Game Information

Game Title: Star Ocean: The Second Story R

Platforms:

  • PlayStation 5 (Nov 2, 2023)
  • PlayStation 4 (Nov 2, 2023)
  • Nintendo Switch (Nov 2, 2023)
  • PC (Nov 2, 2023)

Trailers:

Developer: Gemdrops

Publisher: Square Enix

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 85 average - 97% recommended - 29 reviews

Critic Reviews

Atomix - Alberto Desfassiaux - Spanish - 90 / 100

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is much more than a visual remake of the PlayStation classic. Gemdrops reworked a lot of the gameplay system and also aded tons of quality of life improvements that resulted in a better game than the original. A 2023 surprise, no doubt.

CGMagazine - Chris De Hoog - 8.5 / 10

Star Ocean The Second Story R is a lovingly-crafted remaster of a golden age RPG that offers a replayable and approachably complex adventure.

Cerealkillerz - Julian Bieder - German - 8.8 / 10

If anyone says that 90s role-playing games are out of date these days, should take a hard look at Star Ocean: The Second Story. With the help of stunning 2.5D graphics and a few small improvements to the combat system and other gameplay mechanics, the title shines as The Second Story R in a splendour that rivals any other current RPG of the year. The depth of the original game, including side activities, take care of the rest

Checkpoint Gaming - Charlie Kelly - 8.5 / 10

Star Ocean: The Second Story R serves as a reminder from Square Enix that this is an RPG property not to be ignored. On offer is one of the most enjoyable of its genre I’ve played in some time with a heartfelt story, colourful cast, and a wonderful fusion of both fantasy and science fiction goodness. The quality doesn’t end there, though. Deep leveling and specialistion systems make for meaningful refining of your party, becoming more self-sufficient the further along you get. This complements some battle encounters that are deeper than many other RPGs on the market, always keeping you on your toes. One or two quality-of-life additions that could’ve been better implemented aren’t a worry for long when you also consider how gorgeous the world of Expel really is, with its characters popping off your screen. A killer title to convert newcomers and satiate longtime fans, this remake is one for all and all for one. Star Ocean forever.

Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - Essential

Star Ocean The Second Story R is what a remake should be — a project that finely tunes and updates the original. The attention to detail, the upgraded environments, and the changes to the combat deliver an incredible experience.

Destructoid - Andrea Shearon - 9 / 10

Star Ocean: The Second Story R recaptures all the otherworldly wonder of its PlayStation predecessor. The rough edges of the original are now smooth to the touch, and the enhanced visuals amplify that classic pixel art aesthetic in a way that few remakes pull off. It’s a thoughtful snapshot encapsulating RPGs of the era, retaining all the passion and whimsy I remember so fondly. I loved this look back at Star Ocean‘s past, and I hope this marks a new beginning for the series’ future.

Digital Chumps - Ben Sheene - 9 / 10

Star Ocean The Second Story R may well serve as the blueprint going forward if Square Enix or any other developer wishes to remake games from this classic era of RPGs. An unquestionably gorgeous art style uplifts all modern touches, breathing life into a 25-year-old game.

Everyeye.it - Antonello Bello - Italian - 8 / 10

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a must-buy for anyone who loved tri-Ace’s masterpiece, as well as an unmissable opportunity for any newbies to discover one of the best action RPGs of the 90s.

Final Weapon - Payne Grist - 4.5 / 5

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a masterfully done remake. The goal envisioned by the creators was to bring a classic game up to modern sensibilities, and they have truly outdone themselves. Star Ocean: The Second Story R takes the masterfully crafted systems of the original game, combines them with the updates from Star Ocean: Second Evolution, and wraps them up in a gorgeous and smooth package. Any qualms that can be found lie within things like the story and characters, which remain true to the original game. However, the ease of play, deep RPG elements, strong story theming, and revamped battle system more than makeup for any issues I have. Please, I implore you, to check out this absolutely astounding game.

GameSpot - George Yang - 8 / 10

Star Ocean: The Second Story R strikes a good balance of retro and modernity with its throwback visuals and new combat mechanics.

GamingTrend - David Flynn - 70 / 100

Star Ocean The Second Story R is a wildly inconsistent package, with the ending portions falling off greatly in quality, but still a mostly fun game. Battle and its surrounding systems can have a lot of variation depending on your party and how you choose to play. However, it lacks polish in many areas making it very difficult to want to finish.

Hey Poor Player - Kenny McKee - 4.5 / 5

Star Ocean The Second Story R is a true treat for both series veterans and newcomers alike, going far beyond the scope of traditional remakes and bringing The Second Story to a brand-new, and completely wonderful, level.

Kakuchopurei - Jonathan Leo - 80 / 100

Coupled with an inviting HD-2D look that combines pixel art and 3D graphics that really invites you to play/replay it for copious amounts of time, this Star Ocean remake is worth diving into. If you crave 90s JRPG action with a lot of unlockables and power-up options, optional party members with backstories to uncover, and fast-paced combat, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a no-brainer that will get you into its scifi hooks.

MonsterVine - Frank Wood - 4.5 / 5

They really did do a great job with this one, creating something fans of the game can fall back in love with, as well as creating what might be the best jumping-off point for new fans of the series. As I said earlier, I had NO intentions of going in as deep with this game as I did before I started writing, but here I am already wanting to go back to do some end/post-game things just because it was so enjoyable. This is a worthy entry into any RPG fans’ collection, and it does the original release great justice.

Nintendo Life - Mitch Vogel - 9 / 10

In a year overflowing with outstanding new RPGs, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is among the very best of them. This revival of a PlayStation classic does a thorough job of mixing modern game design and artistic elements with old-school sensibilities to make for one of the most impressive RPG releases of 2023. A lengthy, player-driven story, thrilling combat system, gorgeous new visual style, and remixed soundtrack all come together to make this one of the easiest recommendations we can make to any RPG fan. If you’re even vaguely interested in picking this up, we’d encourage you to do so as soon as you can; Star Ocean: The Second Story R is comfortably the best entry in this series.

NintendoWorldReport - Neal Ronaghan - 8.5 / 10

It’s an enjoyable action RPG with a wealth of player choice and a lot of charming quirky aspects. If you’ve ever been curious about Star Ocean and have an affinity for old-school action RPGs, this is a must-play. Even beyond that, the beautiful presentation might be worth the price of admission by itself.

One More Game - Chris Garcia - Buy

Star Ocean The Second Story R is a superb remake that takes an already content-heavy game and further improves the adventure with meaningful additions that enhance the experience by a wide margin. From simple quality-of-life conveniences to added crafting and customizing depth, Star Ocean The Second Story R does not disappoint.

Despite launching in between big releases, Star Ocean The Second Story R is a fantastic RPG experience that shouldn’t be overlooked. Fans of the original will be pleased with the breadth and scope that the remake offers, while newcomers can use this as a stepping stone to dive further into the series.

PSX Brasil - Thiago de Alencar Moura - Portuguese - 90 / 100

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a great remake not only of an excellent Action RPG, but of one of the best and most influential games of the golden age of JRPGs. With a unique and pleasant look, considerable novelties in its gameplay that will keep even long-time players engaged, and several quality-of-life improvements, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a must-have for fans of the genre.

Press Start - James Mitchell - 9.5 / 10

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a tremendous remake. It gives the original game a visual overhaul that is simultaneously modern and nostalgic. But it doesn’t stop there. It breaks open the mechanics to offer much more depth without destroying the spirit of the original. It’s far and away the best way to experience one of the best Star Ocean games and one of the best RPGs ever made. If you’re a fan of the genre, you owe it to yourself to check out The Second Story R. It’s an absolute gem of a game that’s endlessly playable and effortlessly stylish.

Push Square - Robert Ramsey - 8 / 10

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.

RPG Fan - Izzy Parsons - 92%

I can’t think of a remake of a game that feels more definitive than this one. All fans of the original deserve to play Star Ocean: The Second Story R, and so does everyone else.

Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 8 / 10

Star Ocean Second Story R is riding heavily on the new visuals and audios which made the fan’s favorite Star Ocean game even better, but the clunky manual dodge button they added and the major difficulty spikes are what’s holding this gorgeous remake back from becoming a modern masterpiece

Siliconera - Jenni Lada - 9 / 10

Star Ocean The Second Story is among its best games in the series, and I believe the R release cements its role as the strongest entry.

Sirus Gaming - Conrad Huang - 8 / 10

With everything said and done, I believe that this game is something worth getting on any console, especially on the PlayStation 5. My recommendation for those who wish to experience what it is like to play JRPG games during the early 2000s, they should get the demo first and if they are comfortable with it, get the full game as soon as it is released.

Spaziogames - Gianluca Arena - Italian - 8 / 10

Seeme like Square Enix has finally found a way to give value to its enormous catalogues of great JRPGs: after Live a Live and Tactics Ogre Reborn, Star Ocean Second Story R marks the third successful entry in this newfound current of remakes. A great journey for both veterans of the genre and newcomers.

The Games Machine - Danilo Dellafrana - Italian - 8.5 / 10

Star Ocean The Second Story R is an over-the-top remake that comprehensively improves on the original game, bringing the best-loved chapter of the celebrated tri-Ace series up to date once again. A few improvements tend to further crack the mechanisms of a game that was not particularly balanced to begin with, but overall it’s an old-fashioned JRPG experience that won’t fail to thrill fans of the genre.

TheGamer - Ryan Thomas Bamsey - 4 / 5

Without spoiling things, Star Ocean eventually devolves into schlocky cliché territory, but by that point, you’re firmly on board, ticket purchased and ready to see its journey through to the end. Star Ocean: The Second Story got the remake treatment for a reason - it’s a classic of the genre with compelling characters, wonderful storytelling, and oodles of satisfying mechanics. R goes to great lengths to streamline the Star Ocean experience and make it more beautiful (the new arranged soundtrack is glorious), and while it might have sustained a bit of the difficulty that made the original a triumph to overcome, it still squarely sticks the landing.

Video Chums - A.J. Maciejewski - 8 / 10

It was wonderful revisiting Rena and Claude yet again in STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R and it’s undoubtedly the best edition of their grand journey so far. I wasn’t expecting to be reminded of as much retro baggage as I was, though, but it’s still a great RPG. 🌌

Wccftech - Francesco De Meo - 9 / 10

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.

  • sub_o@beehaw.orgEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    This game looks good, and I’ve never played the old 2D Star Ocean games (the 3D ones I’ve played, Divine Force and Lymle Double Trouble, disappointed me)

    I guess I need to start with First Departure which I bought at a sale recently.