Star Ocean: The Second Story
I bought this game in the late summer of 2000. It looked cool and yes, it was an Rpg. So I, well in fact me and my older brother (who had the money :D), we bought the game. This game is a special one. O yeah don't think this is the first Star Ocean because this is in fact Star Ocean 2 but the creators wanted to be original so they made it Star Ocean: the second story.
Story
I'll start with the story this time. Well it's really not a bad story. In the beginning it may seem a kinda 'standard Rpg story' (boy saves girl) but, as you proceed into the game, it becomes really... interesting. I won't spoil anything about it but it has many many ways to finish the game so that's a very cool thing in this game.
Story gets 8/10
Graphics
Well, especially because I just played FF8 in that time, the 2D graphics weren't great. I prefer 3D people on pre-rendered backgrounds but hey, thats my opinion. But, especially in the battles, the graphical effects are quite cool. There are also some movies in the game which are pretty neat. But sometimes it feels kinda like watching an anime series (the movies). Not that thats a bad thing. But don't expect FF8 quality movies that's all.
Graphics get 13/20
Length
This game isn't a short one. I can assure you guys it will take you at least (so I mean at least) 30 hours, and that's without going through all of the optional stuff. There is (a la FF7) a kind of Fun Park where you can bet on races, enter tournaments (many different modes) etc. Don't expect a snow board minigame or something, you won't find that there.
Length gets 8/10
Sounds
The music of this game is good, some really familiar ones in it (FF prelude, anyone?) but also some new, original ones that create a perfect atmosphere for this game. The sound effects are also ok but not great.
Sounds get 16/20
Gameplay
Well this is gonna be it for you. Whether you gonna buy the game or not. There are some really cool features in it, for example: You can give skill points to your characters. After a while, one may learn to cook some real good food (maybe give you health?) or write a very interesting book ($$$), or even create strong armor. Of course you will need materials for this, but it's a very cool thing to do. But that's all for the good part. The dungeons are very long and boring. You will be lost quite some times. Also, sometimes the random encounter rate is way too high. Finally you try to find your way out, you get attacked. Argh! And when the battle's over, you think: Where am I??? So a bit annoying sometimes but not, you know, a terrible thing. Another not so good thing are the battles itself. There are 3 modes, but none of them works perfect. When you fight you sometimes can't even see your teammates (who are controlled by a good AI) which isn't very handy. Sometimes one of them is trapped by 4 monsters but you don't know. Well sometimes the battles can be real fun, especially at real time, but they are more often a real pain in the @ss. Also, the conversations are often very long and boring.
Gameplay gets 15/30
Originality
Well as I said before this game is very original, in a few things:
- Item Creations (see gameplay)
- The different story lines (you can choose 1 of the 2 main characters, and based on your choices other people may join you)
- Private Actions
Now what are Private Actions I hear you say... Well, let me explain. When you are next to a town (on the world map) you can press the square button, and when you do that, a Private Action will begin. The whole party will walk into town and you will be all alone. You can now search your friends and change the way they feel about you by beginning conversations etc. This can lead to... interesting things... Also some special events may happen if you, for example, at a Private Action go to a particular place. Things like the Item Creation make this for me, one of the most original rpgs I have ever played.
Originality gets 9/10
Total:
Story: 8/10
Graphics: 13/20
Length: 8/10
Sounds: 16/20
Gameplay: 15/30
Originality: 9/10
--------------------------------------------
Overall: 69/100
This game can be fun, but unless you are a die-hard Rpgfan and like things this game has, look further. There are many things in this game that can annoy you or won't like. But after all a reasonable game.
JoopFOX's Reviews
Star Ocean: The Second Story Reviews
This Page © Copyright 1997, Brian Work. All rights reserved. Thanks to Sax for his help with the layout. Do not take anything from this page without my consent. If you wish to contact an author, artist, reviewer, or any other contributor to the site, their email address can be found on their index page. This site is link-free, meaning you don't need to ask me if you'd like to link to it. Best viewed in 1024x768.