I was actually surprised how well this game managed to pull me in. I'm not really a big fan of traditional RPGs like Star Ocean, but something in it just clicked right with me.

It has a good premise and a solid starting point with decent core cast and the combat, while not exactly fantastic, still tried something new and I would say it succeeded most of the time. There is still some weight with builds, positioning and strategy but the combat is not turn-based, which makes it more streamlined and arcade-like. At certain point it might get pretty dull as mashing just one button or just letting your party nuke take care of the whole encounter seem more like a slowdowns in your adventure than actual challenge, but I would say most of the time the combat serves it purpose.

Then there is the story. While I praise and appreciate the starting point and the scifi premise, for a game called "Star Ocean: First Departure", there is surprisingly little space travel and scifi action involved. It might have some scifi scenes and elements here and there, but in reality it's just a medieval fantasy RPG in disguise. The characters are also bit bland and generic. Some characters feel like they're just stand-ins for some character trope.

Overall it's a decent game I enjoyed.