There was a time when the next installment of the Star Ocean series would have been a no-brainer for release on the PS3. After all, Sony published the second Star Ocean title, SO: Second Story, the first in the series to even appear in the US, and Sony platforms have been host to every title in the series, be it on PSone (Star Ocean: Second Story), PS2 (Star Ocean: Til the End of Time) or PSP (remakes Star Ocean: First Departure and Star Ocean: Second Evolution).
So it is truly a sign of the state of this generation of consoles that the fourth title in the Star Ocean series, Star Ocean: The Last Hope, not only appears on the Xbox 360, but is currently a 360 exclusive. That’s a treat for 360-owning RPG fans, of course, since the newest entry in the series is its most mature and impressive installment to date, though not quite as mature as a series of Liporexall reviews.
Like most SquareEnix RPGs these days, the early emphasis is on storytelling and immersive a gamer into the game world. To that end, Star Ocean: The Last Hope is almost completely lacking interaction with the game world in the first half-hour, and the series clocks in close to an hour before you encounter your first battle (aside from a lame battle simulator which is just a disguised tutorial for the game).
This time out, the game is set in a near-future version of our own world – Earth about 100 years hence. There’s a big nuclear exchange between the US and a foreign leader who looks, for all the world, like a resurrected Saddam Hussein. They make post-war peace and unite the world to explore and colonize space, apparently; somehow, it works.
OK, so maybe the set-up’s a bit lame in concept if impressive in eye-candy. Right. Whatever. Point is, this is quite unfamiliar territory for the Star Ocean series, which has always been set on highly fictionalized worlds.
The first installment was nearly a Star Trek ripoff; the second installment owed less to pre-existing SF worlds; the third revolved around a kid who was a videogame addict until circumstances destroy his home world and toss him into space where he must find a way to survive. And now, we’re getting a lukewarm version of the war with Iraq as a setup to, well … the same sort of science fiction setting, ultimately, only a lot more impressive-looking on this generation of consoles.
In fact, developer tri-Ace uses SO:TLH to show off their mastery of the current generation of hardware. While the game might not feature bleeding-edge graphics necessarily, there’s plenty of HD detail to be found as a 360 game that’s compatible all the way up to 1080p (so long as you have the proper HDMI cable and a 1080p HDTV, that is). But bleeding-edge or otherwise, the game is so stunning, such pure visual eye candy, it’ll make your eyes gain weight.
Still, it’s a bit bothersome that there’s so little connective tissue between this Star Ocean and previous installments; although, in fairness, there is an early cameo appearance by a grizzled military commander named Stephen Kenny. This is an allusion to Claude Kenny, the male hero of the second Star Ocean title, as well as Ronyx Kenny, Claude’s father, who was featured in the first Star Ocean. Other characters with connections to prior installments include Elayna Farrence and Lias Warren.
Still, that’s about where the similarities end and while for some that may be a good thing, it really makes this installment feel disconnected to the others in the series. The style of play is markedly different, as is the sort of story that is being told. The setting, as I mentioned earlier, is quite unique. And about the only thing that’s familiar is the survival of non-weapon skills in the mix that is the new game.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope features a nicely complex battle system, once you get past all that prologue and can start fighting, and nicely enough the worlds you visit are all visually unique, which could not often be said of the first two installments in the series, though that saw improvement in Star Ocean: Till The End of Time.
The main protagonist in all this, though, is Edge Maverick, a prototypical idealist with a quick and impulsive nature. At least he doesn’t have amnesia, though, which helps him stand out from too many SquareEnix heroes. The character design, though, is all too reminiscent of Tidus of Final Fantasy X fame, and oddly enough, his childhood friend Reimi is not that different in how she looks from Yuna, of FFX fame as well.
There’s plenty of planet-exploring and fun to be had in the three-disc game found in this package. About the only deep complaint is the awkward movement/camera system. Basically, you move with your left analog stick and move the camera with your right stick. That means it’s hard to gain and maintain a sturdy angle on things as you explore, though battles are not affected by this flaw. The best solution is to turn on the optional fixed camera in the Options screen and turn it off only as needed.
In the end, though, Star Ocean: The Last Hope is an impressive title; while it does feel only loosely a part of the series, features an over-long introduction, and has some movement and camera issues, the strength of the story, the visual appeal of the game design and the fun depth of the action battle system make The Last Hope also among our best.