Despite being the second title in the franchise,Star Ocean: The Second Storywas the firstStar Oceangame to reach US shores, and it holds a fond place in many gamers' hearts. Bearing that in mind, the stakes are high forSquare Enixand Gemdrops' upcoming remake,Star Ocean: The Second Story R.
Game Rant recently had the opportunity to speak with Yuichiro Kitao, the director and producer of the forthcoming reboot, about the many changes coming to the nearly 25-year-old game. While the content of the story, the game’s general graphical style, and the pivotal Private Action system remain consistent, exciting QOL perks and combat tweaks are set to revivify the JRPG for a new generation.
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Star Ocean: The Second Story R’s Assault Action System
Star Ocean: The Second Storyboastsa massive cast of characters—some of whom can only be recruited depending on the lead character players select. But in the original, only four party members could fight on the field at a time. While party size is still limited to four playable characters, Kitao revealed a new system inSOSSRthat will bring reserve party members off the bench for some cool combos:
“Assault Action is a feature that allows the reserve party members to join in battle and perform combos at any given time.”
In addition to this new Assault Action system, Kitao stated that the tempo of combat has been quickened tremendously, making for a faster-paced experience than the original title offered. WithRPGs likePersona 5 RoyalandHonkai Star Railboasting breathless combat, even in turn-based configurations, making sureSOSSR’s combat is quick is crucially important. Long load times or other impediments to action could make the remake feel irrelevant in the face of more modern competitors.
Fast-Travel in the Star Ocean 2 Remake
Another way Gemdrops is speeding upStar Ocean: The Second Storyis with a staple QOL feature that is quickly becoming standard in modern titles and RPGs in particular: fast-travel. Kitao explained,
“That will allow players to explore and explore various areas of the game quickly and conveniently. That being said, players might miss things if they use fast-travel too much, so we will leave it up to the player as to how much they want to use that system.”
One ofStar Ocean: The Second Story’s biggest franchise innovations was the introduction of the Private Action system, wherein players can increase their bond with party members by engaging in discrete moments of character interaction, comparable toPersona’s social link system. Allowing players to fast travel from one point to another quickly eliminates the need for backtracking across the game world, which will not only alleviate frustration but make it less likely for players to miss out on an optional scene between favorite characters.
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In a genre where grinding for experience, money, and materials can feature prominently, it is crucial to trim as much ‘fat’ from an experience as possible. TheSOSSRdevelopment team commented that they do not want players to ever feel like they are wasting time while playing, and adding afast-travel systemis a good step in that direction. To Kitao’s point, however, players shouldn’t over-rely on instantaneous transit, lest they miss out on treasure, conversations, and other fun secrets waiting in the wings ofSOSSR’s world. JRPGs are a genre where the journey is definitely more important than the destination, and that is especially true ofStar Ocean: The Second Story.
Spell-Binding Symbology Graphics
In addition to the Assault System and sped-up tempo,SOSSR’s combat system is getting flashier. Symbology Arts, the game’s magic spells, are getting dazzling new effects that will light up the battle system. These updates come hand in hand with the game’s new shading and lighting systems, sharpened pre-rendered backgrounds, and retouched character sprites. These seemingly minor tweaks can have a huge impact on a game’s staying power.
Even though the story, character designs, and environments are virtually unchanged from the firstStar Ocean: The Second Story,Kitao is serious about SOSSR’s distinction as a remake rather than a port. Adding modern conveniences like fast travel and enhancing combat depth with new systems will help anRPG classicremain relevant and find new audiences in the present day.
Star Ocean: The Second Story Ris releasing November 2 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Switch.
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