Star Ocean: The Second Story R

Star Ocean: The Second Story R strikes a good balance of retro and modernity with its throwback visuals and new combat mechanics.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R recaptures all the otherworldly wonder of its PlayStation predecessor. The rough edges of the original are now smooth to the touch, and the enhanced visuals amplify that classic pixel art aesthetic in a way that few remakes pull off. It’s a thoughtful snapshot encapsulating RPGs of the era, retaining all the passion and whimsy I remember so fondly. I loved this look back at Star Ocean‘s past, and I hope this marks a new beginning for the series’ future.

Star Ocean The Second Story R is exactly what it needs to be: a faithful remake of a classic PS1 RPG that greatly enhances the experience for both new and returning players. A wonderful visual overhaul combined with numerous quality of life improvements and expanded battle mechanics make this a borderline must-play for anyone who's looking for an old-school adventure. Although the underlying PS1-era design does still have some rough edges - particularly in the storytelling and combat balance - it's hard to knock such a well crafted revival.

In a year overflowing with outstanding new RPGs, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is among the very best of them. This revival of a PlayStation classic does a thorough job of mixing modern game design and artistic elements with old-school sensibilities to make for one of the most impressive RPG releases of 2023. A lengthy, player-driven story, thrilling combat system, gorgeous new visual style, and remixed soundtrack all come together to make this one of the easiest recommendations we can make to any RPG fan. If you're even vaguely interested in picking this up, we'd encourage you to do so as soon as you can; Star Ocean: The Second Story R is comfortably the best entry in this series.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R has brought a cult classic into a new era. It's been thoughtfully retooled, but it's still packed with all the heart and soul of the original. Graphically, it's gorgeous, and the new quests and features range from fair to fabulous. It's one of my favorite video games in even finer form.

I can't think of a remake of a game that feels more definitive than this one. All fans of the original deserve to play Star Ocean: The Second Story R, and so does everyone else.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is, hands down, the best entry in the series, and one of the best remakes ever made. With the excellent combat reworking, massive slew of quality of life improvements and impressive 2D-HD visuals that make the game's simple yet engaging story and charming characters even more enjoyable, Gemdrops has set a very high bar for classic JRPGs remakes that will be very difficult to top.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is an example of how remaking a classic game should be done. From the overhauled graphics to additional quality-of-life improvements that can make the frantic battle system even more enjoyable, Star Ocean: The Second Story R takes the best game in the series and makes it even better. Gemdrops could have just increased the resolution and called it a day, but instead put in the effort to make a truly worthwhile remake of a classic. This remade version is a must play for Star Ocean veterans, but would also serve as a good entry point for RPG fans who haven't got around to this series.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R proves that some classics only get better with time. Its engaging real-time combat, memorable cast, and rich RPG systems are complemented by the Nintendo Switch 2's smoother performance and sharper visuals, delivering the definitive portable version of one of the genre's most beloved adventures.

Newcomers should hop right in, but Star Ocean: The Second Story R might not warrant a second full-price purchase for existing owners.