Star Ocean: First Departure
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Star Ocean: First Departure
Square Enix has been on a remake role for the last while and it only benefits gamers. Now Square Enix has taken a game which premiered on the Super Nintendo (Super Famicom) and given it a huge touch up across the board in every way from graphics to audio. Tri-Ace was the original developer of the game and it was published by Enix back before they hooked up with Square and gave gamers one of the best but underrated games at the time.
Star Ocean: First Departure is a science fiction role playing game about a band of adventurers who are set to stop a galactic war any way they can. In a story which has been obviously influenced by Star Trek, emotional character interaction and a real time battle system this is one of the best remakes we have seen yet.
Star Ocean: First Departure is a fast action based Japanese role playing game which basically means as you wander the world you rarely see the enemy who will attack you, but once in combat the action turns on and you will be button mashing and cutting up the bad guys with the rest of your team. You can also halt the action to switch characters and use items and even change tactics before or during combat. There are spells and special attacks you can use during combat which help with general combat and dealing out a ton of extra damage.
Gameplay wise Star Ocean is not very deep, of course it is based on a 12 year old game, but it will be the game which you will start playing and end up playing it for several hours past your bedtime. The game is very addictive even for an old school role playing game, but with the great Star Trekish story, the old school gameplay does not even matter. Though some gamers will have preferred a full update to the gameplay or even a full reinvention of the gameplay do not let the old school nature of it scare you away.
When Star Ocean was first released way back on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System it was one of the better graphical role playing titles, and it actually fully used the SNES cartridge to the max. With the quirky monsters and colorful landscapes it was one of the great role playing titles at the time which allowed for your imagination to run wild. Star Ocean: First Departure has kept the idea of using a colorful world and pushing great graphics to new handheld RPG heights. Especially when you see the 3D world map, great interiors and wonderful areas you will explore there will be times when the graphics are simply breathtaking. The Playstation Portable strengths have been used in every way from the great anime inspired cut-scenes which are beautifully rendered and take full advantage of the PSP’s widescreen graphic support.
While there is much to rave about the graphics there is one sticking point with them and that is when you do battle, those maps feel bare and become repetitive in nature very quickly. This issue is something we have seen in current role playing games but it would have been nice to see this common issue addressed. Nitpicking yes, but after playing the game and after so many battles this is the one graphical issue which comes to mind.
For a handheld device the Playstation Portable is the best audio gaming device around and it shows in the case of Star Ocean: First Departure. Star Ocean: FD has a near home console quality for sound effects and home console quality for the music and voice over work. Every time you hear a character speak or the stirring music starts you will hear the quality put into this remake by the developers and why the Playstation Portable is the best handheld gaming device for most gamers.
Even great role playing game players will find the game a welcome challenge and a wonderful diversion for forty plus hours of handheld enjoyment. While the game is linear, making replays something you will not do often, the game has enough value to be a life time keeper in your gaming library.
Star Ocean has always been a fantastic Science Fiction based action Role Playing Game series and this remake of the original game shows how amazing the series started out. For RPG fans this is a must buy, especially if you have never played a Star Ocean game or you are interested in the upcoming Xbox 360 exclusive Star Ocean prequel, Star Ocean: The Last Hope.
Pros
+ Great graphical upgrade over the original
+ Audio is very good
+ Cut Scenes are great
+ Game is still great after all these years
+ Story is great and proves the series is still an epic contender in the RPG gaming universe
Cons
- Overall controls could be better
- Map travel feels rough
- Old school gameplay might turn off some gamers
Final Verdict
Here's a small guide to help you understand our evaluation of games.
PRESENTATION GRADE
Can be from the game's box to the contents of the booklet, and even the game introduction. (Intro, menus, options, etc)
GRAPHIC GRADE
Up to what point the graphics have been worked on my the developper. The design type, the effort used for textures and environments, as well as animations and framerate.
AUDIO GRADE
Is the soundtrack a good match to the game's style, he ambient sounds keeping with the gameplay and the sound effects clear and convincing?
GAMEPLAY GRADE
Placement of the controls and the inferface that the player with be using during the game.
REPLAY VALUE GRADE
The most important factor in the evaluation of a game. It identifies the lifespan of the game and the fun of coming back again and again.
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