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Star Ocean: The Second Story

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Star Ocean: The Second Story
スターオーシャン セカンドストーリー
Sutā Ōshan Sekando Sutōrī
Developer: tri-Ace
Publisher: Enix
Release dates: July 30, 1998 (JPN)
May 31, 1999 (USA)
April 12, 2000(EU)
Genre: RPG
Game modes: Single Player
Ratings: ESRB: Everyone (E)
ELSPA: 11+
OFLC: G8+
Platforms: PlayStation


Star Ocean: The Second Story (スターオーシャン セカンドストーリー| Sutā Ōshan Sekando Sutōrī) is the second game in the Star Ocean series. Chronologically, It takes place twenty years after the original game, Star Ocean: Fantastic Space Odyssey, which has only released in English in the remake Star Ocean: First Departure. The game gives the player the choice of playing as Rena or Claude, with the journey evolving and ending differently depending on the choice one makes.

Released in the United States and Europe, translated to English, it gained a cult following. The English version of the game also changed the names of the main antagonists, who in the original were named after angels, with names such as Gabriel (changed to Indalecio), Metatron (changed to Berle), and Lucifer (changed to Cyril), although this was changed in Second Evolution. The PlayStation Portable remake was announced prior to the 2007 Square Enix Party event.

Contents

[edit] Plot

[edit] Setting

Roughly the first half of the plot of Star Ocean: The Second Story takes place on the planet Expel, an underdeveloped planet on the verge of its industrial age. On Expel kings still rule over great kingdoms, swords and sorcery dominate the battlefield, and sailing ships are still made from wood. According to the UP3 (Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact), a planet with such a level of civilization may not be directly contacted under any but the most dire circumstances -- and even then, contact must be minimal and secretive. This law is reminiscent of Star Trek's Prime Directive.

Star Ocean: Second Evolution
スターオーシャン2 Second Evolution
Sutā Ōshan 2 Second Evolution
Developer: tri-Ace
Publisher: Square Enix
Release dates: April 3, 2008 (JPN)
January 20, 2009 (USA)
February 13, 2009 (EU)
Genre: RPG
Game modes: Single Player
Ratings: CERO: All (A)
ESRB: Teen (T)
PEGI: 12+
OFLC: PG
Platforms: PlayStation Portable


[edit] Characters

Star Ocean: The Second Story is unusual in that it offers the player the opportunity to experience the storyline from the perspective of either the male or the female lead character. This decision affects certain scenes that are only referred to in one path but are fully shown in the other, as well as determining whether or not certain characters can be permanently added to the traveling party.

[edit] Story

Star Ocean: The Second Story 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 Pangalactic Federation, is given his first mission under the supervision of his father. This first mission is to survey the planet Milokeenia, where a mysterious energy field appears. Once they arrive, they find an alien ruin, filled with mostly broken machinery. Finding a mysterious device in the center of it, Claude begins to examine it close-up, despite orders to keep away from it. Upon getting close to it, the machine activates, teleporting him to Expel.

At approximately the same time, Rena is resting in a forest just outside her village, Arlia. While there, she is assaulted by a monster. Suddenly, Claude teleports into the area, and, seeing Rena being attacked, rushes in to save her, wielding an advanced energy weapon (the Phase Gun that his father gave to him). Upon seeing how she is rescued, Rena decides that Claude is the Hero of Light, spoken of in legends on Expel: he has arrived to an Expel in great danger, he wields a "Sword of Light" and is dressed in "alien raiments." She takes him back to her village, Arlia, for corroboration.

Soon afterwards, the town elder explains to Claude what exactly is going on: Three months ago, a meteorite crashed into Expel. Almost immediately afterwards, 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". Hoping that the Sorcery Globe may be the key to finding his way home, Claude agrees to investigate it. Rena, still believing that Claude is the Hero of Light, joins up with Claude in the investigation.

Their journey takes them across all three continents of Expel, and eventually they meet the Ten Wise Men and are transported to Energy Nede.

One of the things about the game that was hyped were its multiple endings. The exact number is often said to be 87, though it's really 86 with two having minor differences. There is one ending for each character alone and one for each possible pair of characters. If two characters could be recruited together, they can have an ending together. For example, an ending involving Bowman and Precis does not exist as you cannot have both recruited. There are also secret endings involving characters outside of the party. This adds a certain element of replay value to the game; to see all the character endings, it would be necessary to play through the game nine times or more and would require a vast amount of time and effort since the game is quite long not to mention taking the time to get the characters paired up correctly.


[edit] Reception

This game sold 1,094,000 copies, 724,000 in Japan and 370,000 overseas.

[edit] Legacy

There is a pair of extra boss characters found in the Cave of Trials who are called Gabriel Celesta (Gabriel Celeste) and Ethereal Queen (Iselia Queen). Gabriel and Ethereal appear in most tri-Ace games and both are angels ("Celestials" in Star Ocean 3) in physical form unlike the 10 Wise Men, except Lucifer and Gabriel with limiter on.

[edit] Star Ocean: Second Evolution

Celine, Rena, Claude and Ashton as they appear in Second Evolution

Star Ocean: Second Evolution is an enhanced remake of Star Ocean: The Second Story for the PSP. The first details of the game were revealed at the "Star Ocean Special Stage" during the Square Enix Party 2007. Yoshinori Yamagishi, producer of the series, stated that he wants the remakes to feel as though they're completely new games. The game has seen a release in Japan on April 2, 2008, in North America on January 20, 2009, and in Europe on February 13, 2009.

As of November 30, 2008, the game has sold 141,218 copies in Japan.

[edit] Enhancements

Second Evolution features new content, including new playable characters. Production I.G provided new artwork and animated cutscenes for the game. There are new voice actors and extensive amounts of new, fully voiced dialogue.

The opening song is "Start", performed by SCANDAL.

[edit] Accessory Kit Set

Hori, the Japanese game peripheral manufacturer, have unveiled a Second Evolution-branded PSP accessory set to be released alongside the game on April 2, 2008. The kit includes the following: a limited, gray PSP case with the Star Ocean logo (not a new PSP entirely, like some thought), matching headphones, a cell phone strap, and finally, 2 UMD cases to hold both First Departure and Second Evolution games. The kit's release seems to coincide with First Departure Eternal Edition package.

[edit] Manga

Star Ocean: Second Evolution now has a manga being serialized in Dengeki Maoh. The art is by Yoshida Morohe and is based on the game. Currently only seven chapters have been released with no volumes on sale yet.

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