Enemies are variations of enemies that appear throughout different periods. Aside from being palette-swapped versions of their original counterparts, they do have seasonal symbols on their heads that denote their season of origin.

RELATED: PSO2 New Genesis: How to Get Alpha Reactor and What They’re For

Watch Out For: Aside from possessing the same kinds of attacks as their original counterparts, the most important quality of a Seasonal Enemy lie in its new elemental components. Aside from possessing new elements for their attacks, this also means possessing a new elemental weakness contrary to their original counterparts. It’s important for players to identify these new elemental weaknesses early on in order to get an advantage and eliminate enemies quickly. What To Note: Defeating Seasonal Enemies will grant Seasonal Points, allowing players to exchange them for various items in the Seasonal Shop, further customizing the appearance of their New Genesis Classes. Aside from these, players can expect regular drop rates of items from these enemies.

Megalotix Enemies

Another special variant of enemies in the game are the Megalotix Enemies, characterized by their specialized coating of blue light and accompanying cyan crystals. They’re available in Level 35+ Combat Sectors and can be extremely powerful when faced solo. Similar to Dread Enemies, Megalotix Enemies are incredibly rare to find and more a game feature than a staple in Phantasy Star lore, meaning players who plan on farming them should expect prolonged waiting times.

Watch Out For: In combat, Megalotix Enemies might use the same attack patterns and animations as their original counterparts. However, their overall damage output could be much stronger than that of the Gigantix Enemies, making them on the level of elite mobs. A great way to take them down quickly is to hang around in heavily-populated servers to increase the likelihood of immediate backup available once these enemies spawn. What To Note: They’re extremely rare enemies and may take hours to find at a time. They may appear like ordinary enemies, albeit with their signature blue and cyan coloration.

Ancient Enemies

A new type of enemy introduced in New Genesis in the recent May to June 2022 update, Ancient Enemies are extremely powerful foes found only in the new Rayjord Gorge area of Kvaris. The Ancients almost always spawn inside the Ancient Cave, located inside a giant crystal egg or mineral that spawns 11-minutes after a room is created or after an Ancient is defeated.

Watch Out For: It helps to note that mobs may also spawn at any given time, and the area has a debuff that decreases Rasta healing by as much as 50-percent. Given the Gorge’s area, it also helps to be at 100-percent Temperature Resistance to avoid taking the Gorge’s damage over time and freezing over time ailments. Combat-wise, while the Ancients do have different attack patterns, their difficulty level matches that of facing a Gigantix. What To Note: Players hoping to stand a chance against Ancient Enemies would want to be at least Level 60 in terms of character level, while also possessing a Battle Power of at least 2600. These should give them access to decent stats and a means to go toe to toe against these massive beasts without being pummeled at a disadvantage.

Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis is playable for Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PS4.

MORE: Major Differences Between Phantasy Star Online 2 And New Genesis