Star Ocean Universe

Star Ocean & tri-Ace fansite

Star Ocean: The Second Story & Second Evolution

Star Ocean: The Second Story

Genre: Action/RPG

Developer/Publisher: tri-Ace/Enix

Platform: PSone

Players: 1

Japan Release Date: 30 Jul 1998

US (NTSC) Release Date: 31 May 1999

EU (PAL) Release Date: 12 Apr 2000

Official Sites: N/A

 Star Ocean: Second Evolution

 Genre: Action/RPG

 Developer/Publisher: tri-Ace/Square Enix

 Platform: PSP

 Players: 1

 Japan Release Date: 2 Apr 2008

 US (NTSC) Release Date: 20 Jan 2009

 EU (PAL) Release Date: 13 Feb 2009

 Official Sites: Japan | NA | Europe

 
The game provides a unique culmination of two characters stories, Claude C. Kenni & Rena Lanford. While unique these two characters are heavily intertwined in ways they would never originally imagine. At the beginning of the story Claude is basically messing around with his fathers (who is Ronyx J. Kenni, aged 58) work colleagues until he unwillingly stumbles across a mysterious energy field which despite orders from his fellow colleges to stand back from it he chooses to inspect it further. This transportation ends up sending Claude to an underdeveloped world known as Expel. Shortly after these events he comes across Rena which from there unearths a struggle to see whether Claude try find a way hope while attempting to shake claims on been a “Hero of Light” and getting wound up in the events of Expel, will Claude ever see his father again?

 

The game typically uses a combination of 2D (mainly towns/dungeons) and 3D views (mainly outside world/battles), as well as sprites to represent the characters. Battles occur randomly and take place in an action environment where you control 4 characters and can switch between them freely during battle. This applies to both the original and the remake.

A main feature of Star Ocean titles, and this one in particular is the abundance of Private Actions, which can allow for further character recruitment's and influence which of the 80+ endings you will view at the end of the game. There is also the return of Item Creation, where you can potentially create an endless array of powerful items and weapons to assist you on your journey.

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The PSP remake, Star Ocean: Second Evolution has added a wealth new content and changed some aspects of the game. From renaming some characters and adjustments to the screen ration to fit the PSP. But more importantly new artworks, a fully voiced dialogue with new voice actors and some new stylish anime cutscenes to add to the original ones available in the game. Last but not least it also features yet another appearance from the mysterious Welch Vineyard, just like with Till the End of Time and First Departure before it.