I had never played a Star Ocean game before this, and needless to say I was pleasantly surprised by it. I knew of the series but wasn’t sure where to start and this remake gave me a perfect entry point.
First of all, the game is just gorgeous. Everything about the HD-2D style employed here combined with the diorama-esque environments easily make this one of the best looking games to come out of 2023 and arguably the last decade depending on your feelings on the style. The lighting is great, and exploring the world is just a treat knowing every time you find a new area you can see how the art brings it and its inhabitants to life.
The combat is enjoyable, with the game striking a good balance between casters and melee units all wrapped in a fun, action packed bundle. Every character has a unique playstyle giving the player plenty of options on how they want to tackle fights. It feels very Tales-like in the way battles play out with everyone having unique arts and attacks as well as gear to customize them.
I found the story to be decent, but the game really tries to sell its characters to you and mostly succeeds. You’re able to recruit various characters you find in your travels through interactions (most of which are missable), and doing so will often lock you out of recruiting others allowing for replay ability in the future. In theory, you could have a completely different party than another player barring the protagonists which I find to be a neat idea. The cast all has unique personalities and goals that make the game a fun time in in its reasonable 20ish hour runtime (give or take some hours depending on how much side content you do).
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention how much the game encourages you to completely break it with its crafting and talent systems. Characters earn points doing things like battling and completing quests which you can funnel into different skills like Art, Writing, Cooking, etc. Some of these can allow players who know what they’re doing (and honestly those who just mess around with the systems enough) to acquire high level gear, power level their characters and their talents, and plenty of other things that can completely trivialize the experience which most players recognize as a Star Ocean staple.
Overall, whether you’re a fan of the series or not, I’d urge any RPG fans to check this one out. It’s a solid game and one that I think is gonna be considered a modern classic in the coming years.
First of all, the game is just gorgeous. Everything about the HD-2D style employed here combined with the diorama-esque environments easily make this one of the best looking games to come out of 2023 and arguably the last decade depending on your feelings on the style. The lighting is great, and exploring the world is just a treat knowing every time you find a new area you can see how the art brings it and its inhabitants to life.
The combat is enjoyable, with the game striking a good balance between casters and melee units all wrapped in a fun, action packed bundle. Every character has a unique playstyle giving the player plenty of options on how they want to tackle fights. It feels very Tales-like in the way battles play out with everyone having unique arts and attacks as well as gear to customize them.
I found the story to be decent, but the game really tries to sell its characters to you and mostly succeeds. You’re able to recruit various characters you find in your travels through interactions (most of which are missable), and doing so will often lock you out of recruiting others allowing for replay ability in the future. In theory, you could have a completely different party than another player barring the protagonists which I find to be a neat idea. The cast all has unique personalities and goals that make the game a fun time in in its reasonable 20ish hour runtime (give or take some hours depending on how much side content you do).
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention how much the game encourages you to completely break it with its crafting and talent systems. Characters earn points doing things like battling and completing quests which you can funnel into different skills like Art, Writing, Cooking, etc. Some of these can allow players who know what they’re doing (and honestly those who just mess around with the systems enough) to acquire high level gear, power level their characters and their talents, and plenty of other things that can completely trivialize the experience which most players recognize as a Star Ocean staple.
Overall, whether you’re a fan of the series or not, I’d urge any RPG fans to check this one out. It’s a solid game and one that I think is gonna be considered a modern classic in the coming years.