
Release Date: November 2, 2023
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is an action jRPG and a remake of the second installment in an iconic sci-fi fantasy series. The remake improves both on the audiovisuals and the gameplay.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a remake of an iconic jRPG, released in 1999 for the PS1. It was developed by Square Enix with assistance from Gemdrops.
The game is set in 2452, twenty years after the first game in the series. It stars two protagonists - Claude, a Human space federation officer, and Rena, a young Nedian girl.
While exploring an alien planet, Claude comes across a strange artifact that teleports him to Expel, Rena's home planet. Its community is very primitive, never having come into contact with advanced technology before. They deem Claude to be their prophecised hero, wielding the legendary Sword of Light (actually, just a standard Federation-issued plasma pistol).
Claude soon learns Expel was the side of a meteor impact, which brought forth hordes of powerful monsters. Alongside Rena and other heroes he must fulfill the prophecy and save the newly discovered world.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R retains the gameplay mechanics of the original game. It is an action jRPG, in which we explore the world, complete quests, develop characters and fight enemies using an arcade combat system.
Before starting the game, players must choose the protagonist between Claude and Rena, affecting the story and recruitable allies. Both participate in combat, alongside several allies. We can only directly control a single character. The rest are controlled by AI and influenced by simple commands.
In-between battles and adventures we can develop relationships with our party members through the private action system, letting us unlock various endings.
Compared to the original game from 1999, the interface and controls have been modernized.
The game is only playable in singleplayer.
As befitting a remake, Star Ocean: The Second Story R features significantly improved visuals, created from scratch. The game is 2.5D, combining 2D pixel art character sprites with 3D locations. The soundtrack was also remastered, while the character art was created anew by the series fan-favorite artist Yukihiro Kajimoto.
All story cutscenes are voiced, with players able to choose either the English or the Japanese voice tracks.
Platforms:
PC Windows November 2, 2023
PlayStation 4 November 2, 2023
Nintendo Switch November 2, 2023
PlayStation 5 November 2, 2023
Switch 2 July 15, 2026
Developer: Square Enix / Gemdrops (PC) / Gemdrops (PS4) / Gemdrops (Switch) / Gemdrops (PS5) / Gemdrops (NS2)
Publisher: Square Enix
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The remake of the iconic jRPG from the time of the first PlayStation is now available on Sony consoles, Switch and Steam. The game is receiving high ratings, and critics agree that the changes from the original are huge, and for the better.
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November 6, 2023
Star Ocean: The Second Story R, a revamped version of a classic 32-bit jRPG, has been announced.
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Top downloads for Star Ocean: The Second Story R Video Game:
trainer Star Ocean: The Second Story R - Trainer v.1.0-1.10 Plus 39 (29032024) - April 4, 2024
mod Star Ocean: The Second Story R - Experimental No Pissfilter No Vignette and Toggle Bloom v.0.1 - June 28, 2024
trainer Star Ocean: The Second Story R - Trainer v.1.0 Plus 39 (6032024) - March 17, 2024
System Requirements for Star Ocean: The Second Story R Video Game:
PC / Windows
Minimum System Requirements:
(30 fps / 720p) Intel Core i3-3210 3.2 GHz / AMD A8-7600 3.1 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 750 Ti / Radeon RX 460 or better, 20 GB HDD, Windows 10/11 64-bit.
Recommended System Requirements:
(60 fps / 1080p) Intel Core i5-3330 3.0 GHz / AMD Ryzen 3 1200 3.1 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 / Radeon RX 470 or better, 20 GB HDD, Windows 10/11 64-bit.
Game Ratings for Star Ocean: The Second Story R Video Game.
PC Invasion: 8.5 / 10 by Jack Salter
Star Ocean The Second Story R is a fantastic remake with a gorgeous visual style. The specialty and item creation systems create a beautiful harmony with the gameplay to make this one of the most satisfying gaming experiences of the year.
TheGamer: 4 / 5 by Ryan Thomas Bamsey
Without spoiling things, Star Ocean eventually devolves into schlocky cliché territory, but by that point, you’re firmly on board, ticket purchased and ready to see its journey through to the end. Star Ocean: The Second Story got the remake treatment for a reason - it’s a classic of the genre with compelling characters, wonderful storytelling, and oodles of satisfying mechanics. R goes to great lengths to streamline the Star Ocean experience and make it more beautiful (the new arranged soundtrack is glorious), and while it might have sustained a bit of the difficulty that made the original a triumph to overcome, it still squarely sticks the landing.
Nintendo Life: 9 / 10 by Mitch Vogel
In a year overflowing with outstanding new RPGs, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is among the very best of them. This revival of a PlayStation classic does a thorough job of mixing modern game design and artistic elements with old-school sensibilities to make for one of the most impressive RPG releases of 2023. A lengthy, player-driven story, thrilling combat system, gorgeous new visual style, and remixed soundtrack all come together to make this one of the easiest recommendations we can make to any RPG fan. If you're even vaguely interested in picking this up, we'd encourage you to do so as soon as you can; Star Ocean: The Second Story R is comfortably the best entry in this series.
Average score from votes.