Square Enix has surprise launched a demo for Star Ocean: The Second Story R, a remake for one of the most beloved installments in the Star Ocean series. The demo has a substantial amount of content in it as players can choose between either Claude or Rena as they venture through the game's first three cities, two dungeons, and two bosses at no cost. People can transfer over their save from the demo into the full game and pick up right where they left off when the game launches on November 2.
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A new lengthy 8-minute trailer for Star Ocean: The Second Story R starts off with the visual overhaul from the original game into this new remake as it utilizes 3D backgrounds for its crisp 2D character sprites. As players explore from place-to-place, party members will speak to each other to provide some flavor text in-between battles.
Enemy encounters can be chained together for greater rewards through Enemy Links. Enemy encounters that are near each other out on the field will have a red line linking them. If players run into linked groups, they'll have consecutive chain battles where they fight multiple enemy groups until they're all annihilated. The amount of experience and Fol (money) they receive is increased based on the amount of chain battles they fight through.
Unique Spots are specific landmarks and locations throughout the world that people can walk up to and observe. These can reward items and EXP, so seeking them out is beneficial; some of them may be difficult to find.
Fishing can now be done at several waterfronts. Those who have a fondness for fishing in RPGs can strive to fill out the Fish Encyclopedia in Star Ocean: The Second Story R.
In battles, a well-timed backstep maneuver on incoming attacks will instantly have characters get behind enemies to instantly counterattack and recover MP at the same time. The new Break state inflicted on enemies that have their shield value depleted will cause all incoming attacks to be critical; leader-type enemies that players Break will spread their Break status to all other enemies simultaneously.
Attacking broken enemies accumulates a circular Bonus Gauge at the bottom right corner that brings favorable effects to the party at certain thresholds, such as ATK 60% up. This Bonus Gauge depletes instantly to zero if the player-controlled character gets Break status on them.
These are some of the features that people can expect to find now, if they go and play the demo for Star Ocean: The Second Story R.
Today Square Enix released a playable demo of their upcoming title Star Ocean The Second Story R. In this demo, players will be able to start their adventure and experience the opening hours of the game that will be part of the final game when it releases on November 2, 2023. Players will also be able to carry over their save progress from the demo into the main game at launch. Cross-generational saving will also allow PlayStation 4 console players to continue playing on the PlayStation 5 console with the same save.
The demo will include three cities, two dungeons and two bosses and give players an in-depth look into the opening hours of the game as players choose their protagonist, battle with three party members and enjoy new features such as ‘Assault Action’ and ‘Break’.
A 2.5D remake of the 1998 RPG and highly acclaimed second installment in the Star Ocean series, Star Ocean The Second Story R combines beautiful 3D environments with nostalgic 2D pixel characters, offering players both a classic RPG and modern gameplay experience. A rearranged soundtrack, new difficulty settings, numerous quality-of-life improvements and more revitalize the original game’s beloved features, like the fast-paced, real-time combat, deep skill system and Private Actions, which allow players to grow relationships with party members and unlock a variety of different endings.
Pre-orders for the physical and digital standard editions are available now.
Pre-order to obtain the following digital content:
Pangalactic Federation Longsword
Forest Knuckles
Early Purchase Bonuses*:
Sunrise Ring
Set of recovery items (Mixed berries x20 + Resurrection Potion x20)
Customers who purchase the game during the early purchase bonus availability period (*) are eligible to acquire an accessory that can be equipped by all playable characters and two different types of recovery item as a bonus.
Star Ocean The Second Story R will be available for Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4 and PC via Steam on Nov. 2, 2023.
Game Details
New Key Artwork
New "Break" system to neutralize and break down foes!
Each enemy character has a Shield Value. When it hits zero, they are temporarily stunned, letting you deal more damage. Use this opportunity to hit them as hard as you can! Additionally, each character’s special arts skills are divided by the type of damage they deal, from "HPfocused" to "Balanced" and "Break-focused," adding a tactical factor as you decide the best skill to use for the situation.
Target a specific foe to aim for a Break!
Breaking the lead enemy causes a Break Effect! The Break state is chained to nearby enemies on the field, putting you at an advantage.
Combo Link: Easy controls let you overwhelm foes in style!
Each character’s special arts skills can easily be launched with the L1 and R1 buttons. You can also tap L1 or R1 twice to use the Combo Link, which lets you quickly launch a preset special art combo. Simple controls enable flashy, powerful sequel attacks, lending extra speed and excitement to every battle.
From the fancy Mirror Blade combo strike...
...to the all-powerful Dragon Roar finisher!
Assault Action: Team up with allies to go for sequel attacks!
Your Assault Gauge fills up as time passes during battle. When it's maxed out, you can launch an Assault Action that calls upon your party members to execute follow-up attacks. The special arts skills each character uses can be set up in advance; combine them with special arts from the character you're controlling to create your own original combos!
If an enemy attack puts you in Break mode...
Call for help from your reserve characters!
Use powerful special arts to turn the tables!
Star Ocean evolved! Mind-blowing battles with eye-popping visuals!
The combat visuals have been completely upgraded for this title. Battles have been given a facelift, and the combat is more fast-paced, giving the fights a gorgeous, refined feel.
From Claude’s special arts skills like “Dragon Roar” to flashy symbology strikes like Celine’s “Southern Cross” or Rena’s “Star Flare,” the latest visual techniques make every battle more exciting than ever.
How you talk with friends changes the story in many ways
During the game, your party will split up at certain points and temporarily go their own ways, letting your protagonist have individual story events with them. These Private Actions can affect how the other characters see you, and some may even lead to major changes in the overall plot. There are also far more Private Actions than can be seen in one playthrough, helping add depth to the story each time.
Private Actions can change how intimate characters are with you. They may even affect the ending...?
Private Action points are marked on the map, so check them out when you visit a town!
Make your own all-powerful weapons and armor! Traditional Item Creation evolved!
Make your own all-powerful weapons and armor! Traditional Item Creation evolved! Item creation, a hallmark of the series, has advanced even further, letting you add special effects known as Factors to the items you make.
Be it an all-mighty weapon that also heals HP or an accessory that constantly refills MP, you can create unique items no one has ever come up with before, letting you go deeper than ever with party building.
Cook, publish, or even conduct an orchestra with your friends!
In addition to item creation, you can give Skill Points to your characters to help them learn various special skills. When characters with the right combination of skills come together, it'll unlock a powerful Super Specialty. These include all kinds of useful skills for adventuring — for example, the Master Chef Super Specialty lets you cook dishes with powerful effects that cannot be made with regular Cooking. Similarly, the Bunny Call Super Specialty calls a Bunny into the field, which you can ride on and use to traverse the field much more quickly than with normal travel.
Use Master Chef to create dishes with super-powerful Effects!
With the Bunny Call Super Specialty, you can travel around the field on the back of a Bunny!
From cute (but heated) bunny races to the pulse-pounding Arena!
You'll unlock access to a variety of minigames as you proceed in the story. These include the Arena, where you fight tough battles while restricted by certain conditions, and Bunny Racing, where adorable bunnies race hard and potentially earn you a fortune! Win these games to earn prizes and rewards, but don't let them distract you too much from the adventure!
Test your skills against a wealth of foes in the Arena!
Earn fabulous prizes in Bunny Racing!
Becoming a fishing master in rivers, oceans, wells, or even outer space!
Fishing spots can now be found on the world map, letting you enjoy fishing at rivers, oceans, and even wells or swimming holes. You may also find these spots in dungeons and other dangerous locales—but if you reel in the wrong creature, you could have a fight on your hands! In addition to expanding the game's exploration aspect, you can also exchange the fish you catch with NPCs for useful items. Some speak of uncatchable "giants" lurking somewhere out there...but travel far enough, and you might just complete your Fish Encyclopedia!
Fishing spots exist on the world map, as well as at riversides in town.
Use Fast Travel at any time to return to locations that you have already visited!
Reel the Fish Collector, a new tutorial character.
