Star Ocean Franchise - Tri-Ace gets it right a second time

  • 🏰 The Fediverse is up. If you know, you know.
  • Want to keep track of this thread?
    Accounts can bookmark posts, watch threads for updates, and jump back to where you stopped reading.
    Create account
I think SO4 started to let you go between planets a bit and is a little bit wider in its scope than the previous games which stuck mostly to one or two planets. SO4 was shit and killed the series for me, so I can't comment on 5 and 6. SO3 becomes more sci fi halfway through, but it doesn't really go into the space exploration aspect as much as you might hope. Star Ocean 2 sticks mostly to fantasyland and only bounces of spacefaring scifi once or twice when it needs to put its characters somewhere slightly different, and that's fine with me.

SO3 is probably the series' peak, but it admittedly got a do-over with a much improved International edition (which was what a worldwide release). But SO2 has a special place in my heart, and I'll probably pick it up at some point just to feel fuzzy for a bit.

Since I don't want to google - did the soundtrack get an upgrade, and have they added battle trophies? (trophies were such a big deal for me back in the day - then the next generation of consoles made them standard for all games, which killed it for me. But for a Star Ocean game I already like, I'm here for it.) Is there still a minigame of collecting battle voice clips?
 
Last edited:
lichen said:
I think SO4 started to let you go between planets a bit and is a little bit wider in its scope than the previous games which stuck mostly to one or two planets. SO4 was shit and killed the series for me, so I can't comment on 5 and 6. SO3 becomes more sci fi halfway through, but it doesn't really go into the space exploration aspect as much as you might hope. Star Ocean 2 sticks mostly to fantasyland and only bounces of spacefaring scifi once or twice when it needs to put its characters somewhere slightly different, and that's fine with me.

SO3 is probably the series' peak, but it admittedly got a do-over with a much improved International edition (which was what a worldwide release). But SO2 has a special place in my heart, and I'll probably pick it up at some point just to feel fuzzy for a bit.

Since I don't want to google - did the soundtrack get an upgrade, and have they added battle trophies? (trophies were such a big deal for me back in the day - then the next generation of consoles made them standard for all games, which killed it for me. But for a Star Ocean game I already like, I'm here for it.) Is there still a minigame of collecting battle voice clips?
Click to expand...
Don't know about a minigame but there's a new, remixed soundtrack by the same composer. You can switch back and forth between old and new.
 
lichen said:
SO3 is probably the series' peak, but it admittedly got a do-over with a much improved International edition (which was what a worldwide release).
Click to expand...
All that being said, there's some absolutely retarded shit in SO3 that I will now sperg about:

1) Obviously the plot-twist. Not the twist itself, but rather just how stupidly the way it's presented is designed to pander to gamers. I like simulated information universes and the machinations of the 4D explain a lot of weird shit (like the mysterious release of the Ten Wisemen), but then turning around and having the 4Ds be gamers playing an MMO is fucking gay
2) RNG crafting based on how much fol you put in. How the fuck is anyone supposed to understand how this system works without a guide?
3) MP death. It's a cool mechanic in theory but in practice it's not balanced because most enemies have anemic MP pools and can be decimated if you just switch to attacking their MP. Also makes Cliff useless because he has an anemic MP pool.

Jimjamflimflam said:
Does it ever become a space faring rpg game?
Click to expand...
No. There's no ship sections. God help us when Tri-Ace discovers Starfield though and tries to make JRPG Starslop for SO7.

BananaSplit² said:
Let's be real, if Tri-Ace weren't in a such dire financial situation, we'd be playing yet another port of Second Evolution instead and not that amazing remake from Gemdrops.

Say hi this handsome fellow btw
View attachment 5472755
Click to expand...
Thank you Japanese gaben I will buy your games in the future.
 
Last edited:
Jimjamflimflam said:
Went in blind and got star ocean on the ps2. Went in expecting sci-fi setting, space guns and space ships in a rpg.

Got yet another medieval sword and magic. Didn't play much beyond breaking my habit of fully exploring towns since so much was empty.

People seem to really like the series so it must be decent at the very least. Fully admit I went in completely blind.

Does it ever become a space faring rpg game?
Click to expand...
I had the exact same problems with SO2 and I personally hated it. The JRPG market is really lacking when it comes to proper sci fi. Only one I can think of is Phantasy Star (haven't played any yet) which does seem to have more space faring, but for the life of me I can't think of much else outside of Xenosaga (and well, I guess the Front Mission games as well)
 
I liked 1 and 2, 3 ended up being a slog, 4 was straight up hot garbage that thought it was going to be a savior of jrpgs (it wasn't), 5 and 6 are fun budget games, fight me.
 
Fcret said:
3) MP death. It's a cool mechanic in theory but in practice it's not balanced because most enemies have anemic MP pools and can be decimated if you just switch to attacking their MP. Also makes Cliff useless because he has an anemic MP pool.
Click to expand...
I played the shit out of 3 and never really touched that. Instead I found you could endlessly chain Fayt's Side Kick to ridiculous damage multiplier, which I found endlessly hilarious with all the god like moves possible.
 
If you want a super scifi game like star ocean try Rogue Galaxy. Easily accessed on PS4/PS5 and should be easy to emulate. The game also mixes in elements of steampunk


I'd also say the 3rd Star Ocean definitely has sci fi elements more so than what I've played of 1/2.

Cosmic Star Heroine as well


Xeno-Series will fit the bill if you haven't played those either.
 
Fcret said:
2) RNG crafting based on how much fol you put in. How the fuck is anyone supposed to understand how this system works without a guide?
Click to expand...
To be fair to Tri-Ace, that's like a staple of jrpgs. I remember wracking my head with the junction-summons system on FF VIII until I read about how different it was from linear scalation of stats.
 
Funny enough 5 isn't as terrible as people like to say. It definitely is average by far but not that bad and 6 people fighting at once is a godsend.
 
I think you people got the wrong idea of what Star Ocean was going for. And I think Tri-Ace does too.

Star Ocean was always supposed to be the isekai RPG. it is not a space-faring RPG. a advanced technology guy stuck in a remote backward civilization planet/girl meets a mysterious guy that fell from the skies wielding a special weapon, he must be the hero in the prophecies!

if Star Ocean played to the strengths of the isekai genre, Star Ocean would have been really great games.
 
huckbeine said:
I think you people got the wrong idea of what Star Ocean was going for. And I think Tri-Ace does too.

Star Ocean was always supposed to be the isekai RPG. it is not a space-faring RPG. a advanced technology guy stuck in a remote backward civilization planet/girl meets a mysterious guy that fell from the skies wielding a special weapon, he must be the hero in the prophecies!

if Star Ocean played to the strengths of the isekai genre, Star Ocean would have been really great games.
Click to expand...
The first game's protagonist isn't technologically advanced. He's a standard medieval villager fantasy protag that has to go back in time a few hundred years (and the differences end up not being too great from his own time, I think magic being stronger back then is the biggest difference). Just about the only narrative element all the games have in common is a technologically advanced race interfering with a far less developed race.

Anyway, as for SO2, I always felt like making the game have two routes was a big mistake. It ends up making both somewhat content thin, with the various party members having far less content per route compared to the first and third games.
 
Anyone know if a video showing the gameplay/graphics on the Switch vs. PC has been done? I haven't been able to find one. The reason I am asking is that I will hold out until they strip the Denuvo out of it in 6 months if the PC version is much better, but if the Switch version is identical, I'll just play that version.
 
Tor Lugosi said:
Anyway, as for SO2, I always felt like making the game have two routes was a big mistake. It ends up making both somewhat content thin, with the various party members having far less content per route compared to the first and third games.
Click to expand...
Not doing it this time but back in the day what we would do is start the game with 2 saves, one with Claude and one with Rena, and keep them up to the same plot points.
 
Baraka Obama said:
Playing SO2 R.

Anyone else just not feeling it?

It's just making me wish I were playing the PS1 version instead.
Click to expand...
I'm doing the fields of x and my enthusiasm is dropping a bit. It might be because I'm focused on getting to the "secret" dungeon and combat is somewhat easy despite being on universe mode.
The scout and bodyguard skills make it easy to level and im not sure if thats a good or bad thing. I'm also focusing on doing all the challenges as well as building skills and developing items so its more chore like than just playing the game.
I might enjoy my second run with Rena more if I'm not focused on doing everything and just play the game.
 
I lied I'm getting bored with 5. Is 6 good because I got Elena (?) and then I just couldn't do it anymore
 
Apparently SO2R on PS4/Switch is sold out on most places. PS5 copies are still plentiful. I'd like to find real numbers to back this up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom