PSP star ocean Tagged Stories

The modern story telling has leaped to a new realm of merging science-fiction with the realms of fantasy. These stories are propagated more through the medium of videogames. Almost a decade ago, it was a time when such fantasy stories were not much sought after. At that point, Star Ocean made its entry into the fantasy world with its original franchise of the tri-Ace. The Star Ocean was released more than a decade ago on the Super Famicom but it never made its way to the United States. The first element of Star Ocean that made its way to the United States was the sequel, Star Ocean: The Second Story.

The thanks for the success of Star Ocean has to go to Square-Enix, for helping them make their way to the U.S. stores under the title Star Ocean - First Departure. The game was successfully remade for the PSPs with many new elements. The modifications such as new backgrounds and a tweaked battle system served as attributes to the original story line. However, the First Departure gives a slight feeling of dissatisfaction to the gamers as they expected it to be a little better. The conclusion arrived with their comparison to the recent RPGs. However, gamers who enjoyed the game of Star Ocean earlier still find it a great RPG.

The Square Enix game begins entirely in the so called “fantasy department” coupled with the prologue of sci-fi riddles. There are three Fellpool youths namely Roddick, Millie and Dorne who try to pass some time as sentries in a small village near the woods. The village is attacked by a mysterious plague that turns people into stone. The three friends take the responsibility of curing them and they travel to the nearby mountain to gather medicinal herbs.

They find that the plague is actually a biological weapon and there are certain external forces that help the people of the planet Roak. The group consisting of Ronyx, Ilia and Terran soon find out that the only way to save people of Roak is to collect a particular genetic sample from the old. The game then revolves around the various mysteries involved in saving these people. It is thus an adventurous ride for the hardcore gamers.

(1 votes, average: 1 out of 5)

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Star Ocean: Second Evolution resembles the original Star Ocean – First Departure in its gameplay, mechanics and structure. A lot of improvements however ensure it is far superior to its predecessor.

Rena Lanford and Claude C. Kenny are the main characters. Claude is transported to the planet Expel while on a research mission. This is a less advanced planet where Claude meets Rena. “Sorcery Globe” is a meteorite which is explored by both of them. Claude is raised to the status of a hero there following a prophecy.

An interesting option includes selection of the character. You can either choose to be Claude or Rena and this gives you an interesting perspective of Star Ocean: Second Evolution from both angles. With new scenes and different characters, playing this game the second time is refreshingly different. In fact, it feels like playing a new game the moment you change from Rena to Claude or vice versa.

In keeping with the tradition of the role-playing game where there are various monsters to be fought in order to obtain valuable information, you also wander around the world map, go into the dungeons and investigate, etc. Added fun and excitement is provided in the form of diverse characterization and an interesting variety in special arts.

Characters include the swordsman, the three eyed alien with a gun, the pharmacist and a witch. With the help of the system called Private Action, it is possible to opt for other story lines which eventually integrate characters into the mainstream to choose the story ending. Another area of interest includes the system which helps create items and the skill system which is deep.

Combat however is pretty simple as compared to other games from the RPG genre. Good sound effects, excellent graphics and a pleasing sound track add to the value of the game. People like Spike Spencer who gained fame with his Evangelion Genesis Neon are quite interesting. However, dialogue rendering lacks direction. On the whole, this game is a wonderful and interesting game and you can enjoy hours of it on your favourite Sony PSP. Especially for all those who have not had the pleasure of playing the original version, this game is a must.

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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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