| Star Ocean: The Second Story | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | tri-Ace TOSE (PSP) |
| Publisher(s) | Square Enix (PSP) |
| Artist(s) | Minato Koio |
| Composer(s) | Motoi Sakuraba |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, PlayStation Portable |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation PlayStation Portable |
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | PlayStation PlayStation Portable |
| Media/distribution | 2 CD-ROMs (PS) 1 UMD (PSP) |
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 a action role-playing PlayStation video game developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix. It is the second game in the Star Ocean series and the first game in the series to be released in North America (in 1999) and Europe (in 2000), courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment. A PlayStation Portable remake was announced prior to the 2007 Square Enix Party event[3] and released in Japan in 2008 and in North America and Europe in 2009.
The game was the basis of manga and anime adaptations.
Contents |
The game gives the player the choice of playing as Rena or Claude, with the journey evolving and ending differently depending on the choices one makes.
The Second Story's gameplay is broadly similar to that of most RPGs. The player goes from town to town and dungeon to dungeon, following the central story and occasionally branching off to perform side quests. Characters gain Experience Points from battle and level up as a result, becoming gradually stronger as time passes and more battles are fought.
However, The Second Story is a member of the Star Ocean franchise, and as such features various deviations from the standard RPG format. Battles are much more action-oriented: they take place in real time, during which the player has manual control over their character, as opposed to choosing options from a menu. Battles take place on a broad battlefield, over which the player's character can move without limit, allowing them to trade blows face-to-face with the enemy or circle around for a flanking attack. The other party members (up to 3 others) are controlled by the game's AI; the player may change an ally's Strategy to one of six different pre-determined options (ranging from "Spread out and attack" to "Save your Magic Points" to "Stand Still and Don't Do Anything").
Star Ocean: The Second Story features a comprehensive Skill system. Nine different batches of skills are sold in in-game shops; once unlocked this way, they must be learned by committing battle-earned "Skill Points" to them. Some skills raise a character's statistics; some unlock Specialty abilities; and some provide bonuses in battle (such as the ability to counter-attack). Specialties allow the characters to create a wide variety of items, and include Cooking, Writing, Composing and Musicianship, Pickpocketing and Training. Furthermore, the entire party can contribute to "Super Specialty" skills such as "Master Chef", Blacksmithing, Publishing and "Reverse Side", which allows the character to counterfeit valuable items at the risk of lowering their allies' opinion of them. Every item created has some sort of tangible benefit—foods restore Hit Points and/or Magic Points, training increases the gain in Experience Points, and written novels can be submitted to a publisher, with royalties collectable later—but every attempt requires the expenditure of a consumable item, and may fail to produce anything useful.
Finally, a mechanic called "Private Actions" allows the player to influence the relations between their characters. During a "Private Action", the player's party temporarily breaks up during a visit to a town, with each character going their own way to shop, visit friends and family (if applicable) or otherwise relax. The player's main character (either Claude or Rena) can then interact with their allies, often with the option of making one of those allies like another character more (or less). This "relationship point" mechanic can have a major effect in battle—if Character A's close friend is felled, Character A will get major combat bonuses for a short time—and also determines what ending the player will see, as each party member's scene plays out differently depending on who they did (or didn't) befriend. There are 86 possible endings (or 87, depending on how one wants to count them).
Star Ocean: The Second Story takes place twenty years after the original game, Star Ocean. The game tells the stories of Claude C. Kenny, son of Ronixis J. Kenny, and Rena Lanford, a young girl living on the planet Expel. Claude, having recently been commissioned as an Ensign in the Earth Federation, is given his first mission under the supervision of his father. This first mission is to survey the planet Milocinia, where a mysterious energy field appears. Finding a mysterious device on Milocinia, Claude begins to examine it close-up, despite orders to keep away from it. As he approaches, the machine activates, teleporting him to Expel. Once on Expel, Claude meets Rena who mistakes him for the "Hero of Light," spoken of in legends on Expel because he wields a "Sword of Light" (actually the standard-issue Phase Gun all Federation officers carry) and is dressed in "alien raiments." She takes him back to her village, Arlia, for corroboration.
In Arlia, it is explained to Claude that 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". Though he explains that he is not the Hero of Light, Claude offers to investigate the Sorcery Globe, in the hopes that it might help lead him home. Rena assists him as his native guide and hopes to find knowledge about her origin, being an orphan.
Though their journey takes them the long way around, Claude and Rena (and whichever characters the player decides to recruit) manage to travel across Expel and finally reach the Sorcery Globe and encounter the Ten Wise Men. The Sorcery Globe, which the Ten Wise Men call the "Quadratic Sphere", is a device they planted on Expel in order to steer it into a massive energy formation called Energy Nede, from which the Ten Wise Men were exiled thousands of years ago. It is their hope to return to Energy Nede using Expel as a vessel. They succeed and the entire planet of Expel is destroyed by its collision with Energy Nede.
Through unspecified means, Claude and Rena survive the impact and wake up on Energy Nede. They are met by Mayor Narl who explains who the Ten Wise Men are, why they were exiled, and that, now that they are back, they hope to destroy the entire universe using advanced Heraldry (magic). Narl furthermore announces that Energy Nede has the ability to restore Expel by using powerful Heraldry to turn back time, but this is only possible if the Ten Wise Men are defeated. Claude and Rena agree to help in the resistance, and embark on various voyages to strengthen themselves, obtain information and learn about the enemy.
Eventually Claude and Rena along with their friends assault the Ten Wise Men's stronghold at Fienal, where they put an end to the enemy once and for all. The ending is composed of scenes describing the fates of the party's characters, and changes slightly depending on if you discovered the Ten Wise Men's true identity and " raison d'être " through the means of Private Actions.
Star Ocean: The Second Story has two main characters, the human Claude (Voiced by Yuji Ueda (Japanese original), Jimmy Freeman (English original), Daisuke Namikawa (Japanese PSP remake), Spike Spencer (English PSP remake), Hiro Yuuki (Japanese anime dub), Matt Hill (English anime dub)) and the Nedian (member of a pointy-eared humanoid race) Rena (Voiced by Aya Hisakawa (Japanese original), Donna Mae Wong (English original), Nana Mizuki (Japanese PSP remake), Claudia Lenz (English PSP remake), Mayumi Iizuka (Japanese anime dub), Nicole Bouma (English anime dub)), and upon starting a new game the player is asked to choose one of them. The choice has impact upon the game's plot and story, though the vast majority of content is identical to both lines. There are ten other playable characters in the game, though the player can only recruit six of them to fill out their eight-member party, and some recruitment choices will make other characters no longer available.
The main antagonists of the game make their first appearances mid-way through the game, introducing themselves as the "Ten Wise Men." In the original Japanese game, they are named after various angels from Christian theology. In the initial English release, they are renamed, but the original names are restored in Second Evolution.
Star Ocean: Second Evolution is an enhanced remake of Star Ocean: The Second Story for the PSP.[4] It serves as a sequel to Star Ocean: First Departure. 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 are completely new games.[5] The game has seen a release in Japan on April 2, 2008, in North America on January 19, 2009,[1] in Australia on February 12, 2009 and in Europe on February 13, 2009.[2]
Second Evolution features new content, including new playable character. 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.
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.[6][7] The kit's release seems to coincide with First Departure Eternal Edition package.
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | (PS) 78.73%[8] (PSP) 76.87%[9] |
| Metacritic | (PS) 80/100[10] (PSP) 75/100[11] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| GameSpot | (PS) 8.3/10[12] (PSP) 7.5/10[13] |
| IGN | (PS) 8.8/10[14] (PSP) 8/10[15] |
| RPGFan | (PS) 90/100[16] (PSP) 80/100[17] |
Star Ocean: The Second Story was a commercial success, having sold approximately 1.09 million copies worldwide, with over 700,000 copies sold in Japan alone and 370,000 copies sold overseas.[18][19] It was the 13th best-selling game of 1998 in Japan.[20]
As of November 30, 2008, Star Ocean: Second Evolution has sold 141,218 copies in Japan.[21] Star Ocean: Second Evolution was the 90th best-selling game in Japan in 2008, selling 143,434 copies.[22]
| Star Ocean: The Second Story | |
Cover of the first volume of the Japanese release of the manga series |
|
| スターオーシャン セカンドストーリー (Sutā Ōshan Sekando Sutōrī) |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure, Science fantasy, Sword and sorcery |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Mayumi Azuma |
| Published by | Enix |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Magazine | Shōnen Gangan |
| Original run | June 22, 1999 – December 21, 2001 |
| Volumes | 7 |
| TV anime | |
| Star Ocean EX | |
| Directed by | Hiroshi Watanabe |
| Written by | Kenichi Kanemaki |
| Studio | Studio Deen |
| Licensed by | Geneon North America |
| Network | TV Tokyo |
| Original run | April 3, 2001 – September 25, 2001 |
| Episodes | 26 |
A 7 volume manga series was written and illustrated by Mayumi Azuma. Based on the tri-Ace role-playing video game of the same name, it follows the exploits of Claude C. Kenny, a young ensign in the Earth Federation who finds himself stranded on the Planet Expel. He meets Rena Lanford, a young girl living in the village of Arlia who declares that he is the legendary warrior their legends speak of who will save their troubled world from disaster. The series was serialized in Shōnen Gangan, premiering June 22, 1999 and running until December 21, 2001 when it ended without reaching the conclusion of the story.
Studio Deen adapted the manga series into a twenty six episode anime series entitled Star Ocean EX which aired on TV Tokyo from April 3, 2001 until September 25, 2001. The anime series was released to Region 1 DVD by Geneon Entertainment. To complete the story left unfinished by both the manga and anime, five drama CDs were released in Japan, using the same voice actors from the anime series.
Written by Mayumi Azuma Star Ocean: The Second Story is based on the tri-Ace video game Star Ocean: The Second Story. It first premiered in Shōnen Gangan on June 22, 1999.[23] The final chapter was published on December 21, 2001, having covered only half of the video game and without concluding the story. Enix published the series in seven collected volumes in Japan starting on June 1999. Two volumes were released per year until the seventh volume was released in November 2001.
| No. | Release date | ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 1999 | ISBN 978-4-7575-0029-7 | ||
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| 2 | November 1999 | ISBN 978-4-7575-0130-0 | ||
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| 3 | March 2000 | ISBN 978-4-7575-0196-6 | ||
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| 4 | September 2000 | ISBN 978-4-7575-0311-3 | ||
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| 5 | January 2001 | ISBN 978-4-7575-0383-0 | ||
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| 6 | August 2001 | ISBN 978-4-7575-0524-7 | ||
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| 7 | November 2001 | ISBN 978-4-7575-0584-1 | ||
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Studio Deen adapted the manga series into an anime series, naming it Star Ocean EX (スターオーシャンＥＸ Sutā Ōshan EX). The series premiered on TV Tokyo from April 3, 2001 and ran for twenty-six episodes until September 25, 2001.[24][25] Movic released to VHS tape and Region 2 DVD across nine volumes, with the first released on July 27, 2001 and the final volume released March 29, 2002. Each volume contained two episodes, except the final volume which had three.[26]
In 2004, Geneon Entertainment announced they had acquired the license to release the series to Region 1 DVD.[27] They released the first of six volumes on January 4, 2005 and the final volume on November 22, 2005. In Geneon's release, the first two volumes contained five episodes each, while the remaining volumes contained four.[28][29] On August 8, 2006, Geneon released all twenty-six episodes in a series box set.
This is a complete episode listing for the anime series Star Ocean EX (スターオーシャンEX Sutā Ōshan EX). Adapted from Mayumi Azuma's seven-volume manga series Star Ocean: The Second Story, the twenty-six episode series is directed by Hiroshi Watanabe and was produced by Studio Deen. The series first premiered in Japan on TV Tokyo from April 3, 2001.[24] The final episode aired on September 25, 2001.[25] The source manga was based on the video game Star Ocean: The Second Story, however it only covered the first half of the game, resulting in both it and the anime adaptation telling an incomplete story.
Star Ocean EX was released to VHS tape and Region 2 DVD by Movic, with the first volume released on July 27, 2001 and the final volume released March 29, 2002. Movic also released a series of five drama CDs to complete the story.[30] In 2004, Geneon Entertainment announced they had acquired the license to release the series to Region 1 DVD.[27] They released the first of six volumes on January 4, 2005 and the final volume on November 22, 2005. In Geneon's release, the first two volumes contained five episodes each, while the remaining volumes contained four.[28][29]
Two pieces of theme music are use for all twenty-six episodes. "To the Light", performed by Amika Hattan is used for the opening theme. Saori Nishihata's "Hearts" is used for the ending theme for the first twenty-five episodes, while the twenty-sixth episode uses "To the Light" for its ending.
| # | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Transport" "Navigation 1 Jikuu Tensou" (Navigation 1 時空転送) |
April 3, 2001 |
| 2 | "Encounter" "Navigation 2 Souguu Kontakuto" (Navigation 2 遭遇〜コンタクト〜) |
April 10, 2001 |
| 3 | "The Magic Stone" "Navigation 3 Ma Seki" (Navigation 3 魔石) |
April 17, 2001 |
| 4 | "Heraldic Magic" "Navigation 4 Monshoujutsushi" (Navigation 4 紋章術師) |
April 24, 2001 |
| 5 | "Kuhazan" "Navigation 5 Kuuhazan" (Navigation 5 空破斬) |
May 1, 2001 |
| 6 | "Two-Headed Dragon" "Navigation 6 Soutou Ryuu" (Navigation 6 双頭竜) |
May 8, 2001 |
| 7 | "Tetragenes" "Navigation 7 Ihou Jin [Tetorajunesu]" (Navigation 7 異邦人[テトラジュネス]) |
May 15, 2001 |
| 8 | "Teardrop" "Navigation 8 Namida" (Navigation 8 涙) |
May 22, 2001 |
| 9 | "Harley" "Navigation 9 Shiokaze [Haa Rii]" (Navigation 9 潮風[ハーリー]) |
May 29, 2001 |
| 10 | "Ghost Ship" "Navigation 10 Yuurei Sen" (Navigation 10 幽霊船) |
June 5, 2001 |
| 11 | "The Invention Girl" "Navigation 11 Hatsumei Shōjo" (Navigation 11 発明少女) |
June 12, 2001 |
| 12 | "Metox" "Navigation 12 Gekkou Hana [Metookusu]" (Navigation 12 月光花[メトークス]) |
June 19, 2001 |
| 13 | "Rampage" "Navigation 13 Bousou" (Navigation 13 暴走) |
June 26, 2001 |
| 14 | "Lacour" "Navigation 14 Ma Ken [Rakuuru]" (Navigation 14 魔剣[ラクール]) |
July 3, 2001 |
| 15 | "Suspicion" "Navigation 15 Giwaku" (Navigation 15 疑惑) |
July 10, 2001 |
| 16 | "Leon" "Navigation 16 Shōnen [Reon]" (Navigation 16 少年[レオン]) |
July 17, 2001 |
| 17 | "Ruins" "Navigation 17 Iseki" (Navigation 17 遺跡) |
July 24, 2001 |
| 18 | "Fortress" "Navigation 18 Yousai" (Navigation 18 要塞) |
July 31, 2001 |
| 19 | "Solitude" "Navigation 19 Kodoku" (Navigation 19 孤独) |
August 7, 2001 |
| 20 | "Faith" "Navigation 20 Kibou" (Navigation 20 希望) |
August 14, 2001 |
| 21 | "Reunion" "Navigation 21 Saikai" (Navigation 21 再会) |
August 21, 2001 |
| 22 | "Friends" "Navigation 22 Nakama" (Navigation 22 仲間) |
August 28, 2001 |
| 23 | "Lacour Hope" "Navigation 23 Kessen [Rakuuruhoopu]" (Navigation 23 決戦[ラクールホープ]) |
September 4, 2001 |
| 24 | "Machine Castle" "Navigation 24 Kikai Jou" (Navigation 24 機械城) |
September 11, 2001 |
| 25 | "Energy Stone" "Navigation 25 Teru Kou Seki [Enajii Sutoon]" (Navigation 25 輝光石[エナジーストーン]) |
September 18, 2001 |
| 26 | "Man of Valor" "Navigation 26 Yuusha [Kuroodo]" (Navigation 26 勇者[クロード]) |
September 25, 2001 |
Geneon Entertainment announced that they had acquired the license to release Star Ocean EX to Region 1 DVD in July 2004.[27] They first released the series in six individual volumes with each volume included English and Japanese audio tracks and English subtitles. The first two volumes contain five episodes each, and the remaining volumes have four each.[28][29] With the first four volumes, the on-disc extras included character profiles, while last two volumes had galleries of illustrations and the original Japanese cover art. The first volume was available in both regular and limited editions, with the limited edition including an art box that could hold all six volumes of the series.[31]
Geneon also released the entire series as a box set that includes all six volumes in their original cases, but features a different art box.[32]
| Volume | Title[32] | Release Date[32] | Eps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Star Ocean EX - The Inception | January 4, 2005 | 1-5 |
| 2 | Star Ocean EX - Dragon's Teeth | March 22, 2005 | 6-10 |
| 3 | Star Ocean EX - Magical Moonlit Flowers | May 24, 2005 | 11-14 |
| 4 | Star Ocean EX - Ruins and Hopes | July 19, 2005 | 15-18 |
| 5 | Star Ocean EX - El Continent | September 20, 2005 | 19-22 |
| 6 | Star Ocean EX - The Legendary Warrior | November 22, 2005 | 23-26 |
| NA | Star Ocean EX - Complete Box Set | August 8, 2006 | 1-26 |
Star Ocean EX was originally released to Region 2 DVD and VHS in Japan in nine individual volumes by Movic. The first volume, containing two episodes, was released on July 27, 2001. Subsequent volumes, each containing three episodes, followed on a monthly schedule.[26]
| Title[26] | Release Date[26] | Eps[26] |
|---|---|---|
| Star Ocean EX 1 | July 27, 2001 | 1-2 |
| Star Ocean EX 2 | August 24, 2001 | 3-5 |
| Star Ocean EX 3 | September 28, 2001 | 6-8 |
| Star Ocean EX 4 | October 26, 2001 | 9-11 |
| Star Ocean EX 5 | November 22, 2001 | 12-14 |
| Star Ocean EX 6 | December 21, 2001 | 15-17 |
| Star Ocean EX 7 | January 25, 2002 | 18-20 |
| Star Ocean EX 8 | February 22, 2002 | 21-23 |
| Star Ocean EX 9 | March 29, 2002 | 24-26 |
Two CD soundtracks were released in Japan by Pony Canyon for the Star Ocean EX series. The first soundtrack, Star Ocean EX Original Soundtrack (スターオーシャンEX ― オリジナル・サウンドトラック), contained forty-seven tracks and released on August 1, 2001. Among the tracks are the TV length versions of the opening and ending themes and background music played during various episodes.[33][34] The second, Star Ocean EX Original Soundtrack II (スターオーシャンEX ― オリジナル・サウンドトラック II) was released on September 19, 2001. It contained an additional forty-five tracks of background music from the series.[35][36]
Neither official soundtrack includes the full version of either the opening or ending theme of the series. Amika Hattan did release the full version of the opening theme "To the Light" as a CD single. Likewise, Saori Nishihata released a single with the full version of the ending theme "Hearts".
Movic, the company which released the Star Ocean EX anime series to VHS and DVD, also had a series of drama CDs produced. These CDs take the place of the series' missing second season and complete the story left incomplete by both the manga and anime series.[30] The CDs feature the same voice actors as those in the anime and each volume contains approximately one hour of dialog. The first CD was released in Japan on July 7, 2001, picking up where the last episode of the anime stopped. The fifth and final volume was released December 8, 2001. All five volumes are now out-of-print.[26][37]
Enix published two art books for Star Ocean. The first, Treasure: Star Ocean The Second Story Mayumi Azuma Art Book (トレジャー スターオーシャンセカンドストーリー 東まゆみ画集 Torejā : Sutā Ō̄shan Sekando Sutōrī Azuma Mayumi Gashū) was published in October 2000. Spanning eight-eight pages, it included sixty four pages of color art and a full-color fold out poster created by artist Mayumi Azuma.[38]
The second art book, Second Treasure: Star Ocean The Second Story Mayumi Azuma Art Book (セカンドトレジャー スターオーシャンセカンドストーリー 東まゆみ画集 Sekando Torejā : Sutā Ō̄shan Sekando Sutōrī Azuma Mayumi Gashū) was published in August 2001. It contains sixty pages of color illustrations, twenty pages of black-and-white images and some character profiles.[39]
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