Fayt, Cliff, Sophia, Peppitta, Nell, Albel, everyone in SO3 shaped a lot of my tastes on video games, music, and mechanics in games. I STILL LISTEN to 'Pert Girl on a Sandy Beach', 'Lakes and Marshes with Doubt', 'Starless Wavelets', 'Fly By Contact', and 'Cutting Edge of Notion' on a DAILY basis. And dont even get me STARTED on 'A Little Bird Who Forgot How to Fly'. Like, there's SO MUCH about SO3 that, in my eyes, embody a "Perfect Videogame." CGI, characters, world, story, combat, EVERYTHING.
I completely agree, the dialogue and story still hold up really well. The art cancels in combat was really cool. If I'm honest most people or very casual games probably found the battle system to tough, its a shame most people get put off game with a bit of a learning curve. If there is 2 similar games say competing for popularity, its usually the easier game that makes more sale.
Yes!! Although I started on SO2, it was between trying FF6, Morrowing and SO3 when I really got in to gaming. I remember taking a week off work when SO4 released, and playing from start to finish with one of my buddies watching the whole time. I love seeing other people that are part of the SO fandom
I think this would be the case for most us in the west. Not getting the originals, this was our first entry especially with the popularity of the PS2 console. There was a thick line between these 3D JRPGs and the 2D ones. The music being a main one, plus of course the visuals and length of the games. By the time SO4 came out it was much more accessible than 1 and 2 on the PSP especially with the limited copies and costs. TBH SO4 was a great jump to HD, something most long franchises like this had a hard time doing. Really weird to hear all the English players hate Edge so much, like they're so American that all they watched growing up was G.I Joe and have never watched one episode of any anime that they can't stand the usual tropes. Really don't get the SO4 hate, it's certainly more shallow in characters than SO3 but the combat and overall experience makes up for it. I play to play, to live in the world, not to watch cutscenes, there's plenty of better content to watch, and we're lucky to be able to play in a world like Star Trek and other SciFi.
@@twizms7362 Agreed, but there a few things to avoid if you want the full experience. The Bodyguard and Scout skills completely break the game. Waltzing through the levels having your allies powerlevelling you probably sounded good on paper, but in practice… I was at max level before I even got close to the bottom of the secret dungeon.
I played the remake its NOT for me and that's only because instead of needing a LOW LV of 130 to max Out the SP of EVERYTHING to lv 10 in the remake it takes 230 OF the games 255 lvs TO do that and even then I WOULD still have to 4x bloody armor a lv 100+ party on EARTH mode since on the remake the enemies on EARTH mode pretty much have their PS1 UNIVERSE mode stats. So pretty much ALL the LATE game required bosses will still do 9999 damage IN 1 HIT on Earth mode AT lv 255 without ANY Bloody armor/helm users but I still HATE the Fishing mini game the remake has.
I get the feeling that you would have hated SO3 had you played its predecessors first. Just like everyone who played and loved those stories, the revelation that the series canonically takes place in a mmorpg and that the characters are just npcs programmed to think they are real people… well, it shatters tension since no threat is really real, no one can really ‘die’ since they’re not alive to begin with, everything just feels flat. I’ll bet the writers of SO1 & 2 wanted to murder the writers of SO3 for ruining the stories that they told.
@@Noplayster13 Have to hard disagree with you on that point. The characters finding out the setting was part of a simulation meant to entertain the citizens of another dimension is a very interesting dilemma to present them with and also injects a bit of existential dread into the story. JRPG stories are no strangers to pondering on the nature of existence and people finding meaning in their lives in the face of hard truths, and this 'twist' checks that box in a unique way that hardly any other JRPGs have attempted. It does not diminish the danger/threat that the characters have faced, because even if they are NPCs in the eyes of the higher dimensional beings they could still die and cease to exist within their own world. Hell, the final threat they face is the very idea that they and their whole universe would be killed/deleted. That is standard endgame level RPG finale right there.
@@chinaman8888 SO3 would be fine as it’s own, stand-alone game. But having it retcon the previous games into an in universe video game world makes the sacrifices and tragedies of those games feel cheap in retrospect. I’m playing the remake of 2 and millions of people die in tragic, and sometimes very personal ways there. It’s unfortunate that I can’t help but be reminded that they’re not even real people in their own universe. There’s nothing quite as immersion breaking as watching Welch, the 4D being canonically playing this *video game,* pretend to console the (fake) child Leon when he’s weeping over his parents dying. Why the hell would she roleplay something so fucking dark? And if she can just wave her hand and change the game world (she’s a ‘creator’) why would she let him suffer like that? Oh and she lets the 10 wisemen kill Claude’s father right in front of him. …and does nothing to prevent it. So not even *she* thinks these people are real enough to empathize with them.
The twist is people's main issue. I enjoyed it because it's a perfectly sci-fi and philosophical twist, but it's also quite nihilistic. That nihilistic aspect is what turns so many people off. It implicitly makes people feel like the entire game and the last two games were pointless as they were canonically just events that took place in a video game.
dont see many people saying they had a problem with so3 the game lost its soul after 3 they took to many elements out of the game that made it what it was the crafting the stealing the way you used your specials the story line and how you gathered teammates private actions
The voice acting was really the only thing that turned me off to SO3 otherwise I loved it and I love the fact that is had a dictonary with all of the pseudo science
Your love for star ocean is really infectious. If there’s one thing I love about star force it’s the characters and the combat is always peak stuff. I hope the series hits the popularity it deserves one day.
@@Noplayster13 that's your opinion, doesn't mean we are wrong for liking SO3. The company bowing to everyone else made the rest of the games meaningless instead of sticking to their world lore they made in SO3, simulation or not. None of the other games went as in depth as SO3 ever could. In my opinion all other Star Ocean games are lacking and they still reference SO3 in the newest game. But fell short of actually continuing when they could have because of the wall your type of players put up on them, they can't even attempt to put a spin on things anymore and the stories just end now. There could have been so much more to the newest game, but the second it ended, I was extremely disappointed. So no, SO3 didn't make the rest of the games meaningless, it was the community that didn't understand and shunned themes ahead of their time.
@@nickwar6555 ‘So no, it wasn’t SO3 that made the other games meaningless.’ -you didn’t put forth any actual argument for why it didn’t make them meaningless. It did make them meaningless. I stand by that. How would you feel about SO3 if the next game came out and it specifically said that, canonically, ALL other games in the series were ‘all just a dream’ that their main character had one night after eating too much pizza? That every other game was utterly meaningless and only THIS game’s story actually happened? That would be the kind of bold, risk-taking storytelling that you are craving, right? Oh, and then at the end of THAT game, it could be revealed that even that story was just the dream of… like a homeless guy in Tokyo or something, doesn’t matter. Edit: Besides, the subsequent games did stick with the dogshit ‘it’s all a video game’ storyline since they all have Welch Vineland in them.
@@Noplayster13 are not all games the dreams of their creators. Creators take risks with their passion projects. I never disagreed that it made the other games meaningless. But on the other hand, it's far better writing then just some guy having a dream after eating pizza. But at the same time, when a community almost conpletely rejects the idea and subsequently all following games can't pull from the previous. It ruins the entire series from then on. It's like watching the lord of the rings and all of a sudden the film director takes out the rings all together because the most fans hated the idea of it. Now it's just a film on waring races. Do any of the final fantasy stories connect to one another? Yet there are chokabos and mogals in all of them. It's called having an ip and the creative variant of which you use that ip. Just because star ocean does the same with certain aspects. Not all the games have to be linked the same story. Games evolve with the feedback the creators receive. I will always think so3 is a great game. Regardless of the hatred it receives. If you want a cookie cut story. Then go play the others and leave the small community that loves so3 alone. If you feel so3 ruined the series then don't play it or consider it non cannon. But that would be your opinion. Not literally everyone's opinion. You can see the rest of the comments here loved or hated the same. Just because something is controversial, doesn't mean you have to pay attention to it and antagonize those that like it.
@@nickwar6555 Unfortunately, you’re kind of contradicting and undermining your overall point here. ‘The fans hated SO3, so all the following games can’t pull from it, it *ruins* the entire series.’ -Contradicts- ‘Not all games have to be linked to the same story. It’s called having an IP and the creative variants’ This one undermines your point: ‘If you don’t like the game, just don’t play it or think of it as non canon.’ -Just do the same with the games you don’t like. Why are you shitting on games that people like? That’s just your opinion of those games. You criticizing those games is “antagonizing” people who liked them, right? Right? Leave the people who like them alone! *calls the rest of the games cookie cutter.* -I hate to break it to you, but the majority of the fans think those stories were significantly better. *and that’s just your opinion.* -I’d love to enjoy those games, but SO3 went out of it’s way to *ruin* them. I think it would be nice if, in the remake of SO2 that’s coming out, SO3 was straight up retconned. Like Claude goes into a simulation on Energy Nede and the simulation shows bits of the story of SO3. Then he comes out and the technician tells him to not worry, that it was just a simulation and wasn’t real. I think that would be hilarious and be a very welcome addition. Literally no one would complain that SO3 was just ‘all a dream’ed.
SO3 was my first SO and it was totally amazing. I loved it from start to end but never actually got around to playing it a second time around because I didn't like it that deeply. In my opinion and as a long time JRPG fan since the mid-late 90s, SO3 is the perfect entry for new fans.
SO 3 gets a lot of shit for no reason,is probably the bets game in series. SO 2 is overrated but is probably the 2nd best or for many the best one after all combat is not everything. Is too bad the series has never been able to reach the peaks for 2 and 3.
@@raulrojas9253 so2 is not overrated at all. It came out on psone in the 90s and had voice acting, crafting, 80+ endings, and real time combat and had a wide variety of characters.
@@raulrojas9253 4 and 5 both get alot of shit. I always ask detractors of last hope and faithless to give me LEGIT reasons why they call it a bad game but i enver get any. I only ever get emotional Reponses or subjective things like humor or voice acting being "bad". Even the worst star ocean game is still a good game. My only legit critique of 5 was it was too short. And 4 is my second favorite jrpg of all time
@@jonathansoko1085 haven't played 5. 4 has good gameplay but God oh God is it cheesy. Not only that but its method of story telling is also much more linear and restrictive than that of the first 3 games. The killing point was that little girl character though, listening to her speak made me lose my mind.
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is literally my childhood. It’s one of my favorite video games I’ve ever played in my life. I’m scared about The Divine Force because I might not like it 😢
Ive been dying for another star ocean game to quench that thirst left behind by SOTET years ago. It was the first game that really changed my idea about what endgame content could truely be and I couldn't believe that 300 hours later I was out of content after Freya!! I think that this 25th anniversary game might just surprise us :)
This is an Excellent video! It gives people that are new to the franchise a lot of quick and useful information. I wished you talked about the music too though, Motoi Sakuraba is a genius, and in my honest opinion, peaked in Star Ocean 2 (with two or three more really really good songs on Star Ocean 3). The combat in Star Ocean 4 was the best of them all, only being surpassed with the Divine Force just now, and that means a lot. It is fun, fluid and frenetic, The Divine Force just took that system and made it x100 better. Finally, I hope this video can gain more popularity so more people can know about this awesone series that holds a special place in my heart.
I agree. If you played the first 2 games I can see how you might not like the sotet story twist, but if you come into the franchise playing sotet, the concept is truely amazing hands down. Plus that Freya fight!
I appreciate you not totally shitting on Integrity and Faithlessness. I've played all the main Star Ocean games and I still really enjoy Int and Faith. Like a lot honestly.
Here because the Star Ocean 2 remake caught my eye. Funny enough, the only thing I know about the series is 3's twist because my friend had the game and I watched him fight the last boss. Anyway, great guide. Love the chart at the end with all the games and available platforms.
The entire time for decades I've never played Star Ocean. Always skipped it for FF games LOL. So this morning before work ive decided to learn about the lore.
FF and SO are super different beasts, beautiful and important for different reasons. I got other videos on the topic, specifically a new retrospective on the first title. If you're intrigued by what you see totally give it a shot!
I personally loved the story and characters from SO4, for the most part. The ending was even enough to make me tear up, and I almost never tear up from sad story moments in games/shows/movies. Faize is a fantastic character. I've only played SO3 and SO4, but preferred SO4's core combat, story and characters. SO3 had some really neat intricacies not found in SO4 though-- such as the more expansive alchemy system/crafting, that awesome fighting mode and likely more engaging post-game content. Certain locations in SO3 were more visually pleasing too. Both games are definitely worth playing imo.
The twist was perfect. People just don’t like the concept bc it would be terrifying were it real and people like to feel special. Like your life isn’t that worth while
I dont know anything about Star Ocean. Never played any game in the series, but as a Tales of fan ill give it a shot. TY for the summary and i look forward to seeing what the game is
SO2 was my first SO and I fell in love with it. I must have spent anywhere between 500-1000 hours on that game. I didn't think anything could top it, then i played SO3. The 'twist' you speak of is insane, I'd like to see what elon musk has to say about it.
I've always been a huge fan of SO 3, including the twist. I thought it was so interesting and fun to contemplate! And it didn't change the emotional or story stakes for me at all.
It changed the emotional and story stakes for almost the entirety of the rest of the fanbase. That twist was fine in isolation, but it destroys the stakes, characters, and story of all the other games since you know that nothing that happens is an actual threat (dev just reboots the game), none of the characters are real or can actually die (dev just reboots them), and all of the scenarios are likely contrived and created by the gamedevs. It robs the story of all dramatic tension, robs all characters of their free will since they’re just programmed to be how they are. What a genuinely emptyheaded decision to kill every story or character arc in your franchise. Imagine if you’d written SO1 or 2 and some imbecile decided to take your characters and story and say that canonically “it was all a dream.”
@@Noplayster13tell me you played so3 with your ass withouth telling me so. dude, it doesnt change ANYTHING, the whole fcking point of so3 is to tell that the so universe, even tough is a game, evolved to the point of ACTUAL sentience, its not just "devs do this, devs do that, hur dur, nothing matters, its all programed mu du hur dur", if THIS is what you take out of the story, then you are as bad as luther because you cant get trough your empety head that those "characters" became their own living beings.
@@Noplayster13 oh geez willy, i dunno, maybe the fckin part where you start raiding the company hq? it literally what luther's sister says, and that all the cientists and devs that sided with her agree that the star ocean "game" should be left alone, and thats why they are helping you? or how after the final fight with luther thats literally what happens, the star ocean game date is kinda of saved in a place outside of anyone's reach so that the universe can keep growing and developing whitouth people like luther trying to play god again with what is basically a sentient ai that started to grow its own universe? look, you already proved my point, you didnt even play the game, now if you are SO GODDAMN LAZY that you cant even look up a few cutscenes and dialogues, thats not my fault.
@@Kebin13 Dude, calm your emotions. Why are you having a mental breakdown? Of course I’ve played the game. Try thinking first before you post next time. Ok, so some of the devs think that the AIs have developed sentience while others (like Welsh and Luther) think that they haven’t. However, no argument is ever given by the pro-sentience devs for why they believe this. In fact, the question is avoided altogether (because of bad writing). The AIs have been programmed to value self preservation specifically by Luther and the other devs, which explains why they invade the company HQ. I’m not sure why you think that proves anything. Besides, none of what happens during the events of SO3 has any bearing on SO2 or SO1 being robbed of their narrative stakes, so I’m not sure why you brought up the game being put in a museum or whatever. SO2 and 1 occurred during the time when the game devs were actively controlling things. Welch’s presence (she’s a dev) and her ability to get the AIs to break the 4th wall are proof that they are actively interfering with the events there. It’s all a silly game with no real stakes to her, so why should I take it seriously? There was no threat of the wisemen destroying the universe because Welch can just wave her hand and eliminate the threat if the game gets too hard.
Took a break from the series for a while after I let a friend borrow my copy of Star Ocean Til the End of Time and never got it back, but I'm playing The Last Hope and looking forward to restarting Til the End of Time since I never finished it. The Divine Force is looking sweeet! I'm hoping tri-Ace and Square Enix have more Star Ocean releasing after this next one, because it deserves more attention than it generally gets.
Tri ace is a pretty smart company; they've backfunded The Divine Force with the money from their mobile game. If they want to make SO7 they can do that again lol I am painfully excited
@@Super_Hambone I hope there are many more SOs to follow. If they make another mobile SO, they gotta market it more, because i didn't know about the one we had until it was too late to play it.
@@Super_Hambone I was super disappointed when Anamnesis was shut down. I loved that game. It was way higher quality in terms of everything than a mobile game had any right to be.
SO2 was my favorite with SO3 right on its heels, I loved SO4s combat as you said it is great but one thing and just the one thing makes me still have nightmares and that is "Kayyy" god I want this word to be punishable by immediate death now. Like the second someone says a long drawn out "Kayyy" god rains down lightning upon that person.
12:42 "What other game lets you get to level 255 with 50,000/50k HP?" Any game in the Disgaea series. It's a SRPG, it's awesome "dood". Till The End Of Time was my first entry and also my favorite. I played some of First Departure R, The Last Hope and Integrity and Faithlessness. I've only completed TTEOT and IAF. I agree that IAF is the weakest of the series but I still enjoyed it. For myself, I like TLH almost as much as TTEOT.
"Star Trek" wasn't the only television series to influence the Star Ocean series. In "The Divine Force", the game used elements from "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" as one of the characters resembles Twiki, and also "Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future" as Scorpium has many similarities to the Bio Dread Empire.
I had to pause the video just to talk about how much I love this series. I have played all the entries cept Blue Sphere. I am a very big fan of Welch for some reason. Anyway, The Last Hope is my favorite SO.
Hey, Welch is definitely one of the characters to have an interest in. She's got a lot of talk surrounding her as to what her exact deal is, especially in light of the info bomb dropped in SO3.
I've been a huge fan of the Star Ocean franchise for a long time. I've been looking forward to 6 since the moment it was announced. Also, the twist in 3 was amazing. There's only been one other franchise that even addresses the concept of the twist 3 had, but that franchise came at it from a completely different angle, and 3 pretty much recontextualized the whole SO franchise in an interesting way. It's also interesting that SO manages to still be able to tell so diverse of a range of stories, even though you know everything has to happen between the events of 4 and 3. I mean, it's still an entire universe full of stories that could be told, so it's not like there's a very tight range of time and space that they have to be told in. The franchise does happen over the course of centuries, after all.
While I did love SO2, especially when I got super-lucky and Ashton hit the final boss into the air and I killed him before letting him ever hit the ground, my problem with the games is precisely the fact that they're very LONG games in which you CAN'T do everything in one playthrough. As a person that loves 100% completion, having to play 100 hour game AT LEAST TWICE was already too much, not to mention the Extras hunting like 'deal exactly 777 damage, 7777 damage, and 77777 damage", "beat the final boss with a completely unupgraded starting weapon", and my personal least favorite: "Beat X boss with EXACT DAMAGE" in a game where you have no control how much damage you do or even control over three quarters of your party at any given time! Stories: Great. Gameplay: Good. Completion: infuriating.
Oh yeah Anamnesis or however it was spelled, forgot about that. I only spent like 7 bucks but it was a fun gacha style battle game. I'd love to go back! Tried the JP version after global shutdown, but it was too much to figure out.
SO3 is my most absolute favorite jrpg (second being FF12), no other game let you go up to level frickin 255, the twist was amazing and each character felt like it had actual personalities (Cliff never fails to make me laugh). I've replayed that game 5 times and almost got all the trophies.
SO3 was a very tasty, very beautiful poisoned eclair. It feels amazing to play, and kills your love for the rest of the games which actually took their own stories and characters seriously. If SO3 was a standalone game with no connection to any other story, I would love it. Because it does ruin SO2, I loathe it.
SO3 was the first 3D action RPG I played and was the reason I got into the Tales series a short time afterwards with Symphonia (also a masterpiece imo). Never really understood the hate it gets about the twist. I thought that was one of things that made the story memorable. Just replayed Symphonia a while back and I'm curently in the middle of replaying SO3 again for the first time in years. Even after all this time they both still hold up quite well imo.
Well , at the time of writing this comment it is 24th Oct 2022 , and divine force is releasing in three days , it will be my first entry in the series 😅 . Let's hope it will be enjoyable.
12:42 Disgaea... except you can reach Lv9999, then reincarnate (which resets you back to Lv1, but with a stat bonus based off whatever level you character was previous to the reincarnation), and then achieve even crazy-higher stats than the last time you were Lv9999. Also, the HP system can exceed the ten-trillions.
SO3 was also my introduction to the series and loved it so much I replayed it twice while on ps2 and planning on getting it on ps4 for my trophy run playthrough.😁
Till the end of time is was my first SO and i never get the chance to finish that game. But i gotta admit it, this game is awesome and really amazed me. If i could im gonna play it again and finish it
The storyline, the pseudo-realtime combat system and the density of....everything. Seriously: that game is a massive time sink, and is filled with alot of subplots, secrets, extra characters and exploration. I wouldn't want to replay it on a TV because the graphics would maybe be a bit too jagged nowadays, yet I would absolutely play an emulation on a small phone screen(with screen space anti-aliasing enabled), or an HD form if they remake it in HD.
I'm currently playing the SO2 R from steam it's pretty good. I don't usually like crafting but, I like how simple it is. Ashton is such a loveable goofball, with Creepy and Weepy!
I really liked Anamesis’s story and characters. I liked how it played overall. My ONLY complaint was the multiplayer and the very steep cost to play and the fact that the “host” bailing on you was like someone flipping the bird. Quite irritating. Also when you were searching for multi-player action there was NO indication that anyone was even playing the game. ((I point to another mobile game that at the time had a similar multiplayer feature but they did it correctly by creating a spawning area when you enter so you could see who was on, and most of the multiplayer action was FREE to play (the game I am referring to is SAO:Memory Defrag) Still wished SO:A had stuck around a little longer though…
This trailer really did intrigue me because I only found out about this series thanks to it. Now I'm 2 games in and almost finished 3. So far I'm loving it. Edit: I finally finished 3 and loved it. I understand that this game was controversial because of its plot twist but I actually liked it a lot. Good game
@@Super_Hambone I understand why some people were not so keen on it at first since it completely changes how you view this universe however it also explains a lot of things like welch, symbology, superbosses, etc. This plot twist was also based on a popular theory and is an understandable choice as a plot point since the story takes place in the far future. In the end, it doesn't matter if they are living in a simulation since what happens there is real to them so it's not like everything before was pointless.
Second story blew my away back then because it was the first mix of Fantasy and Sci fi i played. Years later my dad (who was also into gaming) got Last Hope for the 360 and i was totally turned off by the character design. For me they are just to sci fi, which is strange because i love the design of the Chars in Phantasy Star online
Star Ocean for PS games 1-5 1 Never played 2. For P.S.2 I like it. Liking the remake of number 2 3 was okay got stuck halfway through. 4 was garbage 5 was okay
This was a fantastic rundown of the franchise. I couldn't agree more. I'm with you with Star Ocean 3 being fantastic. I believe it was underrated because of the plot twist.. It quite possibly is my all time favorite game. I even enjoyed Peppita. And thats saying something. I have had a few replays in the last almost 20 years and I love it everytime. My issue with Integrity and Faithlessness was it was an unfinished product. It wasn't the story or gameplay for me. It was just too short for my liking. I needed at least 2 more planets in there. The one planet thing was just boring. You can have Edge, as Fayt Leingod is mine.. 🥰.. He coincidentally, is also my character name on basically everything I play now too.. lol..
I definitely got the original version of tteot in America, this is the first time I’ve even heard of a directors cut. My copy looks just like the copy you showed, with the blue coloring, not red.
I have only played till the end of time and the last hope (and faithlessness but I stopped. I didn't like it). Now I have the divine force. This series has a special place in my heart. And #3 till the end of the time is the BEST installment.
@@Super_Hambone 3 ruins 2. I loathe 3 for doing that to the rest of the series. It’s the functional equivalent of saying, “1 and 2 were all a dream”. *facepalm*
I never beat till the end of time💔 It was my very first RPG. The only thing I can think of that might be why I never beat. It was because I ran out of items to use during my battle with Luther.😤 I haven’t fought him in probably 20 years but I still remember he is definitely the reason I never beat the game. I can never get past his… Did he have three phases?! Anyway, this is a great explanation video. The only thing missing is how these videos usually say how the games connect because all of the games have similarities in its subject material. I think they all have similar terms and vocabulary and or destination potential races items. And of course Welch is to star ocean as Sid is to Final Fantasy. ❤❤❤❤
Man the crafting system in so3 was so hard if you didn’t pick pepita in your party. I remember I never could get the armor crafting because you had to complete some tedious stuff to get the armor crafting
I beat every game and replaying them in order of the ingame time line. So I'm waiting on 6 then of to 3. So far every game has taken 30 to 40 hours to beat. I try to get all the ending trophies and beat the post end game dungeon. SO2 I can't at the moment only had the psp emulator version.
_"The chances of you having played any of them (Star Ocean games) are pretty slim"._ My Repro cart of SNES/SF Star Ocean, PSP copy of Star Ocean, Switch DL of Star Ocean, PS copy of Star Ocean 2, PSP copy of Star Ocean 2, (ahem) copy of Star Ocean BS, PS2 copy of Star Ocean 3, PS4 DL of Star Ocean 3, Xbox 360 copy of Star Ocean 4, PS3 copy of Star Ocean 4, PS4 copy of Star Ocean 5, and PS4 copy of Star Ocean 6 beg to differ. Along with their printed strategy guides, sound track CDs, and my figure of Reimi. tl;dr: Them's fightan words, bub.
We actually have to thank the mobile version as it was the sole game in the recent years of the series that made SO6 possible… Anyway, have u heard that SO2’s gonna have a remake? OMG 😭
Did Star Ocean 2 really have 80 endings or just 80 mini endings? Because I don't recall them having any real effect on the world, just the characters own independent results.
What do you _mean_ Edge Maverick is _yours?!_ He's _mine,_ you hear me! Also, I plan on getting all the Star Oceans and playing them straight through, because I love all of the little bits I've played, including Integrity and Faithlessness. And yes I need to return to the Divine Forces because _dear God that game is fire!_
@@Super_Hambone It had me when it opened with a fucking Hard Rock and Roll song. I feel like people who don't like Star Ocean don't really get the series. One of my least favorite criticisms for Star Ocean: The Last Hope is that you can't take the story seriously, with character names like Edge Maverick. To that I say: His name, is _Edge Maverick._ What made you think you were _supposed_ to take this game seriously? Yeah it has its serious moments (such as _that_ moment for Edge...) but ultimately, it's video game Star Trek. Just shut up, enjoy the scantily clad mages, lose yourself to the story and have fun.
I started with TDF because it seemed standalone, turns out all games are standalone like tales of(kind of, unless you count destiny/xillias/zest-berseria), though TDF did have its moments and Laeticia's a great character. Emulating 4 will probably be hard(and finding undub even harder, because it likely doesn't have dual audio, i just prefer playing games with original voices) but i was planning to upgrade my CPU soon anyway, gotta come back to this series and play the rest one day.
Huh, it sounds kinda like how the Legend of Heroes: Trails has been treated. This series is finally getting more recognition and we're finally getting official English translations. The Star Ocean series looks pretty cool, I might need to look into it, though since I don't have any Sony consoles means I probably won't have the opportunity for a while unless there's a Steam release. Though I can play the ones released on Switch, so that's nice. Anyway, have a like and sub.
SO3 un ironically defined my childhood as that 'really good game that nobody talks about' the lack of pop culture presence is honestly crazy.
Fayt, Cliff, Sophia, Peppitta, Nell, Albel, everyone in SO3 shaped a lot of my tastes on video games, music, and mechanics in games.
I STILL LISTEN to 'Pert Girl on a Sandy Beach', 'Lakes and Marshes with Doubt', 'Starless Wavelets', 'Fly By Contact', and
'Cutting Edge of Notion' on a DAILY basis.
And dont even get me STARTED on 'A Little Bird Who Forgot How to Fly'.
Like, there's SO MUCH about SO3 that, in my eyes, embody a "Perfect Videogame."
CGI, characters, world, story, combat, EVERYTHING.
I completely agree, the dialogue and story still hold up really well. The art cancels in combat was really cool.
If I'm honest most people or very casual games probably found the battle system to tough, its a shame most people get put off game with a bit of a learning curve. If there is 2 similar games say competing for popularity, its usually the easier game that makes more sale.
Yes!! Although I started on SO2, it was between trying FF6, Morrowing and SO3 when I really got in to gaming. I remember taking a week off work when SO4 released, and playing from start to finish with one of my buddies watching the whole time. I love seeing other people that are part of the SO fandom
I think this would be the case for most us in the west. Not getting the originals, this was our first entry especially with the popularity of the PS2 console. There was a thick line between these 3D JRPGs and the 2D ones. The music being a main one, plus of course the visuals and length of the games. By the time SO4 came out it was much more accessible than 1 and 2 on the PSP especially with the limited copies and costs. TBH SO4 was a great jump to HD, something most long franchises like this had a hard time doing. Really weird to hear all the English players hate Edge so much, like they're so American that all they watched growing up was G.I Joe and have never watched one episode of any anime that they can't stand the usual tropes. Really don't get the SO4 hate, it's certainly more shallow in characters than SO3 but the combat and overall experience makes up for it. I play to play, to live in the world, not to watch cutscenes, there's plenty of better content to watch, and we're lucky to be able to play in a world like Star Trek and other SciFi.
the second story will always hold a part in my heart. private actions and so many characters, it was a jrpg player dream.
Also one of the very few games I actually liked the crafting system
And the remake delivered in every single way. I would highly reccomend if you don't have it already
@@twizms7362 Agreed, but there a few things to avoid if you want the full experience. The Bodyguard and Scout skills completely break the game. Waltzing through the levels having your allies powerlevelling you probably sounded good on paper, but in practice…
I was at max level before I even got close to the bottom of the secret dungeon.
I played the remake its NOT for me and that's only because instead of needing a LOW LV of 130 to max Out the SP of EVERYTHING to lv 10 in the remake it takes 230 OF the games 255 lvs TO do that and even then I WOULD still have to 4x bloody armor a lv 100+ party on EARTH mode since on the remake the enemies on EARTH mode pretty much have their PS1 UNIVERSE mode stats.
So pretty much ALL the LATE game required bosses will still do 9999 damage IN 1 HIT on Earth mode AT lv 255 without ANY Bloody armor/helm users but I still HATE the Fishing mini game the remake has.
Star Ocean 3 was one of the first rpgs I ever played next to Tales of Symphonia, Final Fantasy X and Baten Kaitos. Love them.
I get the feeling that you would have hated SO3 had you played its predecessors first. Just like everyone who played and loved those stories, the revelation that the series canonically takes place in a mmorpg and that the characters are just npcs programmed to think they are real people… well, it shatters tension since no threat is really real, no one can really ‘die’ since they’re not alive to begin with, everything just feels flat.
I’ll bet the writers of SO1 & 2 wanted to murder the writers of SO3 for ruining the stories that they told.
@@Noplayster13 Have to hard disagree with you on that point. The characters finding out the setting was part of a simulation meant to entertain the citizens of another dimension is a very interesting dilemma to present them with and also injects a bit of existential dread into the story. JRPG stories are no strangers to pondering on the nature of existence and people finding meaning in their lives in the face of hard truths, and this 'twist' checks that box in a unique way that hardly any other JRPGs have attempted.
It does not diminish the danger/threat that the characters have faced, because even if they are NPCs in the eyes of the higher dimensional beings they could still die and cease to exist within their own world. Hell, the final threat they face is the very idea that they and their whole universe would be killed/deleted. That is standard endgame level RPG finale right there.
@@chinaman8888 SO3 would be fine as it’s own, stand-alone game. But having it retcon the previous games into an in universe video game world makes the sacrifices and tragedies of those games feel cheap in retrospect.
I’m playing the remake of 2 and millions of people die in tragic, and sometimes very personal ways there. It’s unfortunate that I can’t help but be reminded that they’re not even real people in their own universe.
There’s nothing quite as immersion breaking as watching Welch, the 4D being canonically playing this *video game,* pretend to console the (fake) child Leon when he’s weeping over his parents dying.
Why the hell would she roleplay something so fucking dark? And if she can just wave her hand and change the game world (she’s a ‘creator’) why would she let him suffer like that? Oh and she lets the 10 wisemen kill Claude’s father right in front of him. …and does nothing to prevent it.
So not even *she* thinks these people are real enough to empathize with them.
I never understand people's problems with SO3. I loved every aspect of it.
The twist is people's main issue. I enjoyed it because it's a perfectly sci-fi and philosophical twist, but it's also quite nihilistic. That nihilistic aspect is what turns so many people off. It implicitly makes people feel like the entire game and the last two games were pointless as they were canonically just events that took place in a video game.
dont see many people saying they had a problem with so3 the game lost its soul after 3 they took to many elements out of the game that made it what it was the crafting the stealing the way you used your specials the story line and how you gathered teammates private actions
The voice acting was really the only thing that turned me off to SO3 otherwise I loved it and I love the fact that is had a dictonary with all of the pseudo science
@@xxJingNot only the first two games but each of the sequels.
Here is a turn off: out of mp = faint. Stupidest thing ever. Although it didn’t happen often, it was enough to make people quit early on
Your love for star ocean is really infectious. If there’s one thing I love about star force it’s the characters and the combat is always peak stuff. I hope the series hits the popularity it deserves one day.
Very refreshing hearing star ocean 3 in good terms for a change! Definitely my favorite as well.
Never met anyone more wrong. SO3 made all other SO stories meaningless.
@@Noplayster13 that's your opinion, doesn't mean we are wrong for liking SO3. The company bowing to everyone else made the rest of the games meaningless instead of sticking to their world lore they made in SO3, simulation or not. None of the other games went as in depth as SO3 ever could. In my opinion all other Star Ocean games are lacking and they still reference SO3 in the newest game. But fell short of actually continuing when they could have because of the wall your type of players put up on them, they can't even attempt to put a spin on things anymore and the stories just end now. There could have been so much more to the newest game, but the second it ended, I was extremely disappointed. So no, SO3 didn't make the rest of the games meaningless, it was the community that didn't understand and shunned themes ahead of their time.
@@nickwar6555 ‘So no, it wasn’t SO3 that made the other games meaningless.’ -you didn’t put forth any actual argument for why it didn’t make them meaningless. It did make them meaningless. I stand by that.
How would you feel about SO3 if the next game came out and it specifically said that, canonically, ALL other games in the series were ‘all just a dream’ that their main character had one night after eating too much pizza? That every other game was utterly meaningless and only THIS game’s story actually happened? That would be the kind of bold, risk-taking storytelling that you are craving, right?
Oh, and then at the end of THAT game, it could be revealed that even that story was just the dream of… like a homeless guy in Tokyo or something, doesn’t matter.
Edit: Besides, the subsequent games did stick with the dogshit ‘it’s all a video game’ storyline since they all have Welch Vineland in them.
@@Noplayster13 are not all games the dreams of their creators. Creators take risks with their passion projects. I never disagreed that it made the other games meaningless. But on the other hand, it's far better writing then just some guy having a dream after eating pizza. But at the same time, when a community almost conpletely rejects the idea and subsequently all following games can't pull from the previous. It ruins the entire series from then on. It's like watching the lord of the rings and all of a sudden the film director takes out the rings all together because the most fans hated the idea of it. Now it's just a film on waring races. Do any of the final fantasy stories connect to one another? Yet there are chokabos and mogals in all of them. It's called having an ip and the creative variant of which you use that ip. Just because star ocean does the same with certain aspects. Not all the games have to be linked the same story. Games evolve with the feedback the creators receive. I will always think so3 is a great game. Regardless of the hatred it receives. If you want a cookie cut story. Then go play the others and leave the small community that loves so3 alone. If you feel so3 ruined the series then don't play it or consider it non cannon. But that would be your opinion. Not literally everyone's opinion. You can see the rest of the comments here loved or hated the same. Just because something is controversial, doesn't mean you have to pay attention to it and antagonize those that like it.
@@nickwar6555 Unfortunately, you’re kind of contradicting and undermining your overall point here.
‘The fans hated SO3, so all the following games can’t pull from it, it *ruins* the entire series.’
-Contradicts-
‘Not all games have to be linked to the same story. It’s called having an IP and the creative variants’
This one undermines your point:
‘If you don’t like the game, just don’t play it or think of it as non canon.’ -Just do the same with the games you don’t like. Why are you shitting on games that people like? That’s just your opinion of those games. You criticizing those games is “antagonizing” people who liked them, right? Right? Leave the people who like them alone!
*calls the rest of the games cookie cutter.* -I hate to break it to you, but the majority of the fans think those stories were significantly better. *and that’s just your opinion.* -I’d love to enjoy those games, but SO3 went out of it’s way to *ruin* them.
I think it would be nice if, in the remake of SO2 that’s coming out, SO3 was straight up retconned. Like Claude goes into a simulation on Energy Nede and the simulation shows bits of the story of SO3. Then he comes out and the technician tells him to not worry, that it was just a simulation and wasn’t real. I think that would be hilarious and be a very welcome addition. Literally no one would complain that SO3 was just ‘all a dream’ed.
Star Ocean Till The End of Time Was my first and only Star Ocean, But it was my childhood and it had such a great story and combat system and items!
SO3 is my favorite. I still play it often and it still does not bore me
SO3 was my first SO and it was totally amazing. I loved it from start to end but never actually got around to playing it a second time around because I didn't like it that deeply. In my opinion and as a long time JRPG fan since the mid-late 90s, SO3 is the perfect entry for new fans.
SO 3 gets a lot of shit for no reason,is probably the bets game in series. SO 2 is overrated but is probably the 2nd best or for many the best one after all combat is not everything.
Is too bad the series has never been able to reach the peaks for 2 and 3.
@@raulrojas9253 so2 is not overrated at all. It came out on psone in the 90s and had voice acting, crafting, 80+ endings, and real time combat and had a wide variety of characters.
@@raulrojas9253 4 and 5 both get alot of shit. I always ask detractors of last hope and faithless to give me LEGIT reasons why they call it a bad game but i enver get any. I only ever get emotional Reponses or subjective things like humor or voice acting being "bad". Even the worst star ocean game is still a good game. My only legit critique of 5 was it was too short. And 4 is my second favorite jrpg of all time
@@jonathansoko1085 haven't played 5. 4 has good gameplay but God oh God is it cheesy. Not only that but its method of story telling is also much more linear and restrictive than that of the first 3 games. The killing point was that little girl character though, listening to her speak made me lose my mind.
@@xxJing The first 3 star ocean games are linear. cmon dude.
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is literally my childhood. It’s one of my favorite video games I’ve ever played in my life. I’m scared about The Divine Force because I might not like it 😢
Ive been dying for another star ocean game to quench that thirst left behind by SOTET years ago. It was the first game that really changed my idea about what endgame content could truely be and I couldn't believe that 300 hours later I was out of content after Freya!! I think that this 25th anniversary game might just surprise us :)
Its my childhood too =D
I've only played till the end of time and loved it! I'm happy they kept making games in this series and I can't wait to play through them as well.
This is an Excellent video!
It gives people that are new to the franchise a lot of quick and useful information.
I wished you talked about the music too though, Motoi Sakuraba is a genius, and in my honest opinion, peaked in Star Ocean 2 (with two or three more really really good songs on Star Ocean 3).
The combat in Star Ocean 4 was the best of them all, only being surpassed with the Divine Force just now, and that means a lot. It is fun, fluid and frenetic, The Divine Force just took that system and made it x100 better.
Finally, I hope this video can gain more popularity so more people can know about this awesone series that holds a special place in my heart.
Till the End of Time was the first one I had ever played and I loved it. I cannot stress that enough.
Arumat became my main in The Last Hope once he entered my party.
SOTET is amazing and one of my favorite jRPGs of all time. Loved almost everything about it. The story has sat with me since I played it.
I agree. If you played the first 2 games I can see how you might not like the sotet story twist, but if you come into the franchise playing sotet, the concept is truely amazing hands down. Plus that Freya fight!
I appreciate you not totally shitting on Integrity and Faithlessness. I've played all the main Star Ocean games and I still really enjoy Int and Faith. Like a lot honestly.
I started with Blue Sphere on a whim after I heard about the fan-translation. No wonder I never touched the franchise again...
Only the strongest of wills walk into Blue Sphere and live to tell the tale
Here because the Star Ocean 2 remake caught my eye.
Funny enough, the only thing I know about the series is 3's twist because my friend had the game and I watched him fight the last boss.
Anyway, great guide. Love the chart at the end with all the games and available platforms.
Great video, think you summed it up really well
SO3 is truly the peak
The entire time for decades I've never played Star Ocean. Always skipped it for FF games LOL. So this morning before work ive decided to learn about the lore.
FF and SO are super different beasts, beautiful and important for different reasons. I got other videos on the topic, specifically a new retrospective on the first title. If you're intrigued by what you see totally give it a shot!
I never played Star Ocean 3. I've wanted to, though. Really wish they'd release that remastered (over even normal) on Steam.
Great video. Objective for most of it, notifies the viewer when it’s not. Super helpful. Yeah this is top notch. Thanks!
I'm still playing SO3 and I've been warned about this Big Twist so much.
I can't wait to actually find out what it is.
Enjoy!
It’s a fine twist… as long as you have never played any of the other games. Then you’d likely loathe it.
I personally loved the story and characters from SO4, for the most part. The ending was even enough to make me tear up, and I almost never tear up from sad story moments in games/shows/movies. Faize is a fantastic character.
I've only played SO3 and SO4, but preferred SO4's core combat, story and characters. SO3 had some really neat intricacies not found in SO4 though-- such as the more expansive alchemy system/crafting, that awesome fighting mode and likely more engaging post-game content. Certain locations in SO3 were more visually pleasing too.
Both games are definitely worth playing imo.
The twist was perfect. People just don’t like the concept bc it would be terrifying were it real and people like to feel special. Like your life isn’t that worth while
I just started First Departure R beginning my descent into the series. Absolutely loving it so far
Great video! I laughed several times, very entertaining. I'm a fan of Star Ocean 2 and 3 myself, and I own 4 but have never actually played it.
Did they forget SO2 is the most popular Star Ocean game? It's weird it only got released in Japan for PS4, I really wonder what happened.
I dont know anything about Star Ocean. Never played any game in the series, but as a Tales of fan ill give it a shot. TY for the summary and i look forward to seeing what the game is
SO2 was my first SO and I fell in love with it. I must have spent anywhere between 500-1000 hours on that game. I didn't think anything could top it, then i played SO3. The 'twist' you speak of is insane, I'd like to see what elon musk has to say about it.
Twist ruins SO2 and 1. Claude and Rena are NPCs in universe. *facepalm*
Great video good sir. I’ve been a fan of the series since the release of the second story and have loved the series ever since.
I bought till the end of time a year ago and was actually surprised it was an ARPG
I've always been a huge fan of SO 3, including the twist. I thought it was so interesting and fun to contemplate! And it didn't change the emotional or story stakes for me at all.
It changed the emotional and story stakes for almost the entirety of the rest of the fanbase. That twist was fine in isolation, but it destroys the stakes, characters, and story of all the other games since you know that nothing that happens is an actual threat (dev just reboots the game), none of the characters are real or can actually die (dev just reboots them), and all of the scenarios are likely contrived and created by the gamedevs. It robs the story of all dramatic tension, robs all characters of their free will since they’re just programmed to be how they are. What a genuinely emptyheaded decision to kill every story or character arc in your franchise.
Imagine if you’d written SO1 or 2 and some imbecile decided to take your characters and story and say that canonically “it was all a dream.”
@@Noplayster13tell me you played so3 with your ass withouth telling me so.
dude, it doesnt change ANYTHING, the whole fcking point of so3 is to tell that the so universe, even tough is a game, evolved to the point of ACTUAL sentience, its not just "devs do this, devs do that, hur dur, nothing matters, its all programed mu du hur dur", if THIS is what you take out of the story, then you are as bad as luther because you cant get trough your empety head that those "characters" became their own living beings.
@@Kebin13 Prove it. Prove anything that you just said with actual dialog from that game.
@@Noplayster13 oh geez willy, i dunno, maybe the fckin part where you start raiding the company hq? it literally what luther's sister says, and that all the cientists and devs that sided with her agree that the star ocean "game" should be left alone, and thats why they are helping you? or how after the final fight with luther thats literally what happens, the star ocean game date is kinda of saved in a place outside of anyone's reach so that the universe can keep growing and developing whitouth people like luther trying to play god again with what is basically a sentient ai that started to grow its own universe? look, you already proved my point, you didnt even play the game, now if you are SO GODDAMN LAZY that you cant even look up a few cutscenes and dialogues, thats not my fault.
@@Kebin13 Dude, calm your emotions. Why are you having a mental breakdown? Of course I’ve played the game. Try thinking first before you post next time.
Ok, so some of the devs think that the AIs have developed sentience while others (like Welsh and Luther) think that they haven’t. However, no argument is ever given by the pro-sentience devs for why they believe this. In fact, the question is avoided altogether (because of bad writing).
The AIs have been programmed to value self preservation specifically by Luther and the other devs, which explains why they invade the company HQ. I’m not sure why you think that proves anything.
Besides, none of what happens during the events of SO3 has any bearing on SO2 or SO1 being robbed of their narrative stakes, so I’m not sure why you brought up the game being put in a museum or whatever.
SO2 and 1 occurred during the time when the game devs were actively controlling things. Welch’s presence (she’s a dev) and her ability to get the AIs to break the 4th wall are proof that they are actively interfering with the events there. It’s all a silly game with no real stakes to her, so why should I take it seriously? There was no threat of the wisemen destroying the universe because Welch can just wave her hand and eliminate the threat if the game gets too hard.
Took a break from the series for a while after I let a friend borrow my copy of Star Ocean Til the End of Time and never got it back, but I'm playing The Last Hope and looking forward to restarting Til the End of Time since I never finished it. The Divine Force is looking sweeet! I'm hoping tri-Ace and Square Enix have more Star Ocean releasing after this next one, because it deserves more attention than it generally gets.
Tri ace is a pretty smart company; they've backfunded The Divine Force with the money from their mobile game. If they want to make SO7 they can do that again lol
I am painfully excited
@@Super_Hambone I hope there are many more SOs to follow. If they make another mobile SO, they gotta market it more, because i didn't know about the one we had until it was too late to play it.
@@Super_Hambone I was super disappointed when Anamnesis was shut down. I loved that game. It was way higher quality in terms of everything than a mobile game had any right to be.
Last Hope is the only one I've played and I remember being VERY overwhelmed by the combat and the character pairings for the achievements.
Yeah, the achievements were extreme in The Last Hope. I thank God every day for not making me a 100% completionist 🙏🙏
@@Super_Hambone lmao
SO2 was my favorite with SO3 right on its heels, I loved SO4s combat as you said it is great but one thing and just the one thing makes me still have nightmares and that is "Kayyy" god I want this word to be punishable by immediate death now. Like the second someone says a long drawn out "Kayyy" god rains down lightning upon that person.
That is called "cuteness poisoning". In both senses!
12:42
"What other game lets you get to level 255 with 50,000/50k HP?"
Any game in the Disgaea series.
It's a SRPG, it's awesome "dood".
Till The End Of Time was my first entry and also my favorite.
I played some of First Departure R, The Last Hope and Integrity and Faithlessness.
I've only completed TTEOT and IAF.
I agree that IAF is the weakest of the series but I still enjoyed it.
For myself, I like TLH almost as much as TTEOT.
I'm a huge star ocean fan. I just finished the divine force. What an awesome series.
I'm 2ish years late to the party here but I stand with you, SO:till the end of time was awesome and the "twist" was interesting and I enjoyed it 😊
excellent description of the series
The twist if SO3 wasn't bad. And honestly it could have been worked into a follow up actually... but its like they refuse to move forward since
bangin vid bro ham keep it up
Thanks dude, seriously appreciate that!
1st departure was my 1st star ocean game. I've been hooked ever since
"Star Trek" wasn't the only television series to influence the Star Ocean series.
In "The Divine Force", the game used elements from "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" as one of the characters resembles Twiki, and also "Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future" as Scorpium has many similarities to the Bio Dread Empire.
First time viewer of your channel. Your opinions are factually correct. SO3 is incredible.
Objectively incorrect. SO3 is a fine game… if it wasn’t a part of a larger series for its twist to ruin. Unfortunately, it ruined the whole series.
I had to pause the video just to talk about how much I love this series. I have played all the entries cept Blue Sphere. I am a very big fan of Welch for some reason. Anyway, The Last Hope is my favorite SO.
Hey, Welch is definitely one of the characters to have an interest in. She's got a lot of talk surrounding her as to what her exact deal is, especially in light of the info bomb dropped in SO3.
SO3 is one of my all time favorites
I've been a huge fan of the Star Ocean franchise for a long time. I've been looking forward to 6 since the moment it was announced.
Also, the twist in 3 was amazing. There's only been one other franchise that even addresses the concept of the twist 3 had, but that franchise came at it from a completely different angle, and 3 pretty much recontextualized the whole SO franchise in an interesting way.
It's also interesting that SO manages to still be able to tell so diverse of a range of stories, even though you know everything has to happen between the events of 4 and 3. I mean, it's still an entire universe full of stories that could be told, so it's not like there's a very tight range of time and space that they have to be told in. The franchise does happen over the course of centuries, after all.
While I did love SO2, especially when I got super-lucky and Ashton hit the final boss into the air and I killed him before letting him ever hit the ground, my problem with the games is precisely the fact that they're very LONG games in which you CAN'T do everything in one playthrough. As a person that loves 100% completion, having to play 100 hour game AT LEAST TWICE was already too much, not to mention the Extras hunting like 'deal exactly 777 damage, 7777 damage, and 77777 damage", "beat the final boss with a completely unupgraded starting weapon", and my personal least favorite: "Beat X boss with EXACT DAMAGE" in a game where you have no control how much damage you do or even control over three quarters of your party at any given time! Stories: Great. Gameplay: Good. Completion: infuriating.
Haha, that was the point of these games though! Replayability. Gotta get all those 89 endings! lol
Oh yeah Anamnesis or however it was spelled, forgot about that. I only spent like 7 bucks but it was a fun gacha style battle game. I'd love to go back! Tried the JP version after global shutdown, but it was too much to figure out.
SO3 is my most absolute favorite jrpg (second being FF12), no other game let you go up to level frickin 255, the twist was amazing and each character felt like it had actual personalities (Cliff never fails to make me laugh). I've replayed that game 5 times and almost got all the trophies.
Agreed! SO3 has a special place in my heart.
FF12 and Star Ocean 3 was the best
SO3 was a very tasty, very beautiful poisoned eclair. It feels amazing to play, and kills your love for the rest of the games which actually took their own stories and characters seriously.
If SO3 was a standalone game with no connection to any other story, I would love it. Because it does ruin SO2, I loathe it.
Tteot is was and always will be my favorite jrpg right behind golden sun 1 n 2 and that twist was amazing for me
SO3 was the first 3D action RPG I played and was the reason I got into the Tales series a short time afterwards with Symphonia (also a masterpiece imo). Never really understood the hate it gets about the twist. I thought that was one of things that made the story memorable.
Just replayed Symphonia a while back and I'm curently in the middle of replaying SO3 again for the first time in years. Even after all this time they both still hold up quite well imo.
Well , at the time of writing this comment it is 24th Oct 2022 , and divine force is releasing in three days , it will be my first entry in the series 😅 . Let's hope it will be enjoyable.
12:42 Disgaea... except you can reach Lv9999, then reincarnate (which resets you back to Lv1, but with a stat bonus based off whatever level you character was previous to the reincarnation), and then achieve even crazy-higher stats than the last time you were Lv9999.
Also, the HP system can exceed the ten-trillions.
SO3 was also my introduction to the series and loved it so much I replayed it twice while on ps2 and planning on getting it on ps4 for my trophy run playthrough.😁
Top tier JRPG
Peep half.
Till the end of time is was my first SO and i never get the chance to finish that game. But i gotta admit it, this game is awesome and really amazed me. If i could im gonna play it again and finish it
invincible Miki was definitely the way Tri-Ace wanted me to play.
What is Star Ocean 2 and why is it so great
The storyline, the pseudo-realtime combat system and the density of....everything. Seriously: that game is a massive time sink, and is filled with alot of subplots, secrets, extra characters and exploration.
I wouldn't want to replay it on a TV because the graphics would maybe be a bit too jagged nowadays, yet I would absolutely play an emulation on a small phone screen(with screen space anti-aliasing enabled), or an HD form if they remake it in HD.
I'm currently playing the SO2 R from steam it's pretty good. I don't usually like crafting but, I like how simple it is. Ashton is such a loveable goofball, with Creepy and Weepy!
I really liked Anamesis’s story and characters. I liked how it played overall.
My ONLY complaint was the multiplayer and the very steep cost to play and the fact that the “host” bailing on you was like someone flipping the bird. Quite irritating. Also when you were searching for multi-player action there was NO indication that anyone was even playing the game.
((I point to another mobile game that at the time had a similar multiplayer feature but they did it correctly by creating a spawning area when you enter so you could see who was on, and most of the multiplayer action was FREE to play
(the game I am referring to is SAO:Memory Defrag)
Still wished SO:A had stuck around a little longer though…
I absolutely love Star Ocean: Till the End of Time on PS2!!!
This trailer really did intrigue me because I only found out about this series thanks to it. Now I'm 2 games in and almost finished 3. So far I'm loving it.
Edit: I finally finished 3 and loved it. I understand that this game was controversial because of its plot twist but I actually liked it a lot.
Good game
I totally agree! The big twist is definitely something that can be better appreciated with time. Great to hear you're enjoying the series!
@@Super_Hambone I understand why some people were not so keen on it at first since it completely changes how you view this universe however it also explains a lot of things like welch, symbology, superbosses, etc.
This plot twist was also based on a popular theory and is an understandable choice as a plot point since the story takes place in the far future.
In the end, it doesn't matter if they are living in a simulation since what happens there is real to them so it's not like everything before was pointless.
Second story blew my away back then because it was the first mix of Fantasy and Sci fi i played. Years later my dad (who was also into gaming) got Last Hope for the 360 and i was totally turned off by the character design. For me they are just to sci fi, which is strange because i love the design of the Chars in Phantasy Star online
Star Ocean for PS games 1-5
1 Never played
2. For P.S.2 I like it.
Liking the remake of number 2
3 was okay got stuck halfway through.
4 was garbage
5 was okay
Dude I love this video. Star ocean 3 is so important to me
12:41 to answer your Question: Any Mainline Disgaea game
OH SHIT U RIGHT, I COMPLETE FORGOT ABOUT DISGAEA OOPS
This was a fantastic rundown of the franchise. I couldn't agree more. I'm with you with Star Ocean 3 being fantastic. I believe it was underrated because of the plot twist.. It quite possibly is my all time favorite game. I even enjoyed Peppita. And thats saying something. I have had a few replays in the last almost 20 years and I love it everytime. My issue with Integrity and Faithlessness was it was an unfinished product. It wasn't the story or gameplay for me. It was just too short for my liking. I needed at least 2 more planets in there. The one planet thing was just boring. You can have Edge, as Fayt Leingod is mine.. 🥰.. He coincidentally, is also my character name on basically everything I play now too.. lol..
Lov IT i hope U grow in numbers
I fell in love with SO3 when I got it
Huh. Blue, blonde, blue, blonde, blue, blonde.
YES FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE NOTICED
The second story is the only one I haven't played, 3 was my favorite and 5 fighting system is great
I definitely got the original version of tteot in America, this is the first time I’ve even heard of a directors cut. My copy looks just like the copy you showed, with the blue coloring, not red.
TEOT brought a lot of us in and has almost an unlimited play time.
I started with 5 then got PS4 of last hope. Now playing 6 love the games
I'm a proud owner of SO 1, 2 and 3. 🤩 (psp&ps2)
My initial reaction to the SO 3 twist was really bad but I came to love it once I got over the WTF factor.
I also know the twist of till the end of time... And I don't know how I feel about it...
I have only played till the end of time and the last hope (and faithlessness but I stopped. I didn't like it). Now I have the divine force. This series has a special place in my heart. And #3 till the end of the time is the BEST installment.
For me part 3 is every bit as good as part 2, love them both. Depending on the day they take turns on which is my favorite. lol
On a good day it's 3, on an off day it's 2. If you're feeling wacky, perchance some 4
@@Super_Hambone 3 ruins 2. I loathe 3 for doing that to the rest of the series. It’s the functional equivalent of saying, “1 and 2 were all a dream”. *facepalm*
dude this combat is wild compared to original FF games. I haven't played any of these games but damn this looks like my cup of tea
I never beat till the end of time💔 It was my very first RPG. The only thing I can think of that might be why I never beat. It was because I ran out of items to use during my battle with Luther.😤 I haven’t fought him in probably 20 years but I still remember he is definitely the reason I never beat the game. I can never get past his… Did he have three phases?!
Anyway, this is a great explanation video. The only thing missing is how these videos usually say how the games connect because all of the games have similarities in its subject material. I think they all have similar terms and vocabulary and or destination potential races items. And of course Welch is to star ocean as Sid is to Final Fantasy.
❤❤❤❤
Man the crafting system in so3 was so hard if you didn’t pick pepita in your party. I remember I never could get the armor crafting because you had to complete some tedious stuff to get the armor crafting
I beat every game and replaying them in order of the ingame time line. So I'm waiting on 6 then of to 3.
So far every game has taken 30 to 40 hours to beat. I try to get all the ending trophies and beat the post end game dungeon. SO2 I can't at the moment only had the psp emulator version.
i should finish 3...
Yeah man you totally should
Just make sure to get the peep halves.
Star Ocean The Second Story R is coming
And I couldn't be happier
@@Super_HamboneGreat video
_"The chances of you having played any of them (Star Ocean games) are pretty slim"._
My Repro cart of SNES/SF Star Ocean, PSP copy of Star Ocean, Switch DL of Star Ocean, PS copy of Star Ocean 2, PSP copy of Star Ocean 2, (ahem) copy of Star Ocean BS, PS2 copy of Star Ocean 3, PS4 DL of Star Ocean 3, Xbox 360 copy of Star Ocean 4, PS3 copy of Star Ocean 4, PS4 copy of Star Ocean 5, and PS4 copy of Star Ocean 6 beg to differ. Along with their printed strategy guides, sound track CDs, and my figure of Reimi.
tl;dr: Them's fightan words, bub.
We actually have to thank the mobile version as it was the sole game in the recent years of the series that made SO6 possible…
Anyway, have u heard that SO2’s gonna have a remake? OMG 😭
I have a video releasing on it in a day or two! Subscribe so I don't have to make you.
Subbbeddd. Great video
I love Star Ocean especially 3 but I hope they re release or remake Radiata Stories such a great game and story
Did Star Ocean 2 really have 80 endings or just 80 mini endings? Because I don't recall them having any real effect on the world, just the characters own independent results.
80 mini endings is a better way to put it, however thats still incredibly impressive.
A bit late for this, but for the high level/health question there's always the Disgaea series
What do you _mean_ Edge Maverick is _yours?!_ He's _mine,_ you hear me!
Also, I plan on getting all the Star Oceans and playing them straight through, because I love all of the little bits I've played, including Integrity and Faithlessness. And yes I need to return to the Divine Forces because _dear God that game is fire!_
Finally, someone with true taste
@@Super_Hambone It had me when it opened with a fucking Hard Rock and Roll song.
I feel like people who don't like Star Ocean don't really get the series. One of my least favorite criticisms for Star Ocean: The Last Hope is that you can't take the story seriously, with character names like Edge Maverick. To that I say:
His name, is _Edge Maverick._ What made you think you were _supposed_ to take this game seriously? Yeah it has its serious moments (such as _that_ moment for Edge...) but ultimately, it's video game Star Trek. Just shut up, enjoy the scantily clad mages, lose yourself to the story and have fun.
Thank you for input
For trophy hunters Star Ocean is well known, probably the platinum that needs more time
The Last Hope was my introduction to JRPGs and I bounced right off because of the voice acting.
I started with TDF because it seemed standalone, turns out all games are standalone like tales of(kind of, unless you count destiny/xillias/zest-berseria), though TDF did have its moments and Laeticia's a great character. Emulating 4 will probably be hard(and finding undub even harder, because it likely doesn't have dual audio, i just prefer playing games with original voices) but i was planning to upgrade my CPU soon anyway, gotta come back to this series and play the rest one day.
Huh, it sounds kinda like how the Legend of Heroes: Trails has been treated. This series is finally getting more recognition and we're finally getting official English translations.
The Star Ocean series looks pretty cool, I might need to look into it, though since I don't have any Sony consoles means I probably won't have the opportunity for a while unless there's a Steam release. Though I can play the ones released on Switch, so that's nice.
Anyway, have a like and sub.
Good vid