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
Similar Games:
Star Ocean the Second Story R features many achievements. Find out how to get them all in this guide.
How to
Ewa Ichniowska
November 9, 2023
The best weapons in Star Ocean The Second Story R will make your progress through the game much easier. Find out how to get them early on in this guide.
How to
Ewa Ichniowska
November 8, 2023
Star Ocean The Second Story R features many playable characters you can recruit. In this guide, we present tips on who to choose to build the best party.
How to
Ewa Ichniowska
November 7, 2023
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.
video games
Michal Harat
November 6, 2023
Star Ocean: The Second Story R, a revamped version of a classic 32-bit jRPG, has been announced.
video games
Jan Kopacz
June 22, 2023
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.
Push Square: 8 / 10 by Robert Ramsey
Star Ocean The Second Story R is exactly what it needs to be: a faithful remake of a classic PS1 RPG that greatly enhances the experience for both new and returning players. A wonderful visual overhaul combined with numerous quality of life improvements and expanded battle mechanics make this a borderline must-play for anyone who's looking for an old-school adventure. Although the underlying PS1-era design does still have some rough edges - particularly in the storytelling and combat balance - it's hard to knock such a well crafted revival.
Wccftech: 9 / 10 by Francesco De Meo
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is, hands down, the best entry in the series, and one of the best remakes ever made. With the excellent combat reworking, massive slew of quality of life improvements and impressive 2D-HD visuals that make the game's simple yet engaging story and charming characters even more enjoyable, Gemdrops has set a very high bar for classic JRPGs remakes that will be very difficult to top.
Cinelinx: 10 / 10 by Becky O'Brien
If you haven't had the chance to play Star Ocean: The Second Story R yet, then the Nintendo Switch 2 version is the best place to start. The game plays incredibly well on the console and provides the perfect leaping on point for those new to the series. Highly recommend picking this game up.
Average score from votes.
![[2:49] Star Ocean The Second Story R - Game Update Trailer](https://cdn.gracza.pl/galeria/filmy/640x360/1220428250.jpg)
