STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R

I can finally enjoy the game my friend's dad would only let us watch him play on Playstation. This is how they should have remastered Final Fantasy VII

Star Ocean the Second Story R is a linear, narrative-driven JRPG that mixes fantasy and science fiction, presented in a 2.5D HD graphics style similar to Octopath Traveler, but with environments that lean more heavily into 3D design. At the start of the game, you choose between two protagonists, Claude or Rena, each offering a different perspective and party composition. The game features a traditional overworld map for exploration, where you travel from towns to dungeons. You will also fast travel often between towns and dungeons that you have previously visited. In overworld mode, the 3D camera is fully rotatable. In town or dungeon mode, the environment is shown from a fixed diagonal angle. I like how characters occasionally make comments during travel, and sometimes provide useful hints or remarks that draw attention to talents or locations. One small annoyance, however, is that characters cannot sprint, making longer treks feel slow (though you can eventually unlock a mount for the overworld, which I rarely used). Exploration primarily consists of finding optional treasure chests. The main story is linear and story objectives are clearly marked on the map. Random encounters are visible as well: enemies chase you when in sight, and contact initiates battle. Ambushing enemies from behind stuns them briefly at the beginning of battle, though the same can happen to you if you are careless. Combat is a simplified real-time 2.5D fighting system. You have three core inputs: attack, counter, and spell menu (which pauses the game for selection). Movement is free, with your character auto-closing distance when attacking. Attacks can interrupt spellcasting. Countering an attack at the right time unleashes a riposte. Enemies have both HP and shields. Breaking shields leaves an enemy vulnerable to critical hits for a short duration. There are additional mechanics such as formations and summons tied to gauges that fill over time. Overall, combat is quick and easy. While simple, it still requires some decision-making such as positioning your character, timing a dodge, choosing when to heal, or casting a spell. Player progression is deep to the point of being overwhelming. Points can be spent across combat stats, abilities, and talents, with talents unlocking activities like crafting, fishing, or alchemy. By leveling certain talents, you unlock super talents. Many talents grant passive bonuses or special actions outside of combat. Because there are so many talents, you will spend a lot of time in menus creating or using items to improve your party members' stats. In addition, there are countless challenges, such as "break X enemies" or "use Y items in battle," which grant small rewards. Quite a few of these challenges are unlocked simply by playing the game; however, others require more focus. I did not pay much attention to these challenges because the lists of challenges are way too long. Progression can be quite satisfying because you are always unlocking, earning, or levelling up something. That said, I think there are way too much mechanics and items in this game. Many feel redundant or even exploitable. For example, I quickly found ways to infinitely generate money by crafting and replicating items. Another example is that you can unlock a auto-battle-resolve talent, were your party members automatically defeat underleveled (green) enemies which can be exploited to quickly collect experience points. The game would benefit from more refined and less redundant mechanics. The difficulty level can be inconsistent. Since I focused on boosting talents that gave me more experience points, I was overleveled most of the time. While most random encounters were easy, certain bosses were so difficult that I had to lower the difficulty setting from Hard to Easy. Graphically, Second Story R looks good, although it does not quite match the style of Octopath Traveler II. Unlike Octopath, the 2D character sprites can move in horizontal and diagonal directions, enabling the characters to look in almost any direction, which is often used to good effect in cutscenes. The environments, both exterior and interior, are crafted with great care. I also appreciate the small details, such as characters reacting in menus to current story events or some NPCs engaging in silly behavior. However, occasional absence of shadows in interior spaces can create a flat impression, and plain textures can detract from an otherwise polished presentation. The voice acting is solid overall. All main narrative events are fully voiced, though standard NPC interactions remain silent. Rena's voice performance is notably more professional than those of the other cast members. The music is adequate, but the track list is short, and the dungeon themes quickly become annoyingly repetitive. The sound design is generally good, except for the combined footsteps of all party members, which sound like a herd of galloping horses. The narrative starts well, with strong pacing and engaging interactions between the characters. The writing feels natural and the characters react believably to unfolding events. The cast is particularly well fleshed out in the early stages, thanks to numerous scripted scenes, funny moments, and optional "Private Actions". These Private Actions are a particular highlight as they build an emotional connection with each character and also strengthen the sense of group dynamics. To trigger them, you switch into Private Mode, in which the protagonist explores the town alone. While this switching can feel cumbersome at times, it does reinforce the impression that each party member has their own agency and presence during town visits. Unfortunately, these strengths fade after the first 15 hours. Plot arcs begin to move too quickly without proper buildup, and the pacing becomes uneven overall. Villains are introduced abruptly and lack depth, while the party grows so large that individual characters receive little attention. The result is an ending that feels disappointing and unsatisfying. It is a shame, as the early stages clearly demonstrate the potential of the storytelling. On the other hand, the game offers some replay value. Selecting Claude or Rena unlocks exclusive companions and unique story sequences. Furthermore, the companions in your party and their affection levels determine which endings you reveal. These endings do not dramatically alter the story, as they are small, standalone sequences featuring certain party members. All in all, the Second Story R is a charming remake that shines in its early hours with strong and sometimes funny moments. It offers enjoyable character development, an engaging world to explore, and fast-paced combat that is simple yet satisfying, even with the occasional difficulty spike. There are numerous progression systems, which ensure a steady stream of rewards. However, these systems can feel excessive, and even be used to exploit the mechanics of the game. Unfortunately, the narrative and character development falters in the second half, preventing the game from reaching its full potential. Nevertheless, if you enjoyed titles like Tales of Xillia or Tales of Zestiria, you will likely find much to enjoy here, as it delivers a similar blend of linear JRPG storytelling, real-time combat, and character-driven interactions.

They took my favorite game from my childhood, remade it from the ground up, and now I'm excited that I can recommend this game without looking crazy. Most of the people whining are just people who have nostalgia bias and hate that the games feels more arcade-y instead of being a slog, or they just simply don't know the tropes of the 90s and aren't willing to accept that tropes change over time. The slog was boring and annoying (it's my favorite game of all time, to remind you). This version is infinitely better, so I can now recommend it to people.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a classic, underrated RPG that delivers greatness in every aspect +An incredible story — full of twists, emotions, drama and revenge +Party System: You can have up to 8 active members, but there are more than 8 available characters, so choose carefully. +Relationship party member: Pick whoever you want — Claude × Rena, Claude × Celine, Ashton × Celine, or even Rena × Claude if you choose Rena as the protagonist. +Dual Protagonists: You can play as either Claude or Rena. After finishing Claude’s story, play again as Rena to experience the game from a completely different perspective — including unique different scenes. It’s fascinating to see the special dialogues and cutscenes that only appear when playing as Rena. +99 ending :depending on which party members you recruit, how they bond with each other, and their affection point combinations 9/10. It would be amazing to see a remake built on Unreal Engine someday — but even now, it remains a fantastic and timeless RPG

学校で習ったことはきれいさっぱり忘れたけど、このゲームの攻略法はばっちり覚えてました！！ 私が小学校の頃であって、どれだけプレイしたかわからないくらいやり込みまくったスターオーシャン２が まさかリメイクされていたなんて・・・ 全然知りませんでした。全然知らなくて本当に申し訳ございませんでした。 でもあれから２０数年の時を経て、私はこのゲームに出会ってしまった。もうやるしかない！ 今回は一切攻略情報とかは見ないで、自分の記憶だけでプレイしていく。 そんなに難しいところはないけれど、仲間のしかたとかタイミングとかはこのゲームでは重要ですからね。 ２０年以上たっても覚えているもんですね。とか油断していたら最後に私のお気に入りのチサトのために開けていた一枠を埋められずにイベントを進めてしまいました（涙） 悲しすぎる、もうセーブしちゃったし、とりあえずクリアしてしまえとむしゃくしゃしてクリアしてやったところでこのレビューを書きました。 やっぱり面白いですね、このゲーム。 もう自分には教室でこのゲームを語り合う友達もいなくなってしまったけれど、いいんだ。 俺はディアスのように生きていくさ。 今はただクリアしただけだから全然やり込めていないけれど、それはこれから二週目をやってチサトを仲間にしてからだな。 昔に初見でやったときはもう少し苦労したような気がするが、まあそれだけ私自身も成長して大人になったということだろう。頭も薄くなったし。 一週目はろくにアイテムクリエイションとかもやらないでクリアしてしまったので、二週目からスターオーシャンの面白いところを存分に楽しみたいと思う。 それをやらないでも楽しくクリアできたのだからこのゲームは素晴らしいゲームだと私は断言する。

"No subtitles in Brazilian Portuguese." Rena ❤️ Animações belíssimas, cada pixel foi trabalhado com carinho, cenários belos. O movimento durante o combate é meio estranho no início mas logo se acostuma. Personagens fantásticos, história fenomenal. Trilha sonora gostosa de se ouvir. Negativando apenas pelo fato de não ter legendas em português

This feels like a game made for me and me alone. When I saw this first get announced at a Nintendo Direct in 2023 it felt like Squeenix was personally saying "Oh hey Apple, we made a full HD remake of your favorite childhood PS1 RPG only you played, love u, muah". You bet I bought it day 1, and it did not disappoint. This is not one of those stupid remakes like Final Fantasy VII where they added billions of hours of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ filler and pointless plot changes just because they could; everything that was great about the original is completely intact, and the mechanics that are kind of weird and dated these days have been updated to be less annoying or frustrating. Fun as hell Item Creation, awesome combat, and the story, while still not knowing when to shut the hell up at times (cough the prologue cough), is still fun to follow with some great twists for newcomers. This is the best Star Ocean by far. Buy it so hopefully Blue Sphere or maybe even Valkyrie Profile gets remade next. (pardon the low playtime, i beat this game on another platform but then bought it AGAIN on steam because i liked it THAT much)

Pickpocket a nuclear bomb from a soldier in a castle... Pretty sure that is not a safe way to protect the castle.