STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R (NSP, XCI) ROM + v1.1.0 Update + All DLCs

STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R is an action role-playing video game developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix for the PlayStation. It is the second game in the Star Ocean series and the first game in the series to be released outside Japan, arriving in North America in June 1999 and Europe in April 2000, by Sony Computer Entertainment.  Taking place in a science fantasy universe, the story centers around a young man named Claude C. Kenny, a cadet from a space-faring Earth organization who is stranded on an undeveloped, medieval-level planet.

There, he meets several companions and must stop a plot from an evil organization that spans multiple worlds before finding his way home. The game was the basis of manga and anime adaptations. An enhanced remaster called Star Ocean: Second Evolution was developed by Tose, later released for the PlayStation Portable in April 2008 in Japan, and 2009 in North America, Europe, and Australia.

It features newly animated cutscenes by Production I.G., a re-recorded soundtrack, and additional story elements. Second Evolution was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation 3 in 2015 (porting from the PSP version and enhancements were done by Gemdrops). The Download Version features enhanced graphics and BGM, a new theme song, and DLC items.

Square Enix never released this version outside of Japan. A remake, titled Star Ocean: The Second Story R and developed by Gemdrops, was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows in November 2023. The celebrated sequel in the STAR OCEAN series, STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R, returns with a unique 2.5D look blending 2D pixel characters and 3D environments. It retains all the greatness of the original release while introducing exciting new elements!

GAMEPLAY

The game gives the player the choice of playing as the human Claude or the Nedian Rena, with the journey evolving and ending differently depending on the choices one makes. There are ten other playable characters in the game, though the player can only recruit six of them to fill out their eight-member party, and some recruitment choices will make other characters no longer available. The Second Story’s gameplay is broadly similar to that of most RPGs. The player goes from town to town and dungeon to dungeon, following the central story and occasionally branching off to perform side quests. Characters gain experience points from battle and level up as a result, becoming gradually stronger as time passes and more battles are fought.

Battles play in real-time, during which the player has manual control over their character, as opposed to choosing options from a menu. Battles take place on a broad battlefield, over which the player’s character can move without limit, allowing them to trade blows face-to-face with the enemy or circle for a flanking attack. The other party members (up to 3 others) are controlled by the game’s AI; the player may change an ally’s strategy to one of six different pre-determined options (such as “Spread out and attack”, “Save your Magic Points”, and “Stand Still and Don’t Do Anything”). Nine different batches of skills are sold in in-game shops; once unlocked this way, they must be learned by committing battle-earned “Skill Points” to them. Some skills raise a character’s statistics, some unlock Specialty abilities, and some provide bonuses in battle (such as the ability to counter-attack).

Specialties allow the characters to create a wide variety of items and include Herbal medicine, Cooking, Writing, Composing, Musicianship, Pickpocketing, and Training. Furthermore, the entire party can contribute to “Super Specialty” skills such as “Master Chef”, Blacksmithing, Publishing, and “Reverse Side”, which allows the character to counterfeit valuable items at the risk of lowering their allies’ opinion of them. Every item created has some sort of tangible benefit (foods restore Hit Points and/or Magic Points, training increases the gain in Experience Points, and written novels can be submitted to a publisher, with royalties collectible later) but every attempt requires the expenditure of a consumable item, and may fail to produce anything useful.

A mechanic called “Private Actions” allows the player to influence the relations between their characters. During a “Private Action”, the player’s party temporarily breaks up during a visit to a town, with each character going their way to shop, visit friends and family, or relax. The player’s main character (either Claude or Rena) can then interact with their allies, often with the option of making one of those allies like another character more or less.  This “relationship point” mechanic can have a major effect in battle—if Character A’s close friend is felled, Character A will get major combat bonuses for a short time—and also determines what ending the player will see, as each party member’s scene plays out differently depending on who they befriended. There are 86 possible endings.

PLOT

Star Ocean: The Second Story takes place in S.D 366 (A.D 2452), twenty years after the original game, Star Ocean. The game tells the stories of Claude C. Kenny, son of Ronyx J. Kenny, and Rena Lanford, a young girl living on the planet Expel. Claude, having recently been commissioned as an Ensign in the Earth Federation, is given his first mission under the supervision of his father. This first mission is to survey the planet Milocinia (renamed Milokeenia in the PSP port), where a mysterious energy field appears. Finding a mysterious device on Milocinia, Claude begins to examine it close-up, despite orders to keep away from it. As he approaches, the machine activates, teleporting him to Expel. Once on Expel, Claude meets Rena who mistakes him for the “Hero of Light”, spoken of in legends on Expel because he wields a “Sword of Light” (actually the standard-issue Phase Gun all Federation officers carry) and is dressed in “alien raiments”.

She takes him back to her village, Arlia, for corroboration. In Arlia, it is explained to Claude that a meteorite crashed into Expel. Almost immediately afterward, monsters began appearing, and natural disasters occurred with increasing frequency and intensity. Believing that these events were related, the people of Expel called the meteorite the “Sorcery Globe”. Though he explains that he is not the Hero of Light, Claude offers to investigate the Sorcery Globe, in the hopes that it might help lead him home. Rena assists him as his native guide and hopes to find knowledge about her origin, being an orphan. Though their journey takes them the long way around, Claude and Rena (and whichever characters the player decides to recruit) manage to travel across Expel and finally reach the Sorcery Globe and encounter the Ten Wise Men.

The Sorcery Globe, which the Ten Wise Men call the “Quadratic Sphere”, is a device they planted on Expel to steer it into a massive energy formation called Energy Nede, from which the Ten Wise Men were exiled thousands of years ago. They hope to return to Energy Nede using Expel as a vessel. They succeed and the entire planet of Expel is destroyed by its collision with Energy Nede. After engaging the Ten Wise Men in battle, they are defeated. Claude and Rena survive due to being within the teleportation zone cast by the Ten Wise Men as the travel to Energy Nede. They are met by Mayor Narl who explains who the Ten Wise Men are, why they were exiled, and that, now that they are back, they hope to destroy the entire universe using advanced Heraldry (magic).

Narl furthermore announces that Energy Nede can restore Expel by using powerful Heraldry to turn back time, but this is only possible if the Ten Wise Men are defeated. Claude and Rena agree to help in the resistance and embark on various voyages to strengthen themselves, obtain information, and learn about the enemy. Eventually, Claude and Rena along with their friends assault the Ten Wise Men’s stronghold at Fienal, where they put an end to the enemy once and for all. The ending is composed of scenes describing the fates of the party’s characters and changes slightly depending on if the player discovers the Ten Wise Men’s true identity and “raison d’être” through the means of Private Actions.

KEY FEATURES

• A fusion of Fantasy and Science Fiction in a distinctive visual style – From perilous dungeons to bustling towns, STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R’s world dazzles with a captivating 2.5D design that melds stunning 3D visuals with nostalgic 2D-pixel characters.
• An epic tale with dual protagonists – Embark on your journey as either Claude or Rena. Your choice alters perspectives and recruitable allies. Dive into your party members’ lives through the unique Private Actions system, nurture relationships, and unlock diverse endings. Renowned series artist Yukihiro Kajimoto contributes new character illustrations.
• Electrifying, visually stunning battles! Engage in fast-paced combat, utilizing fresh mechanics to strategically vanquish adversaries. Employ the “Break” mechanic to continually inflict damage and coordinate your allies for powerful Assault Actions.
• Combine potent equipment with a plethora of skills – Tailor your party’s progression with a vast array of skills, including Cooking, Art, Metalcraft, and more. As you advance to Specialty levels, master the enhanced Item Creation system to forge ultimate gear with varied effects.
• Japanese and English voice acting – All event scenes feature full voice acting, featuring the original game’s voice cast. Additionally, dialogue from STAR OCEAN SECOND EVOLUTION (2008) is included and can be chosen.
• An iconic soundtrack reimagined by Motoi Sakuraba – Every track has been re-composed, featuring full-band performances and string arrangements. Exploration and cinematic themes receive fresh recordings, elevating them to new heights.
• 3 difficulty modes – Select EARTH for a leisurely journey, GALAXY for a satisfying challenge, or UNIVERSE for the ultimate test of your skills, if you dare.