Star Ocean: The Second Story R is considered one of the best JRPGs from the PlayStation 1 era. It was the second installation in the Star Ocean series. The first Star Ocean game was originally released for the Super Famicom (Japanese version of the Nintendo SNES) in July 1996. Later, it was ported to the PSP in 2007, and a remastered version called Star Ocean: First Departure R was released for both PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch in 2019.
Nintendo Direct 2023 shared with us the news of a remake called Star Ocean: The Second Story R. The game will seemingly have a 3D world blended with the original 2D pixelated art style as the character design. It will also stay true to its original counterpart’s colorful and vibrant visuals.
The game’s base mechanics will remain the same, with a few tweaks in the control department. The remake will introduce some new elements as well. For example, you can now stun enemies with chain attacks, and your allies who are not within the party can deal passive attacks.
What is Star Ocean: The Second Story R?
- Released in 1998, it is an action JRPG set in a science fantasy world. You can play as one of the two characters introduced at the start. The options are either the male character Claude C Kenny, a real-world human, or the female named Rena Lanford, a resident of the in-game fantasy world.
- For its time, it was close to an open-world game with large explorable areas that the players could traverse by foot.
- You can recruit multiple characters to join your party and fight alongside them. Most of these characters have their own storylines and quests that you need to complete to recruit them.
- The game can have up to 86 endings based on your in-game choices and relationships with various characters.
- In combat, you can control up to 4 characters at the same time to unleash your attacks. But there are also options for automatic or semi-manual control if you don’t want total control. The battles take place in real-time, and the battlefield is a 3D environment where you can freely move to dodge or attack the enemies.
- As a player, you can choose from various items and spells to assist you in the battles. You can also manage your equipment from the inventory menu.
- You can buy skills and craft objects by gathering various in-game resources.
Release Date and Platforms
Star Ocean: The Second Story R will come out on the 2nd of November, 2023. Gamers can enjoy the remastered title on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
Are you excited for the remake? Do you like the innovative idea of blended 3D and 2D visuals? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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