Phantasy Star IV is an archetypal console RPG in the spirit of the series, featuring the staples of exploration, NPC interaction, and turn-based combat. Building on its predecessors, it added a number of innovative features, such as pre-programmable combat manoeuvers called "Macros", combination attacks between two or more characters, and manga-style panel illustrations for major cutscenes. Phantasy Star IV is also the first game in the series to have in-depth character interaction and development.
Phantasy Star IV takes place 1,000 years after the events of Phantasy Star II. It is the story of Chaz Ashley, a young bounty hunter, who, along with his friends and allies, unwittingly becomes the savior of the Algol solar system. The story takes place on the planet Motavia, which has suffered through dramatic climate changes over the past 1,000 years. After an event called the Great Collapse, much of the once-thriving ecosystem has been reduced to desert, and life has become difficult for the planet's inhabitants. To make matters worse, there has been a marked increase in the appearances of "biomonsters", strange and violent mutations of the normal plant and animal life.
Source: Wikipedia, Phantasy Star IV , available under the CC-BY-SA License.