Star Ocean is a series of science fiction and fantasy action and role-playing video games. The games were created by the Japanese company tri-Ace and released by Square Enix, which was previously known as Enix.
Development
Star Ocean is known as one of the earliest real-time role-playing games (RPGs) that allows players to change the story's ending based on their choices and actions. A key feature of the game is a system called "private actions," which tracks the relationships between the main character and other characters. In the original Star Ocean, released in 1996 by Enix and developed by tri-Ace, players could influence the story by making choices that affected relationship points with other characters. These points determined how the story progressed, leading to different paths and multiple endings. The 1999 sequel, Star Ocean: The Second Story, expanded this system, offering up to 86 different endings, with hundreds of possible ways to reach those endings. This set a new standard for the number of outcomes in video games. The relationship system was inspired by dating simulation games, where players could choose how characters interacted, including forming romantic or friendly relationships. These choices also influenced gameplay, such as how characters acted during battles.
The developers at tri-Ace, who are fans of science fiction and space travel, designed the Star Ocean series with a sci-fi setting. They have stated that Star Trek influenced the game's visuals and overall themes. The first Star Ocean game included more fantasy elements to attract a wide audience, but later games focused more on science fiction. Star Ocean: Till the End of Time was described by its producer, Yoshinori Yamagishi, as tri-Ace's "ultimate vision" of the Star Ocean world. The long time gap between Star Ocean: The Second Story and Till the End of Time, in the game's timeline, is due to the series' focus on building the fictional world rather than following specific characters. In Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness, producer Shuichi Kobayashi noted that one of the game's main themes is the idea of first contact between different societies and planets.
Games
The first game in the series was called Star Ocean. It was released on July 19, 1996, for the Super Famicom and was not released outside Japan. However, it was unofficially translated into English through a process called ROM hacking by DeJap Translations. Players can now play the game using emulation. This game introduced key elements of the series, such as a futuristic setting, a real-time battle system, item creation, and private actions. The story takes place in 346 SD and follows Roddick Farrence as he searches for a cure to a sickness on his planet with the help of two Earthlings. An enhanced remake called Star Ocean: First Departure was released for the PlayStation Portable on December 27, 2007, in Japan, and in North America and Europe in October 2008. This version used the engine from Star Ocean 2, included pre-made backgrounds and 3D battlefields, new character art, animated cut-scenes by Production I.G, and fully voiced dialogue. It also added new playable characters.
Star Ocean: The Second Story was released for the PlayStation on July 30, 1998, in Japan, May 31, 1999, in North America, and April 12, 2000, in Europe. It kept the features of the first game but added pre-made backgrounds, full-motion videos, and 3D battlefields. The story takes place in 366 SD and follows a new group of characters, including Claude C. Kenny, the son of Ronyx J. Kenny from the first game, and Rena Lanford. Together, they investigate the Sorcery Globe, which has landed on Planet Expel and caused disasters. An enhanced version called Star Ocean: Second Evolution was released for the PlayStation Portable on April 2, 2008, in Japan, January 20, 2009, in North America, and in Australia and Europe the following month. It included fully voiced dialogue, new playable characters, and new character art and animated cut-scenes by Production I.G.
Star Ocean: Blue Sphere is a direct sequel to The Second Story and was released for the Game Boy Color on June 28, 2001, in Japan. A North American version was planned but canceled. This game adapted the series for handheld devices and changed some features, such as interactive item creation, auto private actions, 2D side-scrolling battles, Field Actions, and the removal of random battles. The story takes place in 368 SD, two years after The Second Story, and follows the return of all twelve main characters as they solve the mystery of Planet Edifice, which destroys civilizations every 200 years. In 2008, a Japanese-only remake for mobile devices was released with new graphics, controls, and a revised battle system.
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time was released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan in 2003. A director's cut with bonus dungeons, new playable characters, a versus mode, and tweaked gameplay was released in 2004 and later brought to North America and Europe the same year. This game was the first fully 3D game in the series and included fully voiced dialogue. It kept most features from previous games but added new elements, such as the fury and bonus battle gauge, the ability to patent items created during item creation, and recruiting inventors to help create items. The story takes place nearly 400 years after Blue Sphere, in 772 SD. The main character, Fayt Leingod, is pursued by Vendeeni forces across space after being separated from his family during an alien attack on a resort planet.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope was released for the Xbox 360 in February 2009 for Japan and North America, and in June 2009 for Australia and Europe. It was also released for the PlayStation 3 worldwide in February 2010. This game is a prequel to the entire series and follows the aftermath of World War III, where humanity must find a new home to survive. The protagonist is Edge Maverick, who is joined by his childhood friend, Reimi Saionji.
Star Ocean: Material Trader is a free-to-play card and item creation RPG developed by Hippos Lab and published by Square Enix for the GREE mobile phone social network in 2013. The service was discontinued in February 2014, and the application was later removed from the platform.
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness was released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 in 2016. The story takes place between Star Ocean: The Second Story and Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, in 537 SD.
Star Ocean: Anamnesis is a free-to-play role-playing game with 3D characters and environments. Players could battle enemies in real-time with up to four players. It was released in Japan on December 7, 2016, and later worldwide for Android and iOS in July 2018. Both the global and Japanese versions were discontinued in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam on October 27, 2022. The game features two protagonists and a story that changes based on player choices. Akira Yasuda, known as Akiman, returned as the character designer from Integrity and Faithlessness and Anamnesis.
Of the seven games in the series, six have been released outside Japan. Star Ocean: The Second Story was the first game published in the USA by Sony Computer Entertainment America.
With the release of Star Ocean: Till the End of Time for the PlayStation 2, Square Enix aimed to attract more gamers, especially in the United States, where the franchise had not been very popular. The Director's Cut 2-disc version of Star Ocean: Till the End of Time was released in North America and included more playable characters, additional games, and new storylines. As of July 2005, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time was part of Sony's Greatest Hits line, showing that the game performed reasonably well in North America.
In 2008, Square Enix released an enhanced remake of the original Star Ocean for the PlayStation Portable called Star Ocean: First Departure. This was followed in 2009 by an enhanced version of Star Ocean: The Second Story for the PlayStation Portable called Star Ocean: Second Evolution.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope was released in North America within one week of its Japanese release on the Xbox 360. An enhanced version called Star Ocean: The Last Hope International Edition was later
Common elements
The characters in the series were created to look similar to action figures. A feature that would have changed the characters’ appearance when they used different equipment was planned but not used because there were too many characters to design. In a later game called Star Ocean: The Last Hope, the characters’ appearances did change to match the weapons they used.
A common part of the game is that some story choices and endings are hard to find. Players do not see things like "affection points," which show how much characters like each other. This has made some players upset because they feel they missed choices they didn’t know existed. However, others enjoy the challenge of discovering new choices, which can lead to different stories when played again.
In Star Ocean games, items play a major role. Players can make new tools or improve old ones by using skills like metalworking, alchemy, writing, painting, and cooking. The best weapons and equipment are usually only made through these crafting methods. Other items can be sold for money or used for other purposes, such as books that teach new abilities or cooked food that helps players carry more items. This makes crafting a key part of the game.
The Star Ocean series is known for its real-time battle system, which was one of the first of its kind on consoles. Battles happen on a separate screen, and all characters move freely in three dimensions. They can dodge enemies, chase them, and use spells or attacks even when being attacked. In earlier games, magicians used spells, while fighters used special physical attacks called "Killer Moves." These abilities are learned after reaching certain levels or completing specific tasks and require health or magic points to use. In Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, all characters can use both spells and Killer Moves.
Music
The first Star Ocean game was composed by Motoi Sakuraba. It included orchestral music, such as flute sounds, and also used recorded battle shouts during combat. Sakuraba composed and arranged the music for Star Ocean and First Departure. Music critics praised his unique style of music and noted his creative use of different musical ideas in these games. Some songs from Star Ocean: The Second Story were added to the First Departure album, which included both well-known and less-known tracks from the series. Some songs from the original First Departure album were not included at first but were later added in the remake. The remake of First Departure included the theme song "Heart," performed by the Japanese group Asunaro. This song was played during the game's opening animation and ending credits and was part of the official soundtrack released in 2008. For the First Departure R version, "Heart" was replaced with the song "Atarashī Ippo" ("The First Step") by Yauchi Keiko of Shadow of Laffandor.
The music for Star Ocean: Blue Sphere was composed by Motoi Sakuraba using a PC-9801 computer. Composing for the Game Boy Color had limits, such as fewer and lower-quality sounds. Sakuraba especially remembered the battle theme "Hand to Hand," as he worked to create a sense of action despite the hardware's limitations. Sakuraba also composed the music for Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. The soundtrack was released in four parts. A special version of the first part included a box to hold all four albums. When the game was updated to the Director's Cut, Sakuraba created new music and released an album with these tracks. The song "The Small Bird That Forgot How to Fly," performed by JPop singer Misia, was used in the ending credits of Star Ocean: Till the End of Time.
Sakuraba composed the music for Star Ocean: The Last Hope. Its soundtrack was released in two parts: the first was a 3-CD set with 71 tracks, including a DVD with an interview with Sakuraba, footage of his workshop, and performances of his music. The second part was an arranged version of the soundtrack with remixed tracks. Sakuraba continued to work on the series, creating a "synth-rock" soundtrack for Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness. He also composed the music for Star Ocean: Anamnesis, as he has done for all other games in the series.
Manga and anime
Mayumi Azuma created an unfinished manga series based on Star Ocean: The Second Story. This manga inspired an unfinished anime series called Star Ocean EX. Geneon Entertainment released the anime in the United States. The anime has 26 episodes that cover events from the first disc of the PlayStation game. Later, the story continued through drama CDs.
Reception
By 2013, the game series had sold more than 4.2 million copies. In a 2009 review, Nintendo Life praised the technical quality of Star Ocean, calling it "one of the best-looking Super Nintendo games ever created" and noting that the soundtrack "never ceases to amaze." Famitsu reviewed Star Ocean: The First Departure, a remake of the original Star Ocean, stating that the animation and characters were well done and the story was "charming." However, they mentioned that players could only save their progress at certain points, such as the world map, which they felt was too large and had a limited field of view. Star Ocean: The Second Story is one of the most popular games in the series. Most reviewers gave positive feedback, but some considered the game only average. Jeff Lundrigan, reviewing the PlayStation version of the game for Next Generation, wrote that the game had both strengths and weaknesses, but ultimately called it "average." Star Ocean: Blue Sphere became popular in Japan because of its story and gameplay systems. This led tri-Ace to remake the game for mobile devices, which included redrawn graphics and a remastered soundtrack.
Initially, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time received mixed reactions in Japan. Some parts of the game were reported to have technical issues, and the game did not work properly on older PlayStation 2 models. Enix blamed Sony, as the game used features from updated software that were not compatible with older systems. Star Ocean: The Last Hope was reviewed by IGN, which noted that while the story’s pacing was uneven and could have been more engaging, the game’s action-packed gameplay helped it remain enjoyable. One issue players faced was the need to swap discs when traveling between planets later in the game.
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness was noted by IGN for having graphics that ranged from very high quality to low quality, similar to the game Minecraft. The review also mentioned that the lack of cutscenes reduced the emotional impact of the acting. However, the game’s music and characters were praised. Star Ocean: Anamnesis was described by Kotaku as "exploitative but charming," highlighting the game’s use of nostalgia but criticizing the "blandness" of its free-to-play format.