Beginner hints and tips! ruclips.net/video/oVYI9J-vee4/видео.html All the Star Ocean Games RANKED? ruclips.net/video/h94bmHDOVRw/видео.html Let's RANK all the Star Ocean 2 Characters! ruclips.net/video/0PG6fza3rKk/видео.html The Best Skills in Star Ocean 2: ruclips.net/video/_NaT_5hS-Ps/видео.html Getting ALL Party Members! ruclips.net/video/tdzRCH1o7Zg/видео.html
i have fond memories of watching my grandfather (rip) play the original back when i was a kid. i fell in love with the demo of the remake and can not wait to pick up my copy tomorrow - great work as always david
I love this story, thanks so much, I wasn't really able to share my love of gaming with anyone else in my family besides my brother. It's really nice to hear how many other people were able to form intergenerational bonds through gaming though!
Yo, your grandpa was cool, God rest his soul. My parents could never get into video games, I could barely share my love of the hobby with my brother. My dad got frustrated at me every time I turned on the console. I didn't even get to know my grand-dads when they both passed away before I was even born.
@@davidvinc Same here. My grandparents were WW2 vets, and parents, tech shy boomers. Not exactly the demographics that are known to be hip to video games! ;)
You could argue there is something in game development called Gameplay loop and Every game has it. It's not always a time loop or repetitive activities like in Persona. It's more like an overall structure that creates the rythm of the fun. Star Ocean loop would be 1. Go to new town > 2. Get new quest > 3. Go to a new dungeon > 4. Fight a boss > Repeat. Is not so bad when the game has a great story or when every step of the loop is fun like in this Star Ocean for example
@fearhunger3983 NES Mario bros: >Run through level >Get some power ups >Jump on some enemies >Finish the Stage >Fight a boss at the end of the world. >Go to next world and repeat. It's not a new concept. Developers have BEEN doing this for a long time. We as human beings are creatures of habit and pattern oriented. Most of us have daily routines that we repeat every day. It's one of the reasons we tend to get upset when life introduces situations that upset that pattern even if its not super important. What makes gaming so interesting is that developers create patterns/routines or loops if you want to call them that, that engage us in interesting ways. Some of the most memorable moments in games is when they introduce things that disrupt those patterns. For example: MGS2 Codec Calls. The codec is typically the players go to for info, funny commentary, game play tips and even saving the game. Once GW is affected with the virus, the codec becomes a mechanical that's just downright strange. Eveytime you have a conversation with some one their are either talking crazy to you, or waxing poetic about the philosophical state of the world. It's just weird. But people love and remember it and that's a PS2 game. "Gameplay Loops" aren't a new concept, it just depends on if you enjoy that loop or not. Some games aren't for everyone, and that's okay.
@@omnicloudv7 oof I deleted my message before noticing someone had replied to it. I get that gameplay loops have existed before, but the term in game design is relatively fresh. I think it's been detrimental to game industry when designers started to adopt that teaching more seriously. Like all design theory, it's good thing to be mindful of such rules and ideas, but once they start dictating your designs, it becomes a boundary. It's no coincidence that games have become more formulaic in modern times when all game design theories and schools have become more prevalent. I'm relatively deep in game making world and it's worrying how many take these theories as gospel.
@fearhunger3983 I don't think that it's detrimental at all. It's literally how games are made. People just put a name to it. Most of our favorite games are formulaic by nature. Again, this just boils down to if you like said formula/routine/loop or not. Some games do a better job at hiding those "loops" but in every game there is some sort of system that repeats its self over and over. Very rare are there games that are CONSTANTLY changing how you engage with it over their run time.
@@omnicloudv7 you're taking the gameplay loop talk too literally. People who criticise gameplay loops rarely advocate for games that would be ever changing and lacking all familiarity created with looping design. The criticism is aimed at games that are overly focused in one gameplay loop that they try to polish at the expense of experimentation. Using your super mario example - a more gameplay loop focused platformer might omit swimming levels because it breaks the well established gameplay that's been proven to work with majority of the audience and some might not like those levels. It's a crude example, but I'm sure you get the point.
World maps make a game feel so much bigger and special. The first world map I ever experienced was in Lufia and the Fortress of Doom back in 95. That game made me fall in love with RPGS
When it comes to JRPGs I think gaming is in a very good state at this moment! We had gems like Octopath 2, Chained Echoes, Sea of Stars and now this game! We are living in great times as a JRPG fanatic
Love this game so excited for this remake. I think the fact that this, and Super Mario RPG are my two of my most hyped games. Pikmin4, Octopath2 Mario RPG and Star Ocean 2 are my hype games for the year. It's been a pretty damn solid year.
i have been screaming Star Ocean 2's praises for decades and I am so excited to see this remake and know that new gamers will get a chance to play this game for the first time and for those of us who have fond memories a chance to play it all over again in a new version!
I am so excited to play this tomorrow. I remember sinking so much of my time into the original game back in my college days, and now it’s even better! Played the demo only twice (one for each protagonist) and can’t wait to pick up with Rena first in the morning (or whenever it uploads). Sucks I have to work tomorrow…
The visual upgrade to this game is absolutely stunning. Even if they only improved that and left the rest of the game alone, I'd still buy it. All the other upgrades make this an absolute must-buy. I haven't been this hyped for a game in years.
It's really awesome when they can manage to take a game you can go back and play the original, with no complaints, and manage to add so much stuff to improve it. It's like having a really amazing pizza and then not only get the same pizza you just had but now you get free dessert.
I didn't know what to expect with this remaster. I still have the original in mint condition. I only played the demo of this remaster and I am very impressed. I see why they kept the character models relatively unchanged. Adds to the nostalgia. I personally would have liked an update like they did with Lunar on PSP. No other Star Ocean's really caught my attention. But this one reminded me why it was so special. Now if only I can get my Thousand Arms remaster lol "Blacksmith goes on dates to make powerful weapons?!" Original for sure.
Took the rest of the week off, even though I work from home (but don’t want to be interrupted ), to play this game. First star ocean game I’m so excited. Also just wanna say I love the content man. My go to rpg channel
I loved Star Ocean the 2nd Story back in the day, to see it getting remade like this is a treat. Everything about it is just stunning. Between this and Dragon Quest Monsters: the Dark Prince? I think we'll be good to go for JRPGs.
it still has a gameplay loop. the loop is just go to a new town talk to everyone complete the dungeon go to a new town. gameplay loops are generally a good thing, I can't even think of any games without it.
Hi David! I remember playing the original SO2 not long after its release. It quickly became one of my favorite games of all time (and still is). The alchemy system was so cool. Can't wait to get the remake!
I can't wait to play it. I'm an older gamer too and remember playing this as a teenager many times and even as an adult a few times. One of my personal favorites. The fact that this was made and exists 25 years later is mindblowing.
I'm super excited to play this and neglect my friends for a month. When I was younger I unfortunately had the mentality "I can't play Rena, I'm a boy". Now i'm 40+ and bring on the Rena main character!!! My plan is to play as Claude first, but only because I want to play the 2nd time as Rena so I can get Dias for when I make the last boss x99 harder. If they still let us do that with the stealing option before that town gets flooded. Thankfully Super Mario RPG comes out later on this month, so I can beat this first, then beat Mario RPG and then beat Star Ocean again before FF7 Remake 2 comes out. Then Eiyuden! We eating good with the upcoming RPGs.
I think game remakes are one of the worst trends right now because it teaches people to think that perfectly good and accessible games are disposable. However, I have no problem with games like Star Ocean 2 and Super Mario RPG getting remakes if they're accessible on modern systems and are not as "rough around the edges" as the originals for newcomers.
Picture it: Traverse City Michigan, June 1999. I bought Star Ocean 2 and Lunar SSSC at a GameStop in the local mall. In my old age (40s), I don’t hold either game in high regard at all…I still am going to give this a shot. Maybe there will be more to it than just hit "X" over and over to win this time.
I'm totally unfamiliar with this game and the Star Ocean series as a whole. But this review and all the enthusiastic comments have convinced me to try it. I love old hidden gem RPGs (I'm currently playing through the Baten Kaitos remasters) so I'm excited for this too.
Great review! SO2 was one of my favorite PSX games growing up, and I’ve replayed it so many times. The remake is faithful to the original in all the right ways, and the quality of life-improvements detract nothing from the experience, but enhance them! This game IMO came in the shadow of games like FFVII-VIII, and may have suffered as a result. I always held it in high regard in my memories, and this remake has confirmed to me why. The combat system was already amazing, and they made it even more fun. This was a work of love! You earned a new sub. :)
All seem to be great games, but I am very worried that it's getting harder and harder to find true "modern classics". For example, 2 of the games you just listed are remakes (still good games) and OT2 is a sequel (a superior entry to OT1, but a sequel nonetheless). Just this year, so many of the critically acclaimed games are just remakes of games that already came out, and I find even the indie games too derivative (like too many Earthbound-inspired games). I'm glad older games are getting the attention they deserve, but it's so hard to find genre-defining, boundary-pushing classics.
By for my most anticipated games alongside World Of Horror,AC6 this year,since i have played original version back in early 2000,and from what i seen,the remake has improved the battle aspect as well among other thing(hopefully one day we can get Persona 2 and Xenogears remake with this level of faithfulness too)
I’ve been looking to get into this after getting an itch of getting deep into JRPG’s again. I came across your channel watched this and other videos and felt like your genuine love for the genre, honest reviews expertise on the genre and how welcoming you are to all gamers makes you stand out from other content creators. Thank you for what you do.
Very happy you reviewd this game David! I played the original back when I was a kid watching my older brother play it. I can now say as an adult this game is even better then I remember, defiantly shows what RPGS can be if a little love is put into them.
I loved this game back in the day. I didn't even know it was being remade until today. I hope the cooking master mini game is still in it. I played that so much.
I remember playing this game, at least the first couple of minutes, as a kid. I think i couldnt get the hang of the controls and i didnt have the attention span for it. So glad to come back to this core memory i have and finally play it properly.
The skill/crafting system in Star Ocean 2 was both awsome and a bit overwhelming (at least back in the day, for 14 year old me). It's great that the remake brings it back, but with quality of life improvements.
I'm not understanding the argument for "gameplay loops" every single game has a gameplay loop. The critique is whether or not the game tricks you into thinking that you're doing something different. Star Ocean is Town dungeon town dungeon. They may just hide it a little bit better
Idk how they made a masterpiece even better! This remake is absolutely stunning! The of care,choice is just fantastic! Motoi sakuraba's music as iconic as ever! The new additions to combat made it much better! Everything is snappy and smooth, image quality is fantastic, menus & presentation is amazing! One of my fav aspects actually! Now everything is more easier to do "private actions" new art portraits are gorgeous, choosing each character voice individually "Japanese" is nuts 😂🔥 in menus you can see all characters art portraits from the og, second evolution & the remake! You're not missing anything! The introduction of mini maps too! Fast travel! Man i can't shut up but i am so happy SE did a remake justice because part of me still can't believe they did this for SO2! 😭❤🔥
I’ve never played The Second Story. Only The Divine Force, but from the 3 hours I’ve played from the demo The Second Story R has RPG of the year written all over it.
i am excited for the remake, the demo was fun. i will say though im a bit annoyed with the inclusion of fishing, i get people like fishing mini games w/e im just tired of seeing it in so many games even more so star ocean. we just had star ocean 6 which had es'owa and that was alot of fun and a bit of a unique mini game and then they went and was like ok welp we need a mini game any ideas? FISHING. mannnnn i just hate fishing i hate how its so popularized that its in so many games and there are items and rare encounters and stuff locked behind it too so annoying. that being said i love the new combat mechanics i love that they made it that you can choose between voices and for the jp voice acting they went as far as to put options for each individual character you can swap between voice actors thats so cool! theres so many QoL changes that are just amazing and i look forward to playing this.
I guess I have an unpopular opinion, but I think 2023 is a vastly overrated year for games. The games are high-budget and plentiful, but they're too safe. What does it say about the industry when so many of the critically acclaimed games of this year are quite literally games that already came out, just remade and changed around a little? Not discounting the work that went into making all these remakes and sequels of course, but man, where is the originality? How many of these games are people actually going to continue talking about for years to come?
Another game that I would love to see get an HD 2D remake are Lunar Silver Star Story and Lunar Eternal Blue, I still own the Sega CD versions of them.
Thank you for putting together this review! I'm very excited, it sounds like way more new stuff than I was expecting. Stoked to dig in this weekend! I did wanna point out though that "gameplay loop" normally refers to something different than looping games (which I agree, I'm generally not a fan of outside some very good rougelikes). "Gameplay loop" is an old game design term that just refers to the essential gameplay that you end up doing over and over. For a traditional RPG, the "gameplay loop" for a dungeon might be Battle -> Menuing (character progression and healing) -> Explore/Treasure finding -> Battle -> Repeat. So you can definitely have a core gameplay loop without being a boring, repetitive slog like Loop8!
Knew you were gonna gush over this one David. Anyway, I've already heard that this is THE way to play Star Ocean 2 now. Fans are saying Square & Gemdrops knocked it out of the park. It really is surprising for SE to go this hard with a remaking an rpg that isn't a Final Fantasy nor Dragon Quest. Guess even Square is aware of the pedestal SO2 sits on.
Love this game. I love how you can break it right at the beginning and it's totally fine. In a way, it was way ahead of its time since many of its gameplay mechanics are essentially "accessibility features." Wanna literally speed through the game? Learn Bunny Call. Wanna AFK because you have to wash dishes? Learn Bodyguard and Scouting. Wanna turn hard mode into game journalist mode? Learn Art and make Goodie Boxes out of Magical Clay until you farm the best gear in the game. I also had no idea one of your party members had dragons attached to his freaking back, don't know how I missed hearing about that as a kid! Overall it's classic, silly, JRPG fun. I think what keeps it from gaining the heights of Final Fantasy though is seemingly inconsequential stuff like, why are there Symbology spells like "Laser Beams?" Ok like Fire Bolt or Thunderstorm make sense, but "Laser Beams?" How does Rena or Celine know what a "laser beam" even is? It's anachronistic. It's like a steam boat in ancient Rome. And sure Ezio had a gun in Renaissance Italy, but they didn't call it "a gun," and only Ezio had it. It wasn't part of the world like Symbology is with Star Ocean, where presumably any Symbologist could learn "laser beams." If they called it "Light Burst" or something like that it'd be a bit better. Laser Beams.. lol. They wouldn't be living in thatch-roofed cottages if they knew what laser beams really were, they would've discovered hard physics
The demo was incredible and I'm can't wait to play this again after 20 years! To anyone who's going to play this for the first time, this is definitively the best version of the game and I know you'll love it
Oh my God! I've finally played this (I didn't play the demo) and I almost cried. This remake is FANTASTIC! It does everything right, it makes this masterpiece even better!
Can’t wait to get this game and replay a treasured childhood memory! And although I understand why they made PAs visible and quest markers on the map, i wish they didn’t or had an option to turn that off
Square Enix needs to thank David with how much good PR he's giving them! Why don't we settle the score with remakes of beloved classics and great new games??
Still absolutely wild to think we got the two best entires in the Star Ocean series back to back in two consecutive years. When you pointed it out, it does hit me that many of the most well-received games this year, even outside the RPG sphere have either been remakes of games between 15 to 25 years old (This game, Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime, Dead Space) or deliberate throwbacks to older gameplay design/styles (Sea of Stars, Octopath II, Mario Wonder, Baldur's Gate 3) it's easy to get pessimistic, but what I think it means is that the suits have started to realize what creators and us the audience have always known: these classic sensibilities still hold up. It's also telling that all of these titles were complete, finished games without a bunch of extra purchases built in, just a complete game for the up-front price. All that said, I am majorly excited with everything the devs have accomplished with this! I can't wait to go on one of my favorite adventures all over again!
FINALLY grabbed a copy from BestBuy because my amazon copy was in limbo. So excited to be playing this. This game is a testament that old school rpgs are very much alive and relevant :)
it does suck there arent many world map rpgs these days one of the last rpgs that had a world map that i enjoyed was tales of graces, its great that this is coming out again fully remade
It's ironic that developers younger than the original creators of these games--who didn't grow up playing JRPGs--grew up playing games like this and then can't seem to replicate what made those older games work. Hopefully, the success of a game like this shows the power of strong core mechanics that the newer games adopt the best parts.
Just revisiting this video to let you know that I've started playing this game, I'm 10+ hours in and this game has everything that I could possibly want from an RPG and more. Thank you again for this wonderful recommendation!
I'm playing the demo. This is brilliant. This is that JRPG charm I remember. I feel like the food critic from Rataouille after he bites into the titular dish and is transported back to his childhood.
NGL, I wasn't that excited for the remake. In my opinion, PS1 gameplay, without the modern QoL techniques, doesn't hold up as much as I'd like it to. This review addressed all of that though, so I'm really excited for this one now. Thanks, David!
Just got my two copies today(gotta keep one sealed in my collection) and I literally played for 5 hours non stop. I didn’t play the demo but I’ve watched some videos, but damn I wasn’t expecting it to be this brilliant right of the bat. I’m 33 now and was probably 9 when the original came out. Loved it back then and I’m glad this game got a remake, I can’t believe I’m playing it 26@5 years after it originally came out,and the hope that every JRPG aficionado picks this up and supports the company! Thanks to square and thank you as always, David, for the wonderful Coverage. You’re videos have kept me afloat in a rough patch and I thank you for that, good sir.
Been waiting on this remake for YEARSSSSSSS! i never too like the ones after this one. the music, the characters, and the game play was so great. I enjoy listening to the music while I do my Animation. Will be getting this 100% thanks for you inputs, love the improvements.
Minor nit-pick: Character sprites look odd on the 2d-hd backgrounds, they should have made them a bit less papery. Think it might come from the edges of he characters being white so it looks like it is paper. Like the Octopath style better.
You actually stated something incorrect about gameplay loops. Star Ocean 2 actually has a "Gameplay Loop", albeit one that you enjoy. By your own description, you are running a gameplay loop in Star Ocean 2 the same as you did in Persona. In Star Ocean 2, you have [Explore >>>>> Town Exposition >>>>> Explore >>>>> Town Exposition >>>>> Explore] so on and so forth. It's more of an enjoyable one for you, but I promise every single RPG, whether western or eastern, has a predefined gameplay loop. By definition, gameplay loops are the repetitive actions the user engages in that allow them to progress in the end of the game. I.E. what actions do you think of when you hear Super Mario Bros. ?
This game just went from eventual purchase to day 1. Glad to hear people talk about gameplay loops in this way. I'm fairly sure it's the big exec boardrooms and marketing departments that came up with the concept of "gameplay loops". It's their way to try and put games into numbers and measurable data. How else can you replicate success? Trying to measure and make math out of subjective art is a lot more difficult.
I love the plot twist in SO3... and I dont think it really changes or reduces the significance of the other games, it just puts our universe into a different context is all.
Star Ocean 2 is my Favorite PS1 Era RPG I spent Hundreds of hours playing it. Me and my friend would set our TV's up next to each other and play the story from diferent perspectives, figure out out how to beat certain bosses and discover certain teams comps. This game's story starts subtle but grows in scale beyond what you expect. The biggest draw is the combat and exploration. instead of being on story rails, you're more than welcome to take that hidden path and either learn why you shouldn't be there or get lucky and gain a good weapon or EXP. I look forward to the Cave of Trials.
I bought the original PlayStation release at Walmart back in the day for $19.96, give or take a penny or few. Never finished it, but thoroughly enjoyed my time playing it. I still have it.
Gameplay loop is such a vague concept to me. Every game has a gameplay loop. Star Ocean (or most JRPGs) is pretty much Exploration>Battles>Loot and repeat. Valkyrie profile has a really specific one : Spiritual concentration>Town>Spiritual concentration>Dungeon. It pretty much comes down to which loop you like better. And Persona has a great one.
I saw your top 5 rpg's list last year and while I find sea of stars to be my favorite at the moment, I ended up getting star ocean 2nd story r and... Oh my god, you are right, it's one of the best RPG's I have played! I love the combat (though my cowardness is playing on normal difficulty) it's so visually appealing and I love the music and character building. I'm currently playing in the cave of tribulations and it is my favorite post game dungeon. There's so much variety on solving the puzzles, and the bosses and challenges just keep increasing more and more. Looking at the changes, as a remake, it's high up there with the resident evil remakes, and a better remake than the pokemon HG/SS one in terms of how many good changes there are. Thank you for recommending this game, they didn't have to go this hard, but I'm glad they did.
I loved the random reference to Okage: Shadow King, the first RPG I ever saw a review for and purchased with my own money :D I think you're the only person I've ever heard bring it up since it released in 2001.
As if I wasn't excited to start playing this, I had heard from another video that Motoi Sakuraba was the composer for this game. He's my absolute favorite and I can't wait to hear what other tunes this game has to offer.
I was impressed by The Divine Forces two different intros (Rays hitting the emotions right away) and I’m so excited to play the game that inspired that mechanic. I LOVE Star ocean and I cannot wait to pick this up.
God, you nailed it with the "loops": I didn't know that was a thing, but once you said it everything clicked into place on why few JRPGs these days bring me half as much joy as the older ones do.
I just finished this as my first Star Ocean experience, and I couldn’t be happier. Marvelous game. If the FF7 remake project had been done like this, I may actually have tried it
The style of the landscapes reminds me a lot of Bravely Default 2. I didnt play Second Story. I think I came in at the Til the End of Time era. This looks like a must-play for any fans of the genre.
Great review!! I have been waiting a quarter century to replay this game from my childhood! It's a little sad they never topped this game in that long. also I hope you never realize real life is just a big gameplay loop haha
Never played the OG but tried out the demo on steam, pre ordered instantly! I really like this graphics style they went for and the gameplay/music was great and on the highest difficulty it actually offered some challenge a problem I tend to have when I try out JRPG's as they tend to lean on the easy side. Look forward to playing it tomorrow.
The state of gaming is great right now. Incredible AAA titles like Tears of the Kingdom, and so many awesome indie games from smaller developers. If this is your GOTY that's great though.
Beginner hints and tips! ruclips.net/video/oVYI9J-vee4/видео.html
All the Star Ocean Games RANKED? ruclips.net/video/h94bmHDOVRw/видео.html
Let's RANK all the Star Ocean 2 Characters! ruclips.net/video/0PG6fza3rKk/видео.html
The Best Skills in Star Ocean 2: ruclips.net/video/_NaT_5hS-Ps/видео.html
Getting ALL Party Members! ruclips.net/video/tdzRCH1o7Zg/видео.html
i have fond memories of watching my grandfather (rip) play the original back when i was a kid. i fell in love with the demo of the remake and can not wait to pick up my copy tomorrow - great work as always david
Your grandpa was a cool cat that had great taste in games. RIP
I love this story, thanks so much, I wasn't really able to share my love of gaming with anyone else in my family besides my brother. It's really nice to hear how many other people were able to form intergenerational bonds through gaming though!
Yo, your grandpa was cool, God rest his soul. My parents could never get into video games, I could barely share my love of the hobby with my brother. My dad got frustrated at me every time I turned on the console. I didn't even get to know my grand-dads when they both passed away before I was even born.
@@davidvinc Same here. My grandparents were WW2 vets, and parents, tech shy boomers. Not exactly the demographics that are known to be hip to video games! ;)
I really hope we get more games remade with the 2D/HD look, honestly it looks amazing
chrono trigger ffs
*coughs* CHRONO TRIGGER *coughs*
Dragon quest 3 is getting a remake
Xenogears
I will die on this hill
Tales of Eternia (Tales of Destiny II in NA)
You could argue there is something in game development called Gameplay loop and Every game has it. It's not always a time loop or repetitive activities like in Persona. It's more like an overall structure that creates the rythm of the fun. Star Ocean loop would be 1. Go to new town > 2. Get new quest > 3. Go to a new dungeon > 4. Fight a boss > Repeat. Is not so bad when the game has a great story or when every step of the loop is fun like in this Star Ocean for example
I was thinking the exact same thing. Every game has a game loop. Especially, this one. It just depends on whether you enjoy the loop or not.
@fearhunger3983 NES Mario bros:
>Run through level
>Get some power ups
>Jump on some enemies
>Finish the Stage
>Fight a boss at the end of the world.
>Go to next world and repeat.
It's not a new concept. Developers have BEEN doing this for a long time. We as human beings are creatures of habit and pattern oriented. Most of us have daily routines that we repeat every day. It's one of the reasons we tend to get upset when life introduces situations that upset that pattern even if its not super important. What makes gaming so interesting is that developers create patterns/routines or loops if you want to call them that, that engage us in interesting ways. Some of the most memorable moments in games is when they introduce things that disrupt those patterns. For example: MGS2 Codec Calls. The codec is typically the players go to for info, funny commentary, game play tips and even saving the game. Once GW is affected with the virus, the codec becomes a mechanical that's just downright strange. Eveytime you have a conversation with some one their are either talking crazy to you, or waxing poetic about the philosophical state of the world. It's just weird. But people love and remember it and that's a PS2 game. "Gameplay Loops" aren't a new concept, it just depends on if you enjoy that loop or not. Some games aren't for everyone, and that's okay.
@@omnicloudv7 oof I deleted my message before noticing someone had replied to it.
I get that gameplay loops have existed before, but the term in game design is relatively fresh. I think it's been detrimental to game industry when designers started to adopt that teaching more seriously. Like all design theory, it's good thing to be mindful of such rules and ideas, but once they start dictating your designs, it becomes a boundary. It's no coincidence that games have become more formulaic in modern times when all game design theories and schools have become more prevalent. I'm relatively deep in game making world and it's worrying how many take these theories as gospel.
@fearhunger3983 I don't think that it's detrimental at all. It's literally how games are made. People just put a name to it. Most of our favorite games are formulaic by nature. Again, this just boils down to if you like said formula/routine/loop or not. Some games do a better job at hiding those "loops" but in every game there is some sort of system that repeats its self over and over. Very rare are there games that are CONSTANTLY changing how you engage with it over their run time.
@@omnicloudv7 you're taking the gameplay loop talk too literally. People who criticise gameplay loops rarely advocate for games that would be ever changing and lacking all familiarity created with looping design. The criticism is aimed at games that are overly focused in one gameplay loop that they try to polish at the expense of experimentation.
Using your super mario example - a more gameplay loop focused platformer might omit swimming levels because it breaks the well established gameplay that's been proven to work with majority of the audience and some might not like those levels. It's a crude example, but I'm sure you get the point.
World maps make a game feel so much bigger and special. The first world map I ever experienced was in Lufia and the Fortress of Doom back in 95. That game made me fall in love with RPGS
Agreed. Provides a massive scope that standard perspective just can't match.
Eh. World maps are often sparse and shallow compare to seamless maps or levels
i'll be suprised if it didn't lol@@zacatkinson3926
10:40 Fast travel, no-encounter mounted travel, and a traversable world map are an amazing combination.
When it comes to JRPGs I think gaming is in a very good state at this moment! We had gems like Octopath 2, Chained Echoes, Sea of Stars and now this game! We are living in great times as a JRPG fanatic
Certainly the best Star Ocean game and one of the best of the best RPGs.
Love this game so excited for this remake.
I think the fact that this, and Super Mario RPG are my two of my most hyped games.
Pikmin4, Octopath2 Mario RPG and Star Ocean 2 are my hype games for the year. It's been a pretty damn solid year.
i have been screaming Star Ocean 2's praises for decades and I am so excited to see this remake and know that new gamers will get a chance to play this game for the first time and for those of us who have fond memories a chance to play it all over again in a new version!
I am so excited to play this tomorrow. I remember sinking so much of my time into the original game back in my college days, and now it’s even better! Played the demo only twice (one for each protagonist) and can’t wait to pick up with Rena first in the morning (or whenever it uploads). Sucks I have to work tomorrow…
The visual upgrade to this game is absolutely stunning. Even if they only improved that and left the rest of the game alone, I'd still buy it. All the other upgrades make this an absolute must-buy. I haven't been this hyped for a game in years.
It's really awesome when they can manage to take a game you can go back and play the original, with no complaints, and manage to add so much stuff to improve it.
It's like having a really amazing pizza and then not only get the same pizza you just had but now you get free dessert.
I didn't know what to expect with this remaster. I still have the original in mint condition. I only played the demo of this remaster and I am very impressed. I see why they kept the character models relatively unchanged. Adds to the nostalgia. I personally would have liked an update like they did with Lunar on PSP. No other Star Ocean's really caught my attention. But this one reminded me why it was so special. Now if only I can get my Thousand Arms remaster lol "Blacksmith goes on dates to make powerful weapons?!" Original for sure.
God I grew up on thousand arms, Trying to be like Meis
I’m so glad you brought up gameplay loops. I’ve been hearing that more and more and I hate it.
This is the only way I would want to see FF6 redone
This will be my first play through! So excited !!!
Took the rest of the week off, even though I work from home (but don’t want to be interrupted ), to play this game. First star ocean game I’m so excited. Also just wanna say I love the content man. My go to rpg channel
Thanks man! That means a lot to me!!!
I loved Star Ocean the 2nd Story back in the day, to see it getting remade like this is a treat. Everything about it is just stunning. Between this and Dragon Quest Monsters: the Dark Prince? I think we'll be good to go for JRPGs.
it still has a gameplay loop. the loop is just go to a new town talk to everyone complete the dungeon go to a new town. gameplay loops are generally a good thing, I can't even think of any games without it.
Hi David! I remember playing the original SO2 not long after its release. It quickly became one of my favorite games of all time (and still is). The alchemy system was so cool. Can't wait to get the remake!
I can't wait to play it. I'm an older gamer too and remember playing this as a teenager many times and even as an adult a few times. One of my personal favorites. The fact that this was made and exists 25 years later is mindblowing.
Im So excited to pick mine up tomorrow and have a marathon
I'm super excited to play this and neglect my friends for a month.
When I was younger I unfortunately had the mentality "I can't play Rena, I'm a boy".
Now i'm 40+ and bring on the Rena main character!!!
My plan is to play as Claude first, but only because I want to play the 2nd time as Rena so I can get Dias for when I make the last boss x99 harder. If they still let us do that with the stealing option before that town gets flooded.
Thankfully Super Mario RPG comes out later on this month, so I can beat this first, then beat Mario RPG and then beat Star Ocean again before FF7 Remake 2 comes out. Then Eiyuden!
We eating good with the upcoming RPGs.
I am so happy this got a remake, now someone needs to remake Xenogears and I would die happy.
I think game remakes are one of the worst trends right now because it teaches people to think that perfectly good and accessible games are disposable. However, I have no problem with games like Star Ocean 2 and Super Mario RPG getting remakes if they're accessible on modern systems and are not as "rough around the edges" as the originals for newcomers.
Picture it: Traverse City Michigan, June 1999. I bought Star Ocean 2 and Lunar SSSC at a GameStop in the local mall. In my old age (40s), I don’t hold either game in high regard at all…I still am going to give this a shot. Maybe there will be more to it than just hit "X" over and over to win this time.
SO2 was tri-Ace firing on all cylinders. There will never be another game like this.
And Octopath II was excellent this year too.
I'm totally unfamiliar with this game and the Star Ocean series as a whole. But this review and all the enthusiastic comments have convinced me to try it. I love old hidden gem RPGs (I'm currently playing through the Baten Kaitos remasters) so I'm excited for this too.
Great review! SO2 was one of my favorite PSX games growing up, and I’ve replayed it so many times. The remake is faithful to the original in all the right ways, and the quality of life-improvements detract nothing from the experience, but enhance them! This game IMO came in the shadow of games like FFVII-VIII, and may have suffered as a result. I always held it in high regard in my memories, and this remake has confirmed to me why.
The combat system was already amazing, and they made it even more fun. This was a work of love! You earned a new sub. :)
This game, Octopath Traveler 2, and the SM RPG remake are probably going to be the top 3 to be in the JRPG of the year.
All seem to be great games, but I am very worried that it's getting harder and harder to find true "modern classics". For example, 2 of the games you just listed are remakes (still good games) and OT2 is a sequel (a superior entry to OT1, but a sequel nonetheless). Just this year, so many of the critically acclaimed games are just remakes of games that already came out, and I find even the indie games too derivative (like too many Earthbound-inspired games). I'm glad older games are getting the attention they deserve, but it's so hard to find genre-defining, boundary-pushing classics.
By for my most anticipated games alongside World Of Horror,AC6 this year,since i have played original version back in early 2000,and from what i seen,the remake has improved the battle aspect as well among other thing(hopefully one day we can get Persona 2 and Xenogears remake with this level of faithfulness too)
Sabin is also my favorite Final Fantasy character of all time, I see you.
I’ve been looking to get into this after getting an itch of getting deep into JRPG’s again. I came across your channel watched this and other videos and felt like your genuine love for the genre, honest reviews expertise on the genre and how welcoming you are to all gamers makes you stand out from other content creators. Thank you for what you do.
Very happy you reviewd this game David! I played the original back when I was a kid watching my older brother play it. I can now say as an adult this game is even better then I remember, defiantly shows what RPGS can be if a little love is put into them.
I loved this game back in the day. I didn't even know it was being remade until today. I hope the cooking master mini game is still in it. I played that so much.
I remember playing this game, at least the first couple of minutes, as a kid. I think i couldnt get the hang of the controls and i didnt have the attention span for it. So glad to come back to this core memory i have and finally play it properly.
The skill/crafting system in Star Ocean 2 was both awsome and a bit overwhelming (at least back in the day, for 14 year old me). It's great that the remake brings it back, but with quality of life improvements.
I'm glad you came right out the gate saying that the state of gaming is bad given this year's best RPG is a quarter of a century old.
It is better than most games. Always will be
Average jrpg enjoyer physique you got there David
It's still a work in progress :) I gotta keep grinding for that strength stat!
I'm not understanding the argument for "gameplay loops" every single game has a gameplay loop. The critique is whether or not the game tricks you into thinking that you're doing something different. Star Ocean is Town dungeon town dungeon. They may just hide it a little bit better
It's how "fun" the loop is
@@bioboost12I agree with you but that's not what David was arguing for
I love your videos so much! They are the perfect blend of being informative and entertaining!
Awwww thank you so much! That means the world to me!
Idk how they made a masterpiece even better! This remake is absolutely stunning! The of care,choice is just fantastic! Motoi sakuraba's music as iconic as ever! The new additions to combat made it much better! Everything is snappy and smooth, image quality is fantastic, menus & presentation is amazing! One of my fav aspects actually! Now everything is more easier to do "private actions" new art portraits are gorgeous, choosing each character voice individually "Japanese" is nuts 😂🔥 in menus you can see all characters art portraits from the og, second evolution & the remake! You're not missing anything! The introduction of mini maps too! Fast travel! Man i can't shut up but i am so happy SE did a remake justice because part of me still can't believe they did this for SO2! 😭❤🔥
Looking good. Love your top!
I’ve never played The Second Story. Only The Divine Force, but from the 3 hours I’ve played from the demo The Second Story R has RPG of the year written all over it.
"no pantyshots" damn, not sure if buying now.
i am excited for the remake, the demo was fun. i will say though im a bit annoyed with the inclusion of fishing, i get people like fishing mini games w/e im just tired of seeing it in so many games even more so star ocean. we just had star ocean 6 which had es'owa and that was alot of fun and a bit of a unique mini game and then they went and was like ok welp we need a mini game any ideas? FISHING. mannnnn i just hate fishing i hate how its so popularized that its in so many games and there are items and rare encounters and stuff locked behind it too so annoying.
that being said i love the new combat mechanics i love that they made it that you can choose between voices and for the jp voice acting they went as far as to put options for each individual character you can swap between voice actors thats so cool! theres so many QoL changes that are just amazing and i look forward to playing this.
Ah man playing this game was such a formative experience
I been excited to watch this video all day.
You have to have really niche tastes to find 2023 bad by any measure. It's been an incredible year for games! Star Ocean included!
I guess I have an unpopular opinion, but I think 2023 is a vastly overrated year for games. The games are high-budget and plentiful, but they're too safe. What does it say about the industry when so many of the critically acclaimed games of this year are quite literally games that already came out, just remade and changed around a little? Not discounting the work that went into making all these remakes and sequels of course, but man, where is the originality? How many of these games are people actually going to continue talking about for years to come?
Another game that I would love to see get an HD 2D remake are Lunar Silver Star Story and Lunar Eternal Blue, I still own the Sega CD versions of them.
I am looking forward to play this game. I bought it on Steam so I still need to wait for one more day.
It was a Day 1 preorder for me!
Thank you for putting together this review! I'm very excited, it sounds like way more new stuff than I was expecting. Stoked to dig in this weekend!
I did wanna point out though that "gameplay loop" normally refers to something different than looping games (which I agree, I'm generally not a fan of outside some very good rougelikes). "Gameplay loop" is an old game design term that just refers to the essential gameplay that you end up doing over and over. For a traditional RPG, the "gameplay loop" for a dungeon might be Battle -> Menuing (character progression and healing) -> Explore/Treasure finding -> Battle -> Repeat. So you can definitely have a core gameplay loop without being a boring, repetitive slog like Loop8!
I’m so excited about playing this game I could legit cry. One of the best games I’ve ever played
I'm excited to jump into this! Thanks for the review!
Did you play this one back in the day?
@@davidvinc unfortunately I've only played Til The End Of Time
Knew you were gonna gush over this one David. Anyway, I've already heard that this is THE way to play Star Ocean 2 now. Fans are saying Square & Gemdrops knocked it out of the park. It really is surprising for SE to go this hard with a remaking an rpg that isn't a Final Fantasy nor Dragon Quest. Guess even Square is aware of the pedestal SO2 sits on.
There is hope yet!
Love this game. I love how you can break it right at the beginning and it's totally fine. In a way, it was way ahead of its time since many of its gameplay mechanics are essentially "accessibility features." Wanna literally speed through the game? Learn Bunny Call. Wanna AFK because you have to wash dishes? Learn Bodyguard and Scouting. Wanna turn hard mode into game journalist mode? Learn Art and make Goodie Boxes out of Magical Clay until you farm the best gear in the game. I also had no idea one of your party members had dragons attached to his freaking back, don't know how I missed hearing about that as a kid!
Overall it's classic, silly, JRPG fun. I think what keeps it from gaining the heights of Final Fantasy though is seemingly inconsequential stuff like, why are there Symbology spells like "Laser Beams?" Ok like Fire Bolt or Thunderstorm make sense, but "Laser Beams?" How does Rena or Celine know what a "laser beam" even is? It's anachronistic. It's like a steam boat in ancient Rome. And sure Ezio had a gun in Renaissance Italy, but they didn't call it "a gun," and only Ezio had it. It wasn't part of the world like Symbology is with Star Ocean, where presumably any Symbologist could learn "laser beams." If they called it "Light Burst" or something like that it'd be a bit better. Laser Beams.. lol. They wouldn't be living in thatch-roofed cottages if they knew what laser beams really were, they would've discovered hard physics
The demo was incredible and I'm can't wait to play this again after 20 years! To anyone who's going to play this for the first time, this is definitively the best version of the game and I know you'll love it
Oh my God! I've finally played this (I didn't play the demo) and I almost cried. This remake is FANTASTIC! It does everything right, it makes this masterpiece even better!
Can’t wait to get this game and replay a treasured childhood memory! And although I understand why they made PAs visible and quest markers on the map, i wish they didn’t or had an option to turn that off
Wow your glowing review makes me want to buy this LOL
Square Enix needs to thank David with how much good PR he's giving them! Why don't we settle the score with remakes of beloved classics and great new games??
Still absolutely wild to think we got the two best entires in the Star Ocean series back to back in two consecutive years.
When you pointed it out, it does hit me that many of the most well-received games this year, even outside the RPG sphere have either been remakes of games between 15 to 25 years old (This game, Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime, Dead Space) or deliberate throwbacks to older gameplay design/styles (Sea of Stars, Octopath II, Mario Wonder, Baldur's Gate 3) it's easy to get pessimistic, but what I think it means is that the suits have started to realize what creators and us the audience have always known: these classic sensibilities still hold up. It's also telling that all of these titles were complete, finished games without a bunch of extra purchases built in, just a complete game for the up-front price.
All that said, I am majorly excited with everything the devs have accomplished with this! I can't wait to go on one of my favorite adventures all over again!
FINALLY grabbed a copy from BestBuy because my amazon copy was in limbo. So excited to be playing this. This game is a testament that old school rpgs are very much alive and relevant :)
Wow this sounds like a remaster done right.
it does suck there arent many world map rpgs these days one of the last rpgs that had a world map that i enjoyed was tales of graces, its great that this is coming out again fully remade
It's ironic that developers younger than the original creators of these games--who didn't grow up playing JRPGs--grew up playing games like this and then can't seem to replicate what made those older games work. Hopefully, the success of a game like this shows the power of strong core mechanics that the newer games adopt the best parts.
Just revisiting this video to let you know that I've started playing this game, I'm 10+ hours in and this game has everything that I could possibly want from an RPG and more. Thank you again for this wonderful recommendation!
I'm playing the demo. This is brilliant. This is that JRPG charm I remember. I feel like the food critic from Rataouille after he bites into the titular dish and is transported back to his childhood.
NGL, I wasn't that excited for the remake. In my opinion, PS1 gameplay, without the modern QoL techniques, doesn't hold up as much as I'd like it to. This review addressed all of that though, so I'm really excited for this one now. Thanks, David!
Just got my two copies today(gotta keep one sealed in my collection) and I literally played for 5 hours non stop. I didn’t play the demo but I’ve watched some videos, but damn I wasn’t expecting it to be this brilliant right of the bat. I’m 33 now and was probably 9 when the original came out. Loved it back then and I’m glad this game got a remake, I can’t believe I’m playing it 26@5 years after it originally came out,and the hope that every JRPG aficionado picks this up and supports the company! Thanks to square and thank you as always, David, for the wonderful Coverage. You’re videos have kept me afloat in a rough patch and I thank you for that, good sir.
Been waiting on this remake for YEARSSSSSSS! i never too like the ones after this one. the music, the characters, and the game play was so great. I enjoy listening to the music while I do my Animation. Will be getting this 100% thanks for you inputs, love the improvements.
Minor nit-pick: Character sprites look odd on the 2d-hd backgrounds, they should have made them a bit less papery. Think it might come from the edges of he characters being white so it looks like it is paper. Like the Octopath style better.
Tomorrow can't come soon enough! I'm so excited to experience the full version!
You actually stated something incorrect about gameplay loops. Star Ocean 2 actually has a "Gameplay Loop", albeit one that you enjoy. By your own description, you are running a gameplay loop in Star Ocean 2 the same as you did in Persona.
In Star Ocean 2, you have [Explore >>>>> Town Exposition >>>>> Explore >>>>> Town Exposition >>>>> Explore] so on and so forth.
It's more of an enjoyable one for you, but I promise every single RPG, whether western or eastern, has a predefined gameplay loop.
By definition, gameplay loops are the repetitive actions the user engages in that allow them to progress in the end of the game. I.E. what actions do you think of when you hear Super Mario Bros. ?
This game just went from eventual purchase to day 1. Glad to hear people talk about gameplay loops in this way. I'm fairly sure it's the big exec boardrooms and marketing departments that came up with the concept of "gameplay loops". It's their way to try and put games into numbers and measurable data. How else can you replicate success? Trying to measure and make math out of subjective art is a lot more difficult.
I love the plot twist in SO3... and I dont think it really changes or reduces the significance of the other games, it just puts our universe into a different context is all.
Star Ocean 2 is my Favorite PS1 Era RPG I spent Hundreds of hours playing it. Me and my friend would set our TV's up next to each other and play the story from diferent perspectives, figure out out how to beat certain bosses and discover certain teams comps. This game's story starts subtle but grows in scale beyond what you expect. The biggest draw is the combat and exploration. instead of being on story rails, you're more than welcome to take that hidden path and either learn why you shouldn't be there or get lucky and gain a good weapon or EXP. I look forward to the Cave of Trials.
I bought the original PlayStation release at Walmart back in the day for $19.96, give or take a penny or few. Never finished it, but thoroughly enjoyed my time playing it. I still have it.
Gameplay loop is such a vague concept to me. Every game has a gameplay loop. Star Ocean (or most JRPGs) is pretty much Exploration>Battles>Loot and repeat. Valkyrie profile has a really specific one : Spiritual concentration>Town>Spiritual concentration>Dungeon. It pretty much comes down to which loop you like better. And Persona has a great one.
Love from Belgium 🇧🇪 ❤ my second best RPG ever after Grandia ❤
Great review david! We need more games like this today
I saw your top 5 rpg's list last year and while I find sea of stars to be my favorite at the moment, I ended up getting star ocean 2nd story r and... Oh my god, you are right, it's one of the best RPG's I have played! I love the combat (though my cowardness is playing on normal difficulty) it's so visually appealing and I love the music and character building. I'm currently playing in the cave of tribulations and it is my favorite post game dungeon. There's so much variety on solving the puzzles, and the bosses and challenges just keep increasing more and more. Looking at the changes, as a remake, it's high up there with the resident evil remakes, and a better remake than the pokemon HG/SS one in terms of how many good changes there are. Thank you for recommending this game, they didn't have to go this hard, but I'm glad they did.
I've never played a Star Ocean game, but I've always been intrigued. I think I'll make this one my first!
It's a great place to start, and it's where I started back in the day!
Beautiful game. I can't wait to buy it after I get paid
I loved the random reference to Okage: Shadow King, the first RPG I ever saw a review for and purchased with my own money :D
I think you're the only person I've ever heard bring it up since it released in 2001.
Glad to still see how RPGs age like fine wine while so many other genres get so dull
Been gaming my entire life and can’t think of many better years for gaming than this one. I can’t wait for this game tomorrow.
As if I wasn't excited to start playing this, I had heard from another video that Motoi Sakuraba was the composer for this game. He's my absolute favorite and I can't wait to hear what other tunes this game has to offer.
Thanks to Amazon my ps5 copy arrived yesterday (Tuesday 31st)🎉🎉🎉uk
They need remake Xenogears next.
We can only dream! But it needs a full remake, including disc 2
This is such a great review. But i love even more that you referenced Okage: The Shadow King
I’m loving it so far, I had a smile just traveling and couldn’t believe I get to experience this game again in a remastered form.
I was impressed by The Divine Forces two different intros (Rays hitting the emotions right away) and I’m so excited to play the game that inspired that mechanic. I LOVE Star ocean and I cannot wait to pick this up.
God, you nailed it with the "loops": I didn't know that was a thing, but once you said it everything clicked into place on why few JRPGs these days bring me half as much joy as the older ones do.
Yeah, it's been bugging me for a hot minute. I may make a whole video ranting about these new gameplay loops. they're so tiresome.
@@davidvinc Do it! Make those unfiltered rant videos! They deserve their own videos rather than as an aside in a news video.
I just finished this as my first Star Ocean experience, and I couldn’t be happier. Marvelous game.
If the FF7 remake project had been done like this, I may actually have tried it
The style of the landscapes reminds me a lot of Bravely Default 2. I didnt play Second Story. I think I came in at the Til the End of Time era. This looks like a must-play for any fans of the genre.
The so2 is one of the best rpgs on the ps1 and a masterpiece. Do I'm glad theu even made it better.
Great review!! I have been waiting a quarter century to replay this game from my childhood! It's a little sad they never topped this game in that long. also I hope you never realize real life is just a big gameplay loop haha
Super excited to finally check this game out!
Never played the OG but tried out the demo on steam, pre ordered instantly! I really like this graphics style they went for and the gameplay/music was great and on the highest difficulty it actually offered some challenge a problem I tend to have when I try out JRPG's as they tend to lean on the easy side. Look forward to playing it tomorrow.
The state of gaming is great right now. Incredible AAA titles like Tears of the Kingdom, and so many awesome indie games from smaller developers. If this is your GOTY that's great though.
I can’t believe I didn’t know about this game 25 yrs ago. Thanks for the review . Absolutely can’t miss it this time