![]() But we can’t completely ignore some of the ageing design elements which, today, might not be so easily be forgiven. It’s a memorable experience which serves to highlight how much better it is than more recent series’ entries, especially in terms of its characters and story. In terms of its fundamentals, then, this remains an excellent game. Thankfully, there’s a quick dodge mapped to the d-pad, enabling nimble movement around the battle arena. Remembering that the same applies in reverse is essential. Opponents benefit from the same system, so light-attacking something with a filled gauge deflects attacks, while heavy attacks will break defence. Standing still in the battle arena (which loads upon contact with an in-field enemy) restores the fury gauge and attacking diminishes it. There are also passive skills which enable certain boosts, and a fury meter which works not dissimilar to stamina. Up to three characters can take part in battle, but you directly control just one, and you can switch on the fly with a flick of the shoulder buttons. ![]() It was the first fully real-time combat system in the series based on combinations of long and short-range attacks which come in both the light and heavy variety, combos, skills activated by long pressing the corresponding attack buttons, and symbols (that’s magic, to the layperson). Later titles are grounded in the one developed here, showing just how progressive it was. There really is some intriguing storytelling here with a pinch of metanarrative that raises it above the confines of its usually rigid genre.Īs anyone who spends a lot of time playing the genre will know, Japanese RPGs often live or die by their battle systems, and this one doesn’t disappoint. ![]() This title really bookends the series timeline, leaving little room for movement beyond its space date. Those who manage to finish Till the End of Time will be greeted with some of the series’ most surprising twists, which perhaps explains why subsequent releases are set in the past instead. While Star Ocean games can more or less be played independently of each other (aided, as such, by the time chasm between each release), there are connecting themes that run throughout. We’re particularly taken with the blue-haired, gun-wielding leader of the quark, Maria Traydor, whose mysterious background unravels amiably throughout, revealing deeper questions about the nature of your party’s - and the galaxy’s - precarious situation. Exploring different planets, each with their own customs, traditions, and political issues, amid a war that crosses the galaxy is captivating, and you meet some genuinely interesting characters along the way. ![]() It’s a fairly simple premise, but one which works wonders for setting up the larger narrative. Escaping first to a battleship and later to an underdeveloped planet by escape pod, Fayt is separated from his friends and family, alone, not knowing whether he will ever see them again or, indeed, whether they’re still alive. It’s a rather compelling opening: you play as Fayt Leingod who, along with his childhood friend, Sophia, and his parents, is vacationing on the sunny, sand-strewn planet of Hyda IV when it’s attacked by a race known as the Vendeen. This was arguably the last Star Ocean title released which you might claim to genuinely shine without attracting discord. Thankfully, the story really keeps things moving along nicely. Turning the camera can often confuse matters even more as you realise that some areas are made up of the same stretch of elements oriented in a different direction. This being the first post-sprite 3D Star Ocean title, some of the settings – particularly dungeon-type areas – feel overly long and repetitive, often made up of cut-and-paste corridors. ![]() Its age is also apparent in some of the environmental design. ![]()
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