Star Ocean: First Departure is an interesting game where you are assigned the responsibility of protecting a small town on the planet Roak. The game surrounds three friends, Roddick Farrence, Millie Chliette, and Dorne Murtough who are shown patrolling the small town of Kratus in the opening sequence set in space. The game literally takes off when a group of bandits invade the town and you have to guide the trio in fending off the culprits. What keeps you engaged in this adventure is that it does not reveal too much of the plot in the beginning; thereby keeping you engrossed in the story throughout the game. Since you never know what will happen next, the game is really a test of your resourcefulness and ingenuity.
Combat is relatively quick, usually barely lasting longer than a minute, and occurs in real-time. The fact that battles are fought randomly in 3D battlefields also adds to the overall gameplay and excitement. The combat in the PSP version is very similar to the Star Ocean - Till the End of Time (PS2) PlayStation 2 title. It is, however, interesting to note that you can have full control over only one character with the option of switching to any character in your party during combat. You can unleash powerful attacks on the enemy by earning special abilities through the L and R buttons. Moreover, when not in combat mood, you can plan your party’s strategy using the menu, adding even more depth to the game. It allows you to take an aggressive, or defensive, or a spread out posture, depending on what the situation warrants.
While you are exploring and defending the town there is a map that constantly guides you through its different parts. But you have to do without it while crawling through the dungeons. This is actually somewhat of a benefit though, since it forces you to explore more.
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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