#STAR OCEAN FIRST DEPARTURE R METACRITIC PLUS#
#STAR OCEAN FIRST DEPARTURE R METACRITIC SERIES#
#STAR OCEAN FIRST DEPARTURE R METACRITIC PSP#

This is a sign of things to come, as you'll do a fair amount of backtracking throughout the game as a whole. In the opening hours of this game, you'll find yourself visiting the same areas fairly often. Neither of those are true in Star Ocean: First Departure R. Most of the time, this is limited to sidequests, and it's often optional.

Most RPGs, especially those with their roots in the 1990s, are known for including a little bit of backtracking. You won't mistake this for a recent entry in the series, but it can stand easily on the strength of its art. The bigger surprise is that they still look great on a large TV screen. The characters and backgrounds look great on the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode, but that's to be expected. For a recent example, look at the Grandia port in the Grandia HD Collection. Even better, there are no attempts to smooth the art, which often results in an unnatural and at times unpleasant aesthetic.

#STAR OCEAN FIRST DEPARTURE R METACRITIC PSP#

The result is a game with beautiful 2D pixel art that holds up much better on modern systems than a fully 3D game released for the PSP would have. High-quality 2D pixel art is used for the characters and most of the backgrounds, while 3D backgrounds are used for the combat scenarios and world map. Instead of sprucing up the Super Famicom version's graphics or switching to a 3D engine, they instead used a version of the engine used by Star Ocean: The Second Story. This means that Star Ocean: First Departure R is a hybrid 2D/3D game. While you won't find the cancel combos and other touches that make the combat so engaging in later games in the series, the sheer amount of abilities and options spread across your party keeps things from getting stale.ĭeveloper tri-Ace and TOSE, who helped handle the PSP port, made an interesting decision when remaking Star Ocean.

These have wind-up times, so you can't just spam them and watch as every enemy dies unless you're over-leveled.

#STAR OCEAN FIRST DEPARTURE R METACRITIC PLUS#

You have a single attack button plus Special Arts and Spells, which you can map to the left and right bumpers. While the combat in Star Ocean: First Departure R is simplified compared to some other games in the series, there's still plenty of depth. While the sci-fi nature of the setting offers some interesting stories, the combat and dungeons are the bread and butter of this series.

#STAR OCEAN FIRST DEPARTURE R METACRITIC SERIES#

The GoodĪsk any fan of the series what the best thing about any Star Ocean game is, and the answer will probably be the combat. Star Ocean: First Departure R is a remaster of that game for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, so it has a much better chance of gaining attention, which is good because it deserves some.

Unfortunately, it was released for the PSP, so it never made much of a splash. The second, Star Ocean: The Second Story was a PlayStation gem, while the third, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time had a twist that had some swear off the series for good.īefore the fourth and fifth games were released, Square Enix released Star Ocean: First Departure, a remake of the first game that actually made it to North America. The first game to bear the name was a Super Famicom game that never made it out of Japan. The Star Ocean series has been around for a long time at this point, but it's never been a high-profile series.

Star ocean first departure r metacritic