We’ve seen Sq. Enix port a whole lot of beloved RPGs from the unique PlayStation to fashionable platforms in recent times. Some have been high-quality. A number of have been disappointing. None of them appeared fairly worthy of the supply materials they have been working with…till Star Ocean The Second Story R. The Ultimate Fantasy maker’s newest blast from the previous isn’t simply the most effective model of an all-time basic: it units the brand new normal for PS1 RPG remakes transferring ahead.
HD-2D, The Distinctive Retro-Impressed Artwork Model, Took Off In 2022
Out November 2 on PS5, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Swap, Star Ocean The Second Story R is Japanese action-RPG studio Gemdrops’ renovation of Tri-Ace’s 1998 mash-up of sci-fi house exploration and medieval fantasy tropes and upgrades the visuals, provides voice performing, and introduces a bunch of latest quality-of-life enhancements and attention-grabbing gameplay tweaks. It’s helped me fall in love with one in all my favourite video games once more, and proves a retro remake can elevate the unique whereas nonetheless retaining the type and sensibility that made it so particular within the first place.
Purchase Star Ocean The Second Story R: Amazon | Greatest Purchase | GameStop
Gif: Sq. Enix / Kotaku
You play as both Claude, a starship captain’s son who will get stranded on a medieval planet referred to as Expel, or Rena, an elf-like orphan with magical powers who joins him to analyze a mysterious asteroid referred to as the sorcery globe whose influence unleashed monsters throughout the land. You journey the world over and ultimately to a futuristic sister-planet as you decide and select between varied characters—a three-eyed bounty hunter, a swordsman haunted by demon dragons—so as to add to your occasion. The story’s not all the time very memorable, however it does hold going till it will get to some actually bizarre and attention-grabbing locations.
There are over 100 distinct endings predicated on who you recruit and your relationship statuses with them, whereas normal dungeon crawling and button-mashing fight are fleshed out with a bevy of secondary talent methods that allow you to do every thing from crafting weapons to enjoying in an orchestra. I’m 10 hours into the sport on Swap to date and every thing is as I keep in mind it, simply a lot prettier, extra streamlined, and extra participating than both the unique recreation or its 2009 PSP remaster. I’m having a blast rifling by way of my previous Prima Star Ocean 2 technique information, which in some methods nonetheless feels obligatory given the sheer quantity of off-the-beaten-path facet content material and baroque talent timber.
A PS1 basic reimagined
Star Ocean: The Second Story’s sprite pixel artwork returns with an HD touchup for characters, NPCs, and enemies, however environments and backgrounds have been overhauled with an exquisite new 2.5HD look within the vein of Octopath Traveler. They don’t all the time retain the colourful colours and compositions of the unique pre-rendered scenes. Nonetheless, the brand new look usually made me really feel like I used to be exploring the sport for the very first time once more. Removed from trying jarring, the 2D pixel artwork towards 3D backgrounds appears like the most effective of each worlds.
The standard of the brand new English voice performing varies from character to character, however it helps enliven The Second Story’s notoriously belabored and verbose script (you may change it to Japanese or flip the amount off at any time from the settings menu). The superb soundtrack has additionally been newly organized by authentic composer Motoi Sakuraba so as to add actual string devices and dwell band performances. I nonetheless want the tinny, echo-y tracks designed for the PS1, although I believe anybody coming to the sport for the primary time will recognize the hotter, deeper sound of The Second Story R total.
Screenshot: Sq. Enix / Kotaku
The remake additionally shines throughout fight. That’s nice since that’s the place you spend roughly half your time. Random encounters now seem as small floating clouds on the map which you can shock assault or bypass altogether. The true-time fights nonetheless play out like chaotic scrambles, however some key modifications add new layers of depth. Enemies will be staggered in case you hit them sufficient occasions in a row, or parried in case you completely time a brand new dodge maneuver. The window is small and fickle, however it helps break up the monotony of spamming common assaults or particular skills. You may even name a collectible forged of characters from different video games within the sequence to behave as non permanent summons who will help you in battle. And any time you die in fight, you’ve got the choice to retry the combat somewhat than getting booted again to your final save.
Each defeated enemy additionally drops orbs which you can gather to realize non permanent modifiers like a 25 p.c injury increase. They’re worn out solely while you die or fail a parry, incentivizing you to be a bit extra meticulous throughout brawls. My favourite function by far, although, is the power to chain collectively a number of fights if enemies within the overworld get shut sufficient. Doing that makes the fights sequential, multiplying the cash and expertise factors you get on the finish. It makes grinding a bit extra attention-grabbing and far much less of a slog.
Gif: Sq. Enix / Kotaku
Second Story is a protracted recreation full of massive dungeons, tons of dialogue, and an amazing quantity of facet content material. Thankfully, whereas the basic RPG stays a bloated slowburn by up to date requirements, the remake streamlines proceedings in some essential methods. Each dialogue scene will be skipped, run at two occasions velocity, or paged by way of mechanically. A mini-map offers you a superb lay of the land, and even contains mission markers to cease you from wandering round confused within the face of obtuse storytelling. Plus beneficiant autosaving helps minimize down on misplaced progress.
In any other case, it’s the identical beefy mix of occasion constructing, merchandise crafting, fighter customization, and facet tales that wowed followers of the style many years in the past. There are six important video games within the Star Ocean sequence, and none of them has ever matched The Second Story’s beguiling mixture of attraction, magnificence, and overwhelming PS1-era overworld RPG sprawl. The remake showcases these excessive factors completely, and meaningfully improves within the areas that have been extra dated. The evocative, meandering story nonetheless can’t compete with period rivals like Ultimate Fantasy VII, Xenogears, or Suikoden II. However the total bundle stays irresistible to me, and has by no means been higher. I solely hope among the different authentic PlayStation RPGs caught prior to now can get the same glow-up they a lot deserve.
Purchase Star Ocean The Second Story R: Amazon | Greatest Purchase | GameStop
.
