Star Ocean is one of those names when you think about classic JRPGs. It almost feels surreal that it and so many other titles of that era are being reintroduced to the modern generation- they seemed so hallowed, the idea that they’d be playable in any way today seems like nothing short of a miracle.

Thankfully, Star Ocean: The Second Story R does a lot more than bring its progenitor to the modern day. Not content to just be a 1:1 remake, Second Story R has plenty going for it that makes it a great title even without the Star Ocean Pedigree.

Never Out Of Style

The biggest changes fans might notice is in the presentation. While the general direction of Second Story R is the same, consoles ability to render 3D backgrounds has improved dramatically. I know by now the HD-2D aesthetic first popularized with Octopath isn’t as much of a novelty anymore, but it’s still incredibly gorgeous. I love how characterful the classic-style sprites are, and having them set against the 3D backgrounds with realistic lighting still tickles me like it was my first time seeing it.

Even the larger sprites feel very much like they understood the assignment. The character dialogue sprites also look amazing- they’re archetypally JRPG in their presentation, yet with plenty of neat bells and whistles like different poses and expressions to make the dialogue come that much more alive. It’s one of those things that makes you certain Second Story R was made with love- a nice little bump in quality instead of a mad desire to overhaul everything.

Out Of Left Field

Of course, that all pales in comparison to the changes to the game’s combat. Considering how combat is usually a coin-toss of either incredibly dated or incredibly beloved, I gotta praise the courage behind aggressively reworking the art of beating up trash mobs in Star Ocean: The Second Story R.

One feature that’s really neat is the Break system. If you’ve played an RPG in the past 10 years you’re probably familiar with staggering- do enough of the right kind of damage to an enemy and open them up to more damage. That’s been added to The Second Story, meaning both you and your enemies now need to be more on point about covering your weaknesses. While I really like it as a way to steamroll through some fights, it does occasionally turn around to kick you in the butt- you don’t know how much harder it is to turn a fight around once your party starts getting Broken.

It works well with the new Spheres as well- these give you buffs for every enemy defeated, giving the longer fights a sense of momentum since your adventurers start becoming coked-out killing machines until they’re hit by an unlucky Break.

Of course, one of my favorite features is the Assault Action. These act like Strikers in a beat-em-up, letting you call down assists to help you clear the screen of unwanted enemies. There’s a nice bit of fanservice thrown in with these as well, letting you summon characters from other Star Ocean games too. Adding more depth to the combat is always welcome, and being able to call down external forces definitely makes me wanna experiment with more setups to deal with encounters.

Maybe it’s because I don’t have a strong nostalgia for the Star Ocean series, but I really quite enjoy the new combat features. JRPGs have come a long way, and it’s nice to see these features integrated into the combat and have them all work towards making the game feel more focused. They also come with a reworked encounter system- finally free are we from the shackles of random encounters, meaning you don’t have to worry about your vibe being killed by a sudden fight.

An Absolute Experience

Even if you’re not a nutter who only thinks of doing combos, Star Ocean: The Second Story R has an absolute ton of good things going for it. From its dual-protagonist story complete with branching party members to its Relationship system for romancing your crew, it’s easily a game you can spend many runs on as you tell yourself this time, you’re going to romance anyone other than Celine (You’re not).

The characters overall feel really alive thanks to features like Private Action which basically lets them run off and do their own thing. I much prefer this kind of way for interacting with your crew- being able to see them out in the world feels way better than just having every little fact about their life dumped on you.

Between all this and the New Game+ Mode, it’s really clear how much the developers wanted Star Ocean: The Second Story R to get its hooks in you- something it accomplishes excellently.

Closing Thoughts

If you’re really hankering for a good JRPG you definitely can’t go wrong with Star Ocean: The Second Story R. It’s got an engaging world and great tools to go with it, going far beyond a simple “put this game on modern consoles”, instead opting for a “let’s give new players the same level of wonder they would have felt playing the original”. It takes some big swings because it doesn’t want to get by just on nostalgia, and I have to give it props for that.

As far as gripes go they’re all incredibly minor- Mage AIs feel a little unrefined, leading to many of my spellcasting companions doing suicide charges once they’re out of MP instead of using perfectly good MP potions if I’m not controlling them directly. It’s such a minor nitpick that it feels almost unfair to bring it up at all- in a field full of excellent features I can handle a pugilist mage.

Many people think a JRPG only needs to be carried by its story- but Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a great example of how much you can fill out the gaps with solid game design. It’s an absolute delight for both players looking for something new or looking for their one JRPG this year.

Game reviewed on PS5. Review copy provided by Bandai Namco Entertainment, the game’s publisher in SEA

Star Ocean: The Second Story R

Publisher: Square Enix Co.

Developer: Gemdrops Inc

Release Date: 2023-11-02

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam

In this science fantasy RPG, choose between Claude or Rena, play through their perspectives, and unlock various endings. Recruit allies and defeat foes in fast paced real-time battles.