Star Ocean: The Second Story R Review Finds a Wildly Ambitious RPG
The review positions the remake as a definitive version that justifies its existence through deep, player-driven systems rather than just visual upgrades.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
Anime News Network reviewed Star Ocean: The Second Story R for Switch 2, calling it a wildly ambitious RPG with crunchy systems and fun gameplay. The review highlights the Item Creation specialties, which allow players to break the game with skills like Sculpting and Writing, and notes the choice of protagonist between Claude C. Kenny and Rena Lanford.
The review opens with a long-standing gripe about the Star Ocean series: games steeped in science fiction that still take place on medieval worlds. At their worst, they feel like standard RPGs with sci-fi dressing. Second Story R, the review says, earns forgiveness for that pattern.
The praise centers on the game's systems. Item Creation specialties unlock early and give players tools to break the game open. Investing in Art leads to Sculpting, which can spawn random items, letting the reviewer roll mid-game equipment early and steamroll enemies. Writing skills, paired with Fountain Pens, produce skill books that teach the party new abilities up to level 7.
The review also notes the choice of protagonist at the start, though it says the story remains the same whether Claude or Rena leads. The character stuff does not matter too much, the reviewer writes, because the core tale of a federation officer and a mysterious girl holds together regardless.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network Game Review