Star Ocean First Departure R
- December 5, 2019
The ‘90s Enix RPG debuts Switch with a Tales-inspired battle system and a nice-enough remade sheen.
Space Date: 346. From a power yet undiscovered, a new generation will be born. Our tale begins on the primitive planet of Roak where Roddick lives in the peaceful and uneventful town of Kratus. As a member of the village’s local “Defence Force” tasked with the protection of Kratus, Roddick learns of a mysterious disease that has broken out in the neighboring town. Those infected turn to stone,…
Nintendo Switch
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
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Reviews
- Exploring the ocean of stars is a fantastic experience, especially for fans of the Star Ocean series.
- The game features beautiful environments, great sprite work, and enjoyable character interactions.
- The item creation system adds depth, and the remaster includes nice new portraits and voice acting.
- The battle system is simplistic and often devolves into repetitive skill spamming, lacking strategic depth.
- Difficulty spikes and a lot of backtracking can frustrate players, making the experience feel tedious.
- The remaster feels barebones with minimal enhancements, and some aspects, like AI and pacing, detract from the overall enjoyment.
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The story is a captivating blend of fantasy and sci-fi, featuring enjoyable characters and a vibrant world, but it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of depth in gameplay that can overshadow the narrative experience. While the remaster retains some charm with its visuals and character options, the overall storytelling feels average and may not resonate with players unfamiliar with the series. Fans of the franchise may appreciate the nostalgic elements, but newcomers might find the story less engaging due to its dated mechanics and repetitive gameplay.
“It's a shame that it may become lost in time, but this remaster of the remake is still the story of Star Ocean.”
“[captivating story, gorgeous sprites and backgrounds, wide-ranging character skill options].”
“[storyline is a fun mix of fantasy and sci-fi, updated PSP backdrops and 3D battlefields are still impressive to behold, crafting and skill systems still pretty deep, a nice port with zero technical issues].”
“There's certainly still some fun to be had for sure, the mixing of fantasy and sci-fi on offer here is an endearing one, and it's noteworthy for the handful of novel features it introduced to the genre back in the day but - with a story and gameplay that were pretty average at the time of its release and haven't aged particularly well in the interim - it's definitely an experience recommended specifically for fans and those of us who wish to see the superlative second game in the series get the chance of a switch re-release.”
“Gameplay, particularly combat, is repetitive and simplistic by today's standards, a lot of backtracking through areas, very little in the way of side quests or dungeons to explore, constant random encounters against identikit enemies quickly become wearisome, story gets a little lost due to bad pacing.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game feature appealing new character artwork and a strong soundtrack, reminiscent of classic titles, but some inconsistencies in sprite designs and a lack of updated cutscenes detract from the overall visual experience. While the artwork is praised, it does not significantly innovate beyond what fans have seen in previous installments.
“The new character artwork and Japanese voice track are nice additions, enhancing the overall experience.”
“Great artwork and soundtrack, combined with Tales-inspired combat, create a visually stunning and engaging gameplay experience.”
“The unique private action and character recruitment systems are beautifully illustrated, adding depth to the graphics.”
“Some portraits and sprites don't match up (specifically Ilia's outfit).”
“The difficulty balance doesn't feel right.”
“There are no new cutscenes based on the first departure character artwork.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players praise the soundtrack as great and reminiscent of classic titles, others find it subpar and not particularly memorable. Overall, the quality of the music seems to vary significantly among players, with some appreciating its contribution to the game's atmosphere and others feeling it falls flat.
“The battle system is basic and devolves into spamming skills, with difficulty spikes later in the game. There's a lot of backtracking through lower-level areas, and the music is subpar.”
“The music lacks variety and fails to enhance the overall experience, making it feel repetitive and uninspired.”
“I found the soundtrack to be forgettable, with no memorable tracks that stand out during gameplay.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a charming blend of fantasy and sci-fi, introducing some novel elements for its time; however, it suffers from repetitive combat, excessive backtracking, and a lack of engaging side quests, making it feel dated and less enjoyable by modern standards. While there is some fun to be had, the overall experience is primarily recommended for dedicated fans of the series.
“The mixing of fantasy and sci-fi on offer here is an endearing one, and it's noteworthy for the handful of novel features it introduced to the genre.”
“There's certainly still some fun to be had for sure, especially for fans of the series.”
“It's definitely an experience recommended specifically for fans who wish to see the superlative second game in the series get the chance of a switch re-release.”
“Gameplay, particularly combat, is repetitive and simplistic by today's standards. There is a lot of backtracking through areas, very little in the way of side quests or dungeons to explore, and constant random encounters against identical enemies quickly become wearisome. The story gets a little lost due to bad pacing.”
“There's certainly still some fun to be had for sure, the mixing of fantasy and sci-fi on offer here is an endearing one, and it's noteworthy for the handful of novel features it introduced to the genre back in the day. However, with a story and gameplay that were pretty average at the time of its release and haven't aged particularly well, it's definitely an experience recommended specifically for fans and those who wish to see the superlative second game in the series get the chance of a switch re-release.”
Critic Reviews
Fun, but flawed.
Fun, but flawed. Exploring the ocean of stars is never better than with this version of the game. There are some noticeable flaws that bring down the score, especially with modern gaming, but being able to experience the first game that started the Star Ocean series is fantastic, plus the game is just fun to play.
60%Star Ocean First Departure R PS4 Review
Star Ocean First Departure R offers an easy way to play a hard-to-find classic RPG, but very few enhancements makes this a purchase strictly for Star Ocean fans. Simplistic combat and minimal options make this a hard sell for devout JRPG fans.
60%Second Return --- STAR OCEAN First Departure R Review
Star Ocean: First Departure R is an above average game that has the potential to be great. While the story, characters, and world are fun to experience, a dull battle system, uncooperative AI, and reliance on random chance bring it down too much.
70%
