Star Ocean: Till the End of Time

"Not the brightest star in the galaxy, but still pretty damn good."

To me, it seems as though Square-Enix was never able to produce a good, fun, and original game ever since the former two companies merged into one. Drakengard and Front Mission 4 were boring, as well as Unlimited Saga, which despite the fact that I applauded it for its originality, came with its own set of flaws. Final Fantasy XI was online, and I don't play online games (sorry, but I don't). Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was supposed to be a good multiplayer game, but it required a Gameboy Advance to play (which I don't have, or want), as well as an extra friend or three. Oh, and believe me, I have TONS of friends who have Gameboy Advanced, a fondness for RPGs, a yearning to play Crystal Chronicles, and the time to come over my house and play it. TONS.

I was dearly hoping that Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (from now on referred to as SO 3, since this is supposedly the third game in the Star Ocean series) would quench my thirst for a good RPG, since Disgaea was surprisingly repetitive (how can you people spend over 100 hours on it?), Fable got less than stellar reviews, and the awesome Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne would not come out for another month or so. So, I decided to pick up SO 3, contained within its shiny box (not case, but BOX), from the local game store. After about 30 hours into it, I think I'm ready to say what I have to say about this game.

To make this review easier, I'll simply split it into “what's good about the game” and “what's bad about it” sections. Since I'm SUCH an optimistic person, why not start out with the positive?

Positive Aspects:

+ The battle system, for sure. The only reason to play SO 3 is to experience its amazingly deep battle system, a system that is simple to learn, but difficult to master. It's near perfect, since not only can RPG newbies get into it with relative ease, but hardcore RPG gamers can continue to discover new things and master the combat system's every nook and cranny. Battles are conducted in real-time, so you no longer have to sit and watch every enemy and ally on the battlefield stand around, sipping tea and munching on crumpets as they kindly wait for someone to take a turn. If you want to survive even a single battle, you'll have to be vicious while at the same time being careful and strategic, since SO 3 does not reward you on making stupid decisions while in the midst of crashing swords, flaming magic, devastating explosions, and ruthless enemies.

Upon entering battle, your characters will appear along with the enemies on some vast battlefield. You can begin moving at once, delivering slow, but strong moves as well as quick, but weak attacks. You can easily form combos using these two attacks, and even longer combos by throwing in some battle skills, which are used by holding down the attack button they correspond too. Depending on how far you are from an enemy, weak/strong attacks will be executed differently. For instance, Fayt, the main character, will deliver a powerful sword attack at short range when you command him to use a strong attack, but will rush into an enemy and slash it into the air at long range. SO 3 even allows you to block weak enemy attacks (since they have weak and strong attacks as well) by not even including a block button. Instead, each character has a stamina gauge of sorts that empties for every action they take. At 100% stamina, or fury, as the game calls it, you can have your character stand still, allowing them to block weak attacks. Throw in magic, the ability to quickly switch between three different characters, and cool battle skills, and you've got a reason not to go back to turn-based boredom. Believe me, you'll actually look forward to leveling up when it comes time for a difficult boss.

+ Customizing your characters is also fun. Every time a character levels up, they gain CP as well as skill points that can be spent on HP, MP, attack, and defense increases. CP limits the battle skills you can equip on a character, since every battle skill takes up some CP. You can map six skills at once two a character: two skills to use at short range, two at long range, and two skills that act as support skills, which means they take effect as soon as they are equipped. It's pretty cool realizing you don't have to select these skills from a menu.

+ Some RPGs have mini-games/extra that are so in-depth and large in scope that they could be considered “a game within a game.” SO 3 features item creation, which literally allows you to create your own items using one of the workshops scattered across the game world. By assigning your own characters, as well as other recruit-able workers, on “lines” (think assembly lines), you can either create a random item based on what items the characters specialize in, or you can add different effects to certain items though a “specify plan” option. The amount of options is immense, making item creation a welcome feature in SO 3.

+ Character models and scenery are amazing to look at. Rivaling and maybe even surpassing the graphics found in Final Fantasy X, the graphics here are dazzling and maybe even drop-dead gorgeous. Unfortunately, the game's camera can be pulled back quite a bit in some areas, meaning you might miss some of the environments' more tiny details. I'm no expert at explaining graphics, so let's just leave it at that.

+ SO 3 forces you to choose 2 out of 4 possible characters that can join you party. These extra characters will be the ones who join you in the final battle, so its important that you choose wisely. In my opinion, this is a welcomed addition as well, since in order to keep all four of the extra characters, you'll have to play the game twice. Some may be turned off by this features, but I honestly enjoy it.

Now, it's on the bad points of SO 3. Though there are more bad points than good, most of the bad points are minor, and the battle system pretty much softened my anger towards the game as I experienced these flaws.

- Even if SO 3 had boring, turn-based battles, no real extra features, and ugly graphics, I would still applaud it if it had a good story, as well as a good set of character. I am utterly bewildered at the fact that SO 3 is really, really lacking when it comes to this. Just like Xenosaga, SO 3 features this huge dictionary filled with a crap load of complicated terms, yet its shocking realizing that none of these terms could have been used to form a compelling story with likable characters. Xenosaga did this for me, no problem, while SO 3 fell flat in on its face trying to deliver something of epic quality. It's a real shame.

SO 3 tells the tale of Fayt Leingod, the typical “fit, sword-wielding, white, spiky/long haired kid” who is separated from his family and childhood friend Sophia during an attack from some unknown force that is aimed at the vacation resort he is staying at. The whole story appears to follow the sci-fi genre at first, but for about the next 20 hours you'll be exploring the underdeveloped planet that Fayt ends up crashing on after escaping. By underdeveloped, I mean the planet has this whole medieval look to it. From here, Fayt meets up with a bunch of stale characters (and by stale, I mean a box of open crackers that have been sitting in the pantry for four months stale), trying to make sense of what is going on and how he can unite with this loved ones. Been there, done that.

What makes things even worse is the boring (and I mean sleep-inducing boring) cutscenes that follow each gameplay segment. Prepare yourself for some of the most annoying voices to ever curse an RPG (don't even get me started on Farleen), constant psychobabble that will really place you at the edge of your sanity, and delayed reactions that take what feel like an eternity to occur. For instance, take the scene when Fayt is told by Sophia to make his way to an escape pod as he his separated from his parents (note: this is not the actual dialogue that is said in the game, but it still gets the job done):

Sophia: Fayt, leave your parents behind, you must save yourself!

Fayt (who is staring off into space): ............ ........ .................. ............. ..... ...... NO!

See what I mean? It's like everyone he's got ADD or something.

Now, onto SO 3's major flaw..............

- No originality. At all. I hate to say it, but less RPGs should be released nowadays, due to the fact that they aren't really “getting us anywhere.” Each RPG takes us back to the same experience, over and over again. Square Enix shouldn't have released this RPG during a time when the genre continues to get less and less innovative with every new release (the atrocious Tales of Symphonia comes to mind). And what exactly do I mean by no originality? Lets see:

......... The story and characters take off a bajillion (I'm perfectly aware that's not a real number) points in the originality category, no doubt about it. Not once was I interested in what the characters were feeling, or thinking, or saying, and it's just because they're so.......dead. Come on people........am I the only one who wants to see a drug dealer who faces self-morality issues in an RPG? A pregnant teen in desperate need of cash and a loving, non-abusive husband in an RPG? A high-school nobody whose going to end his/her life because she's utterly depressed in an RPG? How about homosexual characters, huh? Where have I seen BLACK people in an RPG? Huh? How about people with Asian names who are actually Asian? Where are those characters? Where are the REAL characters? The ones who ACTUALLY EXIST, you know, in OUR OWN WORLD?

......... RPGs really need to get rid of stats and levels, such as the ones found in SO 3 and pretty much every RPG to date. It feels weird being able to trounce this mammoth boss just because your “numbers” are bigger than its, and overall it makes any RPG feel very constrained. Some developer must come up with a way to still have character customization, WITHOUT stats. I would rather learn new skills at complete random rather than having to reach a very specific level of power (thank God we have the Saga franchise for that!).

......... Why, oh why, oh why must I continue to enter towns with dull, insipid NPCs who do nothing but stand around? WHY? When I think of a “town” in general, I see people walking through the streets, tending to their daily business, and basically just DOING STUFF. Am I the only one who hates seeing my character run through a town, buying and doing stuff, while all the other residents stand around like lifeless drones? SO 3 also falls under this shameful category. Let's hope Fable can fix this problem, since its supposed to have NPCs who actually live. That's right, LIVE.

.......... Since when do lizard men, flaming blob monsters, and scaly dragons carry purses? RPGs need to be rid of enemies who drop money, period. For those of you who think I am nagging, take Baten Kaitos, a game where you earn money by selling of pictures. Bravo, Namco. Xenosaga II doesn't even have money. I haven't played it yet, but let's hope it's for the better.

.......... Okay, so you say I can defeat these lizard men, flaming blob monsters, and scaly dragons, but I can't walk past this wooden fence? Why can't I walk past this tall grass? Like most RPGs, SO 3 features a fenced world, meaning it gives the illusion you're in this huge, interactive world, when really, you're not. It's amazing how you'll not be able to break down a locked, wooden door, or walk over a small, 2 foot barrier, yet you'll be able to spill the blood of countless monstrosities with your brutal, heavy weapons.

............ Why don't my characters ever go to the bathroom? Honestly, if my characters are real people, won't they have to empty their bowels every now and then..........haha, I'm just kidding on this one. Thought I really meant it, didn't you?

No, I am not nagging. Nearly every RPG to date features everything I have mentioned above. In a lot of ways, RPGs haven't changed since the very beginning of the genre, and most of you know it. I'm sick of the flashy features and stupid gimmicks (Introducing the new Sphere Grid! Why not try out the Private Actions system! Hey, take a look at the Search feature on the Overworld Map!) that are plaguing the beloved RPG genre. We need RPGs with innovation. Though I haven't played games like Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, I am already amazed by its truly original story, demon recruiting, and alignment system. Those aren't “gimmicks,” since they are NOT optional features that you can try out at anytime, and actually contribute a lot to the gameplay in a good way. I'm not calling it revolutionary, but it should be pretty damn close. If an RPG doesn't feature something revolutionary, it should have a good story and likeable, REALISTIC characters, which are supposed to be included in Shadow Hearts: Covenant, a game that I haven't played as well, but want to.

Conclusion:

Now that I'm done babbling, I want to wrap this review up by saying that I really, really enjoyed playing SO 3. However, in terms of originality, it really didn't float my boat. It's got an awesome battle system, no doubt, but hey, I think we ALL need to experience something great when playing an RPG. I'll let this one slide for now, but the next RPG I play...... it better impress me, or I might have to kiss this genre goodbye.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/24/04, Updated 12/13/04