Star Ocean: First Departure R

Fans of Star Ocean will know what to expect here. This is a game that's pretty fun to blast through for nostalgia's sake or from the point of view of simply experiencing the game that kickstarted the long-running series. For anyone else this is simply a pretty old RPG that's showing its age in many ways.

A fine port of a mediocre game. it's great Star Ocean: First Departure is on more platforms, but the game itself doesn't excel.

Calling First Departure R a full remaster is a bit of a disservice. Though the new character artwork and Japanese voice track are nice additions, this is still very much the same Star Ocean game that fans played a decade ago.

Star Ocean First Departure R is the best Star Ocean game in a long time.

This re-release might serve as the best opportunity for many prospective players to dip their toes in and discover a classic JRPG that in the current day, is still deserving of your time.

It is an unusual situation where a remake is influenced by its sequel.

Star Ocean First Departure R is a valuable title that defies time and shows that with deep enough gameplay, dated visuals can not prevent a game from being entertaining

Star Ocean: First Departure R does its job of bringing First Departure to the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, but fails to do much beyond that.

The story is no slouch either with a great set up premise and some interesting turn of events. It might not blow anyone away today the same way it did then but this is still one worth enjoying for its 25 to 30 hour duration. Overall, Star Ocean First Departure is an excellent remade classic RPG preserved and now available to more players than ever before. It might not be a revelation in RPG gaming by today’s standards but it’s a great look back on an RPG from long ago. Switch players have yet another great RPG to check out they shouldn’t miss. I was completely smitten during my time and had the biggest JRPG smile on my face when playing.

Star Ocean: First Departure R on Nintendo Switch is a fine way to experience the origins of the Star Ocean franchise but a pretty barebones remaster.