{"id":134839,"date":"2023-09-18T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/#article-155015"},"modified":"2023-09-18T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T17:00:00","slug":"feature-jrpg-isnt-just-one-blanket-kind-of-game-star-ocean-the-second-story-returns-25-years-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2023\/09\/18\/feature-jrpg-isnt-just-one-blanket-kind-of-game-star-ocean-the-second-story-returns-25-years-later\/","title":{"rendered":"Feature: “JRPG Isn’t Just One Blanket Kind Of Game” – Star Ocean: The Second Story Returns 25 Years Later"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Star<\/a>
Image: Square Enix<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Saying that the original PlayStation was a treasure trove of RPGs<\/a> is a bit of an understatement. But even with that statement, Star Ocean: The Second Story<\/a> remains a standout to many RPG fans. Its blend of sci-fi and classic fantasy, action combat, and crunchy synth tunes hit a particular chord back in the late \u201890s. This was the West\u2019s first exposure to the Star Ocean<\/strong> series \u2013 and for many, the series has never reached those highs from 1998.<\/p>\n

But Star Ocean is a series that started way back on the Super Famicom. Despite its Nintendo origins, Star Ocean has often remained adrift from Nintendo platforms. 2001\u2019s Blue Sphere<\/a> \u2013 a Game Boy Color spin-off and sequel to The Second Story \u2013 and Star Ocean: First Departure R<\/a>, a remaster of a PSP title, remain the only two other games in the series to release on a Nintendo console.<\/p>\n

The original PlayStation title is probably the most popular entry in the venerable series, and that explains why Star Ocean: The Second Story R<\/a>‘s initial reveal was so well received. This is a remake of a PlayStation favourite, and it launches on 2nd November 2023, just months after the game\u2019s 25th anniversary in Japan (30th July, 1998). There\u2019s no better time to release a remake in our mind, and that\u2019s what the developers seem to think, too.<\/p>\n

\"Star<\/a>
Image: Nintendo Life<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe received a request from Square Enix to do something memorable\u201d Gemdrops CEO and director and producer of the remake Yuichiro Kitao<\/strong> told us in a recent video call. \u201cWith the release of Star Ocean 6<\/strong> [The Divine Force<\/a>] last year, we were able to get newcomers into the series, but we also wanted them to understand what the Star Ocean series is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kitao-san was joined by Motoi Sakuraba<\/strong>, the series\u2019 composer, who says that the series \u201cmeans a lot\u201d to him. It\u2019s clear that this remake is one built from passion \u2013 to give the fans what they want, but also reintroduce a classic to the world and make it more accessible.<\/p>\n

A Sea of Stars<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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With the release of<\/em> Star Ocean 6<\/em> last year, we were able to get newcomers into the series, but we also wanted them to understand what the Star Ocean series is.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The series\u2019 history is important to understanding just why The Second Story is held in high regard among RPG fans. Star Ocean<\/a> on the Super Famicom is notable for being tri-Ace\u2019s very first video game. The studio was formed by former Wolf Team staff who worked on another franchise-starting action RPG on the Super Famicom \u2013 Tales of Phantasia<\/a> \u2013 and similarly, the game broke many visual and audio boundaries. Its intensive visuals demanded the use of a special compression chip, the S-DD1, plus it used voice acting and real-time combat (or as real-time as the Super Famicom could handle).<\/p>\n

The original Super Famicom game never came out in the West because Enix America stopped publishing games in 1995 due to poor sales. Instead, anyone who wanted to try the first Star Ocean game had to do so via emulation and a fan translation from DeJap Translations, who also created the popular fan translation for Tales of Phantasia. We\u2019d have to wait until the PSP remake to get an official taste of the series\u2019 origins.<\/p>\n

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Image: Nintendo Life<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What makes Star Ocean so unique compared to many other RPG franchises is how it handles characters and character interactions. Private Actions are additional scenes that allow you to spend more time with supporting characters in your party, and build up an affection meter that can affect the endings. For the earlier titles in the series, depending on the choices you make and the characters you recruit to your party, you may be locked out of having certain characters in your playthrough, or you may have to recruit them much later. A completionist’s nightmare for sure, but it makes choices and actions feel consequential and encourages multiple playthroughs.<\/p>\n

All of this was present in Star Ocean: The Second Story on PlayStation, which ended up being most people\u2019s introduction to the series. A pretty in-depth crafting system was added \u2013 which ends up being vital to getting through the later portions of the game \u2013 and you had the option of choosing between two protagonists: Claude C. Kenny, an Ensign of the Pangalactic Federation and son of Ronyx J. Kenny from the first game, and Rena Lanford, a young girl who lives on the underdeveloped planet of Expel.<\/p>\n

What is a JRPG?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Star Ocean: The Second Story R takes the beloved classic and turns it into something that feels both nostalgic and new. It\u2019s not a port or rerelease of the PSP remake Star Ocean: Second Evolution<\/a> in the same way that Star Ocean: First Departure R was for the first entry. It retains the essence of the original pixel-art action RPG while making modern improvements to the visuals and gameplay \u2013 but not enough to stray from its roots.<\/p>\n