Xbox 360
It's been a long time coming, but the latest chapter in this often overlooked role-playing series is a sprawling epic, standing comfortably alongside the best the genre has to offer. In what we suspect may have been a very clever move by developer Square-Enix, this new game acts as the opening chapter of the series, a way of introducing first-time players to the rich word of Star Ocean.
Sometime in the not too distant future, mankind triggers world war III and with it, renders the planet near-uninhabitable. Realising the error of our ways, world peace is achieved and the age of space migration begins, as the human race prepares for the first galactic expedition to find new planets to live on. Lead character and all-round good guy Edge Maverick is part of this first mission into the uncharted depths of space, accompanied by his best friend Reimi. Together they become involved in a sprawling journey to save mankind from destruction.
Things start off slowly, with a rather long-winded battle tutorial that, once you actually get involved in fights, becomes both necessary and welcome. This is not to say that the battle system is overly-complicated but there are a few neat features that really do need explained. Thankfully, Star Ocean favours real-time combat as opposed to random encounters and turn-based menu systems. This format only works in some cases, such as the exemplary Lost Odyssey but here the fighting system works well, whilst still retaining a tactical edge.
As you explore the vast star ocean of space you will encounter new planets, new characters and embark on a multitude of quests. You will also encounter a wide range of alien creatures to batter about for money and experience points. Engaging enemies is a simple case of walking into them from any angle. Getting the drop on them from behind gives you pre-emptive strikes while being ambushed this way ramps up the number of enemies in the fight so caution is required.
Melee combat is a activated by hammering the attack button, but thankfully, this isn't a button-bashing game as later on you will find yourself dead very quickly by doing so. The key is to mix things up with character-specific actions called ‘Special Arts', ranging from powerful combos, to magical attacks called Symbology. You can also ready yourself for ‘Blindside' sneak manoeuvres that let you weave in and out of enemy strikes, allowing for devastating back attacks.
Combat never becomes dull and levelling up is fairly quick for the first 20 levels or so, softening some of the grind found in many similar games. Item drops from battles can also be used to complete the vast range of side quests and can be used in the deep item creation system. There is plenty to discover here and the more time you put in, the more rewarding the game becomes.
Trait settings called ‘Beats' also mix things up drastically, allowing you to change the style of your character between fights. For example, Edge begins on ‘Beat S' setting, meaning he is adept at close range combat, while Reimi is a ‘Beat B' ranged fighter. You can play around with this system to make characters that are well-rounded or focus on building up one style of attack.
Star Ocean is an aesthetically stunning and thoroughly enjoyable experience that makes other, more recent Square-Enix releases pale in comparison. The characters are likeable, the plot is engaging and the production values are through the roof. More importantly is that the battle system never gets tiresome, something that any role-playing game with staying power must achieve and The Last Hope pulls it off with finesse.