Star Ocean: The Second Story

"Two distinct planets, two main characters, one less sci-fi tale."

Ok, I'm sure science-fiction is no longer an interesting theme for most people nowadays, where we can now see unbelievably flashy Gundams and some crazy alien make-up in Farscape, but at the time this game came out, I was, and at that time there was no other word for it, stunned. Deeply stunned. Stunned because, considering my mania for RPGs (and a limited number of Japanese PC games), I've never seen anything like it. It's true that we don't get that many sci-fi RPGs (this wasn't even as sci-fi as I thought), but there was something about Star Ocean 2, other than its sci-fi elements, that other RPGs just didn't have. What that was, well, it took me several hours after playing the game to find out.

Okay, we have cool real-time battles with some otherworldly stunts and spell clashes AND environmental effects. We have the magnificent option to create all sorts of items by cooking, crafting, forging, mixing, stealing, writing, etc. which we get by spending the Skill Points our characters gets each time they level up. We also have the option to watch additional events at our own leisure, and these additional events may affect our characters performance. What else can I say? The gameplay itself makes this game earn half its good marks. Could there still be anything else making this game worth playing?

Well, although the graphics are basically two-dimensional, everything is smooth and colorful. The various sprites are eye-soothing to look at, because they're expressions and actions are portrayed so clear. Most of the overworld is closely comparable to the graphics used in the original Saga Frontier, albeit the ones on this game being much better. While the world map is horribly, horribly designed; but the feel which we get when we travel from one place to another, I must say, is unique. It's slightly got that rare feeling of going on a trip.

About the music, Motoi Sakuraba, our legendary composer, has always had unique tunes up his sleeves. Star Ocean 2 is no exception. IT-IS-GRAND. The BGM is a bit excessive in a few situations, but for most of part, let's just say the music is good.

The sound effects are not bad too, except at the times when we fail in making our items (Believe me, this happens a lot. This item-making-thing takes quite a while to get a hold of.). The tones and chimes we hear with each action are not bad to hear.

So what the hell Star Ocean 2 is about? Basically, the story is about Claude Kenni's and Rena Lanford's journey to save the undeveloped medieval planet of Expel from destruction. A mysterious meteorite has crashed into the planet's surface and since then, strange and bizarre things have been happening throughout world. Things that even Ensign Claude Kenni of the “developed” Earth Federation spaceship Calnus, who is currently under a state of MIA, fail to understand. After a turn of events, both embark on a journey of discovery. Claude himself has his personal mission to find a way home, while Rena herself wishes to discover more about her mysterious origin. Little they know this will bring them into a million years old galactic conflict which threatens not only the existence of the planet, but also the entire universe.

Does the story sound cliché? It may sound not, but truthfully it is, at some parts. The story itself would be unbearable if not of the fact it is mostly character-driven; meaning that the characters troubles and development are what motivates our quests. These seemingly ordinary interactions between our characters, both from the “main” events and Private Actions (an option to split-up between party members during a visit to a town, the optional event thing I was talking about), are what make Star Ocean 2's storyline. Consequently, this also means that we spend a big number of hours of the game doing stuff that are completely irrelevant to the main plotline. Even the ending we get depends on how much we have interacted with our characters, both during battles and during Private Actions.

Another problem: while the main plotline does have its own twists and turn, you have to “unearth” it to get the whole of it. I mean, some optional events (which are usually started by those Private Actions, now can you see what they really do?) actually DO explain some courses of the main events. Some optional events actually trigger the appearances of other events. Some optional events DECIDE which party members you can get. There are a lot of mysteries in the game and it's quite unlikely to solve all of them in one go. It's surprising to see how far the idea of optional events can go.

Wait, am I trying to point out that the weak point of Star Ocean 2 is its storyline? Well, it is the part which may receive the lowest score, but I'm not saying the story's bad. At least it's got a mark of seven out of ten.

Oh yeah, have I mentioned that at the beginning of the game you have to “choose” who to play, between Claude and Rena? Although the two basically play the same storyline AND the “same” party, obviously details will be different. Other uncommon options this game has will be unfolded too. Such as a hard mode for maniacs and a bonus dungeon for those who consider themselves as advance players. Those freaks at tri-Ace really do know how to make things hardcore.

So, after all that, you're still wondering whether you should buy it or rent it? By all means, if you are an RPG fan, buy it. Nah, you don't even have to know about Star Ocean one before playing this one. Just remember that if, somehow, you manage to play it but never managed to finish it, I'm quite sure you'll start regretting and wonder how it'll turn out if you hadn't. Is that still not enough to describe the impact? (Yes, this might be a pun.)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/27/06