Review of Star Ocean: The Second Story R
Our Verdict
Star Ocean The Second Story R is absolutely stunning and could be the best-looking game of 2023. With a gorgeous 2.5D aesthetic, timeless story, and the ability to play the way you want with a range of skills, this is a great entry for new fans to start their Star Ocean journey and a faithful remake for existing fans to return to.
I have to admit something: I have never in my life played a Star Ocean game. I apologize; I know. Since I started working at an EB Games shop about 15 years ago, I've been highly familiar with the series, therefore there's no reason I shouldn't have gotten an epic RPG series entry with my staff discount.
However, I received an email from Square Enix last month inviting me to speak with the developers of The Second Story R. They promised me that I wouldn't need any previous knowledge to play the game to the fullest, so this gave me the chance to hear all I needed to know to begin my Star Ocean adventure. Thus, if you find yourself in a same situation as myself, I suggest reading this Star Ocean and our interview. To determine if this is the right entry point for you, read the Second Story R review to obtain the whole story.
A stunning, immaculate 2.5D style is used in The Second Story R, a reworking of the second part of the Star Ocean series. The game, although is almost 20 years old, seems very new and contemporary because of the incredibly colorful 2D pixel characters and sharp 3D surroundings. The dual protagonist concept lets you play again and discover a great deal more about the in-game world, and the tale itself is timeless.
In summary, you play either Rena or Claude, and your mission is to explore the planet Expel in order to determine the nature of a peculiar meteorite known as a "Sorcery Globe" and discover any connections it may have to the hordes of monsters that are overrunning the planet. Up to 11 additional party members may be encountered during the journey, each of whose unique story you can pursue using the Private Actions system (more on this later).
That's a very shortened account of what happened, however, since the real attraction of role-playing games, in my opinion, is their captivating narratives with plenty of twists and turns, which are always so much more enjoyable to actually experience than to read about in a review. To whet your appetite even more, however, anticipate world-ending situations in which you stand as the last chance, a narrative of a will-they-won't-they romance, and evil characters that pose a danger to more than just Expel.
After approximately a week and a half, I finished The Second Story R with Rena Lanford as the main character, and I got began with Claude C. Kenny. Regardless of the hero you choose to play as, the tale goes in a somewhat similar direction. However, it's fascinating to experience the brief moments when Rena and Claude are separated and see how they each engage with the group as a whole.
I mentioned the Private Action system before, but it's still one of my favorite features. Pressing Y on your Joy-Con will allow you to divide the group and take control of the protagonist you've selected whenever you visit a major city. The party members you've gathered are dispersed over the world at this point, and you may talk to them to start friendship-building activities, discover more about each character, and sometimes gain new abilities. Once you finish a new chapter of the main plot, these activities give the game additional life and inspire you to go back via the convenient quick travel option.
What annoys me, however, is the way the characters respond to significant story events. Is the end of the world near? Well, anything. Has a formidable new adversary made themselves known? Okay, let's get started. Why don't our heroes respond in a logical manner? You can sense the feelings they are trying to convey in every other little exchange and Private Action. It's a bit startling at times since it seems like more attention went into these scenes than the main plot. Though it's clear that this isn't a continual irritation, it's still important to note that this is one of the very few things that bother me.
Apart from engaging in Private Actions, I mostly dedicate my time exploring hub cities, honing each of my specialized abilities. This allows me to personalize my weapons, collaborate with my team to form a symphony, duplicate objects, and much more. There are a total of 28 specialist talents that allow you to play the game anyway you see fit and adjust the challenge level to your liking. These abilities appeal to the part of my brain that enjoys the grind and take the game above and beyond its current level, coupled with a distinct combat upgrading system.
You'll have difficulties, however, if you decide not to use these abilities to simplify your life. Star Ocean If it weren't for my saving grace in Earth difficulty, The Second Story R would have been punishingly tough. I began The Second Story R on Galaxy mode, which I believed meant medium, and died often in the first region. Now, I know that many gamers avoid the concept of playing a game on easy level. I was unable to get new weapons, and there was nowhere to grind. I'm not sure if I'm really awful at this game, but if the level wasn't lowered, I couldn't possibly progress.
I did attempt to go back to Galaxy at one point, but you may choose between difficulties at any time. You would not be surprised, however, to learn that I was given my ass again, so I switched it back. I'm all for playing whatever makes you feel good, so don't ever feel bad about playing easy. I am available to you.
Most of the time, I find the battle to be rather cool on my selected level. In The Second Story R, you engage in a few typical action-packed bouts as one of four characters on a team is controlled by you, with the other three acting automatically. You may assign a talent to the L and R buttons for easy access, or press X to enter a menu where you can use spells or goods, flee from combat, or alter the actions of the AI characters. Additionally, you may employ Assault Actions to execute some powerful follow-up strikes by equipping a character outside of the group with each directional button.
I did become a bit tired of the same battle situations again by the end of the game, so I tried to steer clear of a good portion of the random encounters. Having said that, we all know that I was playing on the simplest setting, so maybe if the obstacles are a bit more tough, you'll enjoy yourself more.
I'll stop talking about gameplay and my personal shortcomings now and just take a minute to praise the artwork. Star Ocean The pixel characters in The Second Story R have so much vitality for 2D sprites. Their expressiveness, sharpness, and compatibility with the more lifelike 3D backdrops are all excellent. This game, which I believe to be among the best-looking of 2023, has me in complete wonder and proves that not everything has to be human and lifelike.
The amazing new music has been rewritten to perfectly complement the game setting, adding to the overall experience. You may switch between the two soundtracks anytime you'd like, so don't worry if you're one of the die-hard fans who misses the original one.
I played the game on the Nintendo Switch, and I think that's the best way to play, hands down. Performance wasn't a problem for me, and it's great to be able to grind and leisurely browse the globe in handheld mode. The only little complaint I can think of is that the loading times may be a little bit longer than they would be on a console from the following generation, but they don't take away from the gameplay in any way.
As I managed to overlook a few on my initial playing, I want to finish the game again with Claude to get the whole image and possibly unlock every available character. I'm excited to see what happens this time around since I know there are various endings. As your first Star Ocean, I heartily suggest The Second Story R. It's what got me to eventually check out the other books in the series. I'm not sure, but it also seems like a very accurate replica with some fresh additions and enhancements to the quality of life that should appeal to longtime fans as well.
Check out our lists of the best JRPGs, best Final Fantasy games, and the best gacha games for something a little different if you're searching for even more of the best Switch RPGs out there.