Are you ready for a reborn adventure among the stars? Square Enix has been diving back into its history to bring back games from the past and give them new life. The 2.5HD style has granted them new styles to work with, and the next game to get that treatment is Star Ocean The Second Story R. The game won’t just get the visual upgrades that past titles have, but updated battle mechanics, the choice to listen to Japanese or English voice actors, and more. The title is arguably the most beloved entry in the RPG franchise, so seeing it reborn for modern consoles will be quite a treat.
For those who haven’t played the game, Star Ocean The Second Story R starts with a young man named Claude from a spacefaring race. When he ends up on a more primitive planet, he meets a young girl named Rena, and the two become intertwined in a battle to save the entire universe! One of the game’s hooks is that you can play as either Rena or Claude and then experience the entire game from their viewpoint. To that end, certain characters will join your party based solely on who you choose. That means you can play the game twice and technically get new experiences.
Furthermore, your relationships with the various team members you get will affect the endings you receive. So you’ll want to get to know them better and possibly get “deeper” into some relationships over others.
The combat is one of the hallmarks of the title, and the remake blends new tactics with classic gameplay to deliver a fast-paced experience. You’ll have a party of four and go to work doing various moves to deal damage. If you do enough damage to a foe, you’ll “Break” them and leave them open to even more attacks!
That’s still not all, though. The game will allow you to grow your characters and the skills that they wield so that you can do more things and craft special weapons and armor. You’ll need them because, as the launch trailer shows, there is a powerful group of people trying to wipe out all life in the universe. You’ll need to band your allies together and make them as strong as possible to save everyone in every world.
So you tell us, are you ready to fight for those close to you? Will you fulfill the promises that you make to others?
You’ll find out when Star Ocean The Second Story R comes out on November 2nd.