As far as Japanese RPGs go, the Star
Ocean series has long been one of the most underrated franchises to come out of
Square-Enix. The series, which draws its roots way back on the Super Famicom
(the first game never saw a formal release in the US until Star Ocean: First
Departure hit the PSP last fall), hasn’t really enjoyed the same runaway success
as other “Squeenix” franchises like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, but has
still managed to be a pretty compelling series with great story elements and fun
gameplay. Now, keeping in line with the publisher’s recent policy of updating
their classic games, Square-Enix has updated and launched the second title in
the Star Ocean universe on the PSP with Star Ocean: Second Evolution.
While not exactly a full-on remake
of Star Ocean: The Second Story (which debuted on the PS1 in 1998), Second
Evolution is really more of an update, taking advantage of the PSP’s
high-resolution widescreen display with sharp graphics, anime cutscenes, and
full voice acting while still retaining most of the gameplay elements from the
original PS1 release. While the game is not perfect and has many of the same
issues that plagued the original, this is still a pretty solid remake and a fine
addition to any PSP-owning RPG-lover’s library.
Star Ocean: Second Evolution begins
by having you choose between two different characters: Claude C. Kenny and Rena
Lanford. Claude (the son of Ronyx J. Kenny, the hero of First Departure), finds
himself transported mysteriously to Rena’s home world of Expel, which is far
less technologically advanced as Claude’s world. Therefore, Claude embarks on a
journey with Rena to find his way back home while helping Rena discover the
mystery of a meteorite that had recently landed on Expel, known as the “Scorcery
Globe”. While the two characters will spend the majority of their journey
together regardless of which you choose, your choice will have different effects
on the storyline, and even give you different endings depending on your
interactions with other characters that join your party.
For players who played through the
recently released Star Ocean: First Departure, the overall layout will be
immediately familiar. The game uses the same updated interface as its
predecessor, and is stylistically very similar. The game has all of the familiar
trappings of old-school RPGs, namely big towns, dungeons to explore, a world
map, random battles, and so on.
The combat unfolds in real-time,
having your characters navigate the battlefield and then attacking your enemies
using the face buttons to perform special combos. You can use melee attacks,
magic, or a variety of Special Arts. The combat is pretty fast and doesn’t
drudge along, but unfortunately falls a bit short by feeling overly simplistic
and repetitive.
Graphically, the game looks pretty
good, and is a marked improvement over the PS1 version thanks to some
high-resolution sprites and environments courtesy of the PSP’s big, beautiful
screen. While the game won’t tax your PSP’s graphical prowess with detailed 3D
graphics (the game is mostly 2D sprites on pre-rendered backgrounds with the
occasional 3D areas), it still retains the original feel of the game on which
it’s based while providing a pretty solid aesthetic.
The music in Star Ocean: Second
Evolution is very well done, with some nicely implemented pieces to the score
that stand well along other entries to Square-Enix’s franchises. The voice work
in the game is fairly plentiful, with tons of written dialogue. The majority of
the voice acting is well done, but there are quite a few instances of awkward
deliveries and some poorly written lines.
Star Ocean: Second Evolution is a
solid update for a title that many RPG gamers may have missed out on the first
time around. While the game doesn’t really bring a lot new to the table (a lot
has changed in the genre since Star Ocean 2 first hit the PS1) and the combat is
pretty simplistic and repetitive, it’s still worth a look for hardcore RPG
purists.
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Gameplay: 7.0
The game plays out like any number of traditional RPGs, with the same
conventions that the genre has seen for years now. The updates to the gameplay
are Spartan at best, meaning the game does feel somewhat dated, albeit still
pretty fun. The combat is somewhat disappointing, feeling quite simplistic and
repetitious.
Graphics: 8.0
Second Evolution doesn’t really receive much of an upgrade in the graphics
department, but still looks pretty good on the PSP’s screen.
Sound: 8.0
The music is still great, and the voice acting is good for the most part,
save for some awkward and poorly-written lines.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.5
The game’s sweeping storyline and multiple arcs make for a pretty compelling
adventure.
Overall: 7.5
While there are a few issues here and there, Second Evolution is a solid
update of a compelling RPG from the past.
