![]() ![]() There are also locations called Skill Guilds which provide knowledge about skills - which we will cover in a bit.Īs you complete the objective within a town, you have the option of returning to town in social events called Private Actions. Each town you explore has the usual suspects for any RPG: NPCs to interact with to provide contextual clues, an inn to recover health, mana, and heal from status effects, vendors, ferries to other port cities and more. These points of interest are typically towns, dungeons, or passages between locations. One addition from the original Star Ocean release is that First Departure gives you a mini map with points of interest highlighted on the map. In traditional 90s RPG style, you navigate most area from a (semi) top-down viewpoint with an overworked map in between locations. ![]() There is a whimsy when needed while darker moments are forecast in both color and sound. The visual details and musical score both come very close to capturing the essence of what made games like Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana so iconic beyond the reach of their age. Crossing both space and time, this crew must track down the demon king Asmodeus, save their families, and end a bitter war.Īesthetically, Star Ocean: First Departure R stays true to the 16-bit design, but does it in a way where it does not feel quite so dated. All of this leads to the discovery of the disease’s source: a demon king taken from Roak 300 years prior. Searching on behalf of the Earth Federation to discover why this planet was attacked and the purpose of this disease, the crew of the Calnus discovers a shadowy third-party behind the attack and the Lazonian’s desire for a peaceful end to conflict. Along the way, it is revealed that Dorne has contracted the disease and if fading fast.Ītop Mount Metorx, the trio is met by a flash of light and two strangers: humans from the startup Calnus. As a last resort, the trio makes their way to the top of a local mountain whose herbs are revered for their healing powers. Millie, a practitioner of the healing arts of symbology tries to heal her infected father, but with no luck. Transferable on contact, this disease transforms the infected into a stone-like state. Little do they know, things are about to get much worse for them and very, very weird.Ī strange disease was unleashed upon Roak by the Lezonian weapon. Their daily task is to protect their village and the surrounding area from mercenaries and thieves. Meanwhile on Roak, in the small village occupied by a humanoid feline known as Fellpool, three young, residents, Roddrick, Millie, and Dorne, serve as part of the Kratus Defense Force. Not all is peaceful within this universe a weapon has been unleashed on the unsuspecting planet of Roak by an alien race known as the Lezonians that would set off a chain of events reaching far into the past. Star Ocean: First Departure R begins with a lofty description of humanity’s present posture: explorers within a vast universe, an ocean of stars to navigate (hence, the name). In case you missed both Star Ocean and Star Ocean: First Departure (like I did), here is a quick plot synopsis: Within this review, we will be giving an overview without spoilers, examining the gameplay, progression systems, and some of the main themes found throughout the game before wrapping it up with a final score. This is a remake in the sense that First Departure R stays true to the classic Star Ocean look and the feel of a mid-90s real-time JRPG while adding voice over for main dialogue, animated cut-scenes, and some quality of life improvements over the original 1996 release. To set the stage properly, Star Ocean: First Departure R is not a remake in the same vein as the long-anticipated Final Fantasy VII: Remake. With six main-series titles as well as an unfinished manga and anime series, Star Ocean has an established history. Originally released exclusively in Japan on the Super Famicom in 1996 as the first Star Ocean title, then remade for the Playstation Portable in 2007, First Departure R is both a remake and a rerelease of the title that launched a franchise.
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