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Star Ocean: First Departure Review for PlayStation Portable (PSP)

Star Ocean: First Departure Review for PlayStation Portable (PSP)

Swords and Phasers

Science fiction, technology, and space themes have not always been quite as prevalent in classic fantasy RPG games as they are today. Such themes have been around in some form or another, even back on the first home gaming consoles, but the way they’re melded into current generation RPGs continues to evolve in far more elaborate and epic ways. While it’s often humorous to look back at how quaint earlier efforts to blend sci-fi and medieval fantasy realms together, there are some titles that do the job surprisingly well. The first Star Ocean – a game previously only available in Japan on the Super Famicom – is a great example.

Star Ocean: First Departure screenshot

Remakes of old games are nothing new to the gaming industry. However, it seems like more time and effort is being put in to making them increasingly elaborate. Gamers who missed oldies but goodies the first time around are now able to pick up antiquated titles and experience them through more modern means. Square Enix seems to be churning out its fair share of quality remakes these days, and Star Ocean: First Departure on the PSP is yet another strong update on a classic. After more than a decade of waiting, American fans of the series are in for a treat.

First Departure kicks off in a typical fantasy world of swords, magic, and monsters. The game’s young hero, Roddick, and his two pals Millie and Dorne find themselves on guard duty for the small village of Fellpool, when a strange disease in a nearby town begins turning citizens to stone. They venture out to find herbs believed to be a cure and end up on a high mountaintop. From there, the story quickly morphs into something that feels like it’s culled directly from an episode of Star Trek. The group is stunned when two members of the Terran Alliance beam down onto the planet before their very eyes and inform them the disease originates as some form of biological weapon unleashed by a warring space faction. After a brief jaunt on their spacecraft, the group time warps into the past to recover DNA from an ancient monster deemed to be the true origin of the virus. Much of the ensuing adventure then follows along more traditional JRPG standards. It’s a good mix of old school fantasy and sci-fi, even if the latter is a little disappointingly underdeveloped.

The visual update given to the game is immediately impressive, while still retaining the flavor of the original Super Famicom version. The remake utilizes a modified version of the same engine used for the PlaytStation sequel Star Ocean: The Second Story. All of the sprites are nicely composed, yet they retain a subtle pixelation that seems a bit off in contrast to the rest of the visuals. It lends a little retro vibe to the presentation. What really stand out are the game’s finely detailed environments. Sure, traversing the overworld map to venture in-between some locales isn’t terribly exciting due to the bland terrain, but the towns, dungeons, and other areas of your adventure are bursting with pleasant detail. This is a good-looking game all around. Lengthy Anime cutscenes, extensive voice work, and an excellent audio score really add positively to make the re-vamped experience far more than a mere re-hash.

Star Ocean: First Departure screenshot

Anyone well-versed in RPG tradition will find little new about the gameplay in First Departure. Considering the game is over a decade old, it’s understandable. Traveling through towns, you’ll converse with people to gain information and progress the storyline, pick up new items and equipment, and snag new abilities to learn, among other things. Random encounters pop up in dungeons and when you’re roaming around the world map. A certain amount of level grinding is necessary, yet it’s not overly tedious like in some JRPGs. As you pick up different skills, you can create your own weapons, food, and other items, which is admittedly a pretty cool feature that would have been ahead of its time when the game first launched.

Star Ocean: First Departure screenshot

Unlike many other Square Enix RPG titles, First Departure eschews the turn-based battle system found in games like Final Fantasy for a more action-heavy format. Combat plays out in real time with you controlling the main characters and the others in your party acting in accordance with adjustable pre-set behaviors. You can freely roam through the chaos, while attacking with a simple button press, using equipped skills with the L and R triggers, casting spells, or easily managing items as needed. Tapping the Circle button pauses the action to let you switch between characters on the fly, and if you fall in battle, control will automatically jump to the next living character in your party.

Star Ocean: First Departure screenshot

The problem with battle lies mainly in the automatic targeting system. Tapping the X button will send you running towards the nearest foe to swipe at them. You can only hit them from the left or right side and it’s too easy to get stuck in between two foes who take turns pummeling you from both ends. Also, your teammates’ A.I. isn’t the greatest. They’ll tend to blindly rush into battle and get clobbered pretty quickly. Fortunately, most encounters don’t take very long. The auto-target also ensures you’ll likely settle into the routine of mashing buttons during most non-major battles. Boss encounters typically require some measure of strategy, but the battle system seems a little rough around the edges at times.

Going into Star Ocean: First Departure with the expectation of finding an adventure that’s in line with current generation RPG fare is going to result in disappointment, but the strong genre mechanics are all here, well-oiled, and mostly in good working order. This classic remake is a great update of a solid old school game, and it gives hardcore JRPG and Star Ocean fans the opportunity to revisit the early days of a series that has come a long way over the years. Is it groundbreaking? No. However, that shouldn’t stop you from taking a trip to the past.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.0 Graphics
A generally beautiful update on the classic. 3.5 Control
Battle controls can be clunky. They often devolve to button mashing. 3.9 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Tons of great voice over work and an interesting audio score. 4.0 Play Value
A long and satisfying quest that successfully mixes science fiction with classic fantasy. 3.9 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • The origin of the Star Ocean franchise, available for the first time in North America.
  • A completely rebuilt game: new engine, new graphics, additional characters, new animated scenes, full voice dialog.
  • New events and side-stories added, creating a more immersive storyline.
  • Master the art of symbology (magic) to create devastating attacks.
  • Use special arts (non-magical attacks) repeatedly to increase their power.
  • Customize your characters with special skills and talents.
  • Item creation – create weapons and other items to help you in battle.
  • Surprise attacks – During battle, your party could be attacked by additional enemies; stay alert and focused to win.

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