Easily the best Star Ocean game, and there really isn't even a close 2nd place. If Star Ocean wants to succeed in the future, I feel they need to go back to making them like they used to, and preferably with this art style. This game is absolutely gorgeous and a visual marvel to look at. I was swept away in how beautiful some of the game's locations looked...
I feel that they had so many unique ideas in Star Ocean 2, and for a game originally released in the 90's, it all culminates in one of the more impressive JRPGs of its era. I played the original game on the PS1 briefly, and really enjoyed it back then, but never actually beat it... I was glad to finally rectify that with this re-release.
The game offers you 2 main protagonists that you can select at the beginning of your adventure, multiple different characters you can recruit on your journey, an unheard of number of abilities and customization (within a JRPG especially), an old-school JRPG staple: a World Map, and a fun gameplay/battle system.
The story/characters were pretty standard fare - very much a 90's RPG, and I couldn't help but chuckle a little when I started hearing the names Metatron, Gabriel, and Lucifer being dropped in the 2nd half of the game. I enjoy those types of religious nods though. Overall, the game's story was serviceable. Voice acting could be pretty hit or miss, but the ability to change voice acting between English/Japanese, turn off the voices entirely, or switch between the different voice actors on a per character basis, makes this a non-issue. The customization here was pretty insane.
I loved the Remastered music throughout the game too. There are some seriously fantastic tracks that I will highlight at the end of my review (had to mix in some originals due to the lack of the remixed soundtrack being on YouTube, which is a damn shame). The ability to switch to the original songs is an incredible addition and should always be included in these types of remakes.
You can tell a lot of love and care went into this title. Here's hoping we get more PS1 era remakes in the future with this level of care and attention to detail. If you ever wanted to play a Star Ocean game, make it this one!
Stab the Sword of Justice - Battle theme
The Venerable Forest
Field of Expel
Lose One's Illusions
Theme of Rena
White the Heart
I feel that they had so many unique ideas in Star Ocean 2, and for a game originally released in the 90's, it all culminates in one of the more impressive JRPGs of its era. I played the original game on the PS1 briefly, and really enjoyed it back then, but never actually beat it... I was glad to finally rectify that with this re-release.
The game offers you 2 main protagonists that you can select at the beginning of your adventure, multiple different characters you can recruit on your journey, an unheard of number of abilities and customization (within a JRPG especially), an old-school JRPG staple: a World Map, and a fun gameplay/battle system.
The story/characters were pretty standard fare - very much a 90's RPG, and I couldn't help but chuckle a little when I started hearing the names Metatron, Gabriel, and Lucifer being dropped in the 2nd half of the game. I enjoy those types of religious nods though. Overall, the game's story was serviceable. Voice acting could be pretty hit or miss, but the ability to change voice acting between English/Japanese, turn off the voices entirely, or switch between the different voice actors on a per character basis, makes this a non-issue. The customization here was pretty insane.
I loved the Remastered music throughout the game too. There are some seriously fantastic tracks that I will highlight at the end of my review (had to mix in some originals due to the lack of the remixed soundtrack being on YouTube, which is a damn shame). The ability to switch to the original songs is an incredible addition and should always be included in these types of remakes.
You can tell a lot of love and care went into this title. Here's hoping we get more PS1 era remakes in the future with this level of care and attention to detail. If you ever wanted to play a Star Ocean game, make it this one!
Stab the Sword of Justice - Battle theme
The Venerable Forest
Field of Expel
Lose One's Illusions
Theme of Rena
White the Heart