The OG phantasy Star was a little before my time but the GameCube version of Phantasy Star online was so good. They even have community servers for it today as Phantasy Star Blue burst. The game is now dated but honestly I could still play it because it had a good grind formula
Uff Blue Burst, fantastic online game, it's one of those blasts of sheer nostalgia that is almost unbearable, I'd give everything to go back. It's partly the game, and partly my life around the time I was playing the game, a time of constant wonder and exploration and true excitement. There are times every few years that I just put the games' music album on a loop to relive the memories. Though just watching some gameplay is also fantastic with the sound and graphic design.
Reiko Kodama did some incredible work for Sega, Skies of Arcadia probably being her most notable after Phantasy Star. She unfortunately passed away in 2022, and it took some months before anyone was even aware of it due to her family's desire for privacy.
Oops. Yea. It works great as your first game. I recommend PSIV->PSII->PSIII and maybe skip the original unless you're really into it. It's quite outdated.
The original is still a great game. But I'd recommend the `Sega Ages` version on the Nintendo Switch rather than the original because the Sega Ages version includes a couple of quality of life improvements such as a map of the dungeons. It's also a lot less "grindy".
https://www.phantasystaronline.net/