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PRE-GAME

The time is SD 772. 

Fayt Leingod was your average 19 year old college boy Earthling on vacation with his family on the resort planet Hyda. All the guy wanted to do was kick back, relax, and play some battle simulator games while having childhood friend Sophia Esteed by his side. Suddenly, his quiet peaceful times are disrupted by a mysterious enemy attack on the resort, separating him from his friends and family.

Can Fayt find his way back to the ones he loves? What does the enemy REALLY want from Planet Hyda? Get ready for a story and game so big, it spans across an entire universe.

EYE-SPY

THE HOOK: SquareEnix RPG = MUST HAVE. I love the Star Ocean series and absolutely could not wait to get my hands on this one. Who WOULDN’T want to throw away over 50 hours of their life while running around as a gorgeous pixilated man? Crazy people, that’s who.

HOW IT LOOKS AND FEELS: Square has quite the reputation of being a graphics powerhouse. Just put the game into your PS2 and watch the opening sequence, it’s absolutely breathtaking. The main game play graphics are nice enough, but it’s when you get into the FMVs that you’ll be completely blown away. If there’s more realistic looking cut scenes than in this game, I don’t even want to know about them for fear my brain may implode. Square proves in Star Ocean that it not only leads the competition in graphics, it owns it.

Almost immediately in the beginning of the game you’ll be able to customize your controls in the battle style you’re most comfortable with. Catching onto the fighting system takes a little bit of time but once you’ve got the hang out it, you’ll be slashing and hacking like it’s second nature.

Running into an enemy on the field map switches you over to a battle sequence. Battles are done in real time, so you constantly have to be on your toes and completely alert. Environmental hazards like falling rocks can do damage to you and your team mates, so if you’re slow with your reflexes, you’ll probably be staring at the Game Over screen...many many times.

There are two kinds of basic attacks, Minor and Major. Minor attacks aren’t as powerful but are quick to strike an enemy. Major attacks are slower, but more powerful and can break through an enemy’s defense shield. Performing combos can be done by tapping or holding respective buttons in particular patterns that you’ll surely start stumbling onto immediately. The flow is smooth and if you get too overwhelmed, pressing the triangle button stops everything in battle and brings up a menu, allowing you to strategize or use items.

In the midst of battle you can switch which of the three characters you control, side-step attacks, and choose which opposing force to target. During fight scenes you almost always should be sure you have an adequate amount of “fury”, measured in a bar beneath your HP and MP. Fury can very quickly be recharged by simply standing still, and is used when you attack. Standing still with your fury at 100% produces a shield that can thwart off your enemy’s minor attacks.

Eventually you’ll gain special abilities called “symbology” which is just about identical to your basic white and black magic attacks in an RPG. Sweet...

HOW IT SOUNDS: The cheesy rock music in some areas gets lame...quickly. But where this game’s soundtrack really shines is in its full orchestral scores. You’d have to have the ear of a Neanderthal not to appreciate it, they’re absolutely beautifully done.

Voice acting for the most part is also nicely done. There are the occasional characters here and there whose voices will make you cringe, but they’re easily forgotten about every time Fayt opens his mouth and has that sexy, smooth, calm, nice guy tone. The fan girl in me, it rejoices with happy tears! Voicing for all main characters seems appropriately cast, if not a little stereotypical. Cliff has the deep “I’m a tough guy and I probably take steroids” voice, while Nel has an “I’m the tranquil mysterious chick” vibe going for her. For the love of God though, keep those two kids Peppita and Roger AWAY FROM ME. There’s nothing more annoying than two small whiny children trying to act cooler than they really are.

EXTRAS: There are plenty of extra things to do when you find yourself frustrated with looking for that CERTAIN person or thing to trigger your next event. Located in almost all towns and dungeons are things called workshops, where you can invent your own items and armor. You can expand your workshops and use cooking, crafting, smithery, engineering, alchemy, compounding, writing, or synthesis to create hundreds of items. Being the first to invent something gives you patent rights so you can compete with other inventors across the globe to try and gain the most prestige, respect, and a buttload of new items.

When you walk around on the world map, you’ll find that with each step you take you’ll be adding the section onto the map of your area. This is because to have maps for that particular area complete, you have to walk around every square inch of it. Getting your maps at 100% will award you with a 1/144 scale bunny. What do they do you ask? Well, I’m mean person, so I’m not telling; get them yourself you lazy bums. Anyone as obsessive compulsive as myself will of course try to collect them all.  

Also included in this game is multi-person battle mode. You and a friend can face off head to head with your favorite character for supreme bragging rights and the sole purpose to trying to drive each other crazy. Good times ahoy!

CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE: As mentioned, the FMVs make me salivate. Absolutely 100% jaw-dropping amazing. There aren’t a whole lot of games that can make me watch the opening over and over, but Star Ocean ...it’s in a whole league of its own. It’s good to know New York City is still dominant hundreds of years into the future, and now they have FLYING cars to boot!

BEST PLAYER: Battles are fought with 3-person teams, but you’ll have access to 12 different characters. It really depends on what your fighting style is; do you like fast characters with not as much power? Slow characters that can kick tushy just by thinking about it? Or are you more of healer and magic caster? Personally, I have to say the best character would be Fayt himself. He’s fast and can do some really nice powerful combos once you learn them. Plus he’s so pretty! Albel Nox is another good one too; swinging his sword all over the place...It makes me squeal in delight.

CHEAT CODE YOU NEED: *Snort* Cheat codes? How lame are YOU?

CHEAT CODE YOU WANT: Unlock all bunny dolls. It’s such a pain to tread all over a map and swear like a sailor because you can’t find that last .974% you haven’t stepped on.

OH MAN! MOMENT: This will probably be the only good advice I give for the rest of my life. If you do not like to endlessly level up for hours: This game will hand your ass to you in a nice little package. The end.

GLITCH ITCH: Fight scenes had a few slowdowns here and there when literally 20 things are happening on screen at the same time. They are few and far between though.

FAN SERVICE: Acrobatic girl in a tiny leather skirt? You got it boys. But to my fellow girl gamers, no worries. The boys are so hot. Fayt’s got the whole hidden angst muffin thing really working for him. Albel is the “I’m so secure in my masculinity I can pull off a purple cut-off top and skirt...looking...thing (have you seen how far it cuts down beneath his belly button though? Ohhhhhh....*drool*).

END GAME:

You tack on so many hours for this game without even realizing it. It’s one of my most highly recommended games ever though, PLEASE take the time to make it through the hour to two hour opening before you get into any real action, it’s SO completely worth it. I’ve already logged over 80 hours on this game, with many more planned to be added on.

This is NOT a game for the casual gamer. This is a hard-core all out RPG that’s not to reach the hands of newbies. Not to toot my own horn here, but before this game came into my possession, I didn’t even remember what a Game Over screen LOOKED LIKE. Star Ocean is flipping difficult. If you’re someone who can’t sit through 10 minute cut scenes, run away from this game and never look back! Run you fool! 

Multi-player is a total blast. Get a good friend who doesn’t suck out loud at this game, a 24 pack of Mountain Dew, a lot of free time, shake well and enjoy! The U.S. release of this game is the equivalent of the Japanese director’s cut edition which features the 2 additional unlockable characters, additional enemies and areas, the whole shtick. The game obviously is a 2-disk one, so stop being cheap and slap down the $50-60 bucks for it. I’ll give you an E-hug if you do.

Gameplay flow is smooth, graphics are great, and you can really get attached to your characters. When you first start playing, it might take you a few hours to get really into the storyline, but once you get hooked, you stay hooked. I haven’t played a game for two days straight, no sleep or food since Final Fantasy VI way back in the day (again, caffeine, it’s a good thing). I absolutely love this game to pieces.

Your two  other team mates during battle mode have surprising high amounts of intelligence, so you won’t find yourself stopping the battle every 30 seconds to revive someone. It can be frustrating to level up the magic users since they generally have very low HP and defense, leaving them open for a complete whipping if you don’t have their back every moment of the fight. This especially holds true in boss battles. Town shops will grow to love you since you can never seem to have enough Blueberries with you to heal HP.

I give this game two thumbs way up. It’s so much fun to play, but again, NOT for those who are just looking for something to pick up and play. The 2 hours I just spent writing this review...I could have been leveling up! I shuffle off, Star Ocean is love. Play it. It’s good times.

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