Star Ocean: The Second Story (Second Evolution) - Best Game in the Series?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ธ.ค. 2022
- My review of Star Ocean: The Second Story/Star Ocean: Second Evolution for PlayStation and PSP. New to the channel? Subscribe here: th-cam.com/users/subscription_c...
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So, where do you think Star Ocean: The Second Story ranks in terms of the series?
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Its the best one in the series hands down. With how much it evolved and stood the test of time
Is it the best game of the series, any other answers are wrong.
I played this one through to conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was one of the best games ever on the PS1.
@@billcox8870 best ever.
Definitely the best one
It is my favorite in the series. I'm still blown away by the progression of killer moves. It's a mechanic that I wish more games would have copied.
Yes, it was such a good idea you don’t see used almost anywhere else.
All I remember TEAR I TO PIECES. TEAR I TO PIECES.
@@joshbailey7775 lol I actually remember that clear as day 🤣
What I LOVED about Star Ocean 2 was how if you beat the secret dungeon, you then were given a secret event that allowed you to make the final boss more challenging (I think this is how it worked). I really wish more RPG, at that time period at least, would've done that. It was always the case that secret dungeons made your characters very OP, and would stomp the final boss, so having the option to make the final boss as hard as the secret final boss (I forgot their names, but the guy version, not the girl version you fought by using the silver trumpet). Game was so much fun.
This game was my first introduction to the Star Ocean universe/games. A friend had let me borrow it because he was unable to beat it and had sort of given up. I think that mentally prepared me to grind and figure out a mediocre strategy to get through the game, eventually beating it. My friend ended up gifting me the game as a reward.
That is a very good friend. 👍
This is one of the few RPGs that also featured magic fusions. If you timed compatible spells to trigger at the same time they would fuse into a new spell or an evolved version of one of the two spells cast.
Right, that's true!
I know a lot of people found the repetitive attack phrasing during battles annoying, but I really grew to love it. To this day, Precis screaming "PARABOLA BEAM" still rings in my head, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Haha, at least someone liked it!
shoting stars..shoting stars.. shooting stars..
i rented this at blockbuster in 99. i never heard of it prior. i was terrible at it. i was under levelevd and died a lot. fast forward a couple of years my friend had it and let me borrowed it. i now know how to prepare and level. i end up beating the game and the secret dungeon. ( i used gamefaqs printouts at the public library on how to get the best gear and how to get to the secret dungeon,etc) easily in my top 10 favorite jrpgs after 20+ years
Thanks for your memories! Gaming was different in those days, wasn't it?
Totally me too
@@Xygor yep, the only access to the internet was the library back then.you either write it down or print
This game was freaking amazing. So much fun and so versatile with character and build options. It was the last truly solid sprite based rpg of that era.
It really was!
One of my favorite games. I still remember all the times I stole the treasure chest and save scummed for the Marvel Sword an hour into the game. Or building the self healing fighter team of Claude, Chisato, Opera, and Bowman and laying waste to the Bonus Dungeon to unlock the super boss ending. Good times.
There's definitely a lot of ways to make yourself overpowered in this one!
Man, that composer is a monster. His work on Shining Force 3 is one of my faves.
Yes he is!
i loved this game when it came out, it was my first entry in the series, and oddly enough the thing i remember most was the cooking and crafting, not the mechanics, but the little morphing animation of the thing being made
Great, it really was a gem! So much item creation.
This was such a fun game! I remember making a green chain saw looking sword for Claude early game and just wrecking things with it! The creation mechanic was such a fun addition to the genre.
I never got to finish it as my memory card got corrupted and when i finally got to where i felt like starting it over, I was reminded that i had lent the game to a friend who had sold it... 😭
But, I am so stoked that they're remaking it for the Switch!
True, it was a total classic. The remaster footage looks interesting too! Thanks for sharing your memories, even though you had memory card issues. Haha.
Definitely the best in the series. Star Ocean 3 was OK, but then it was all downhill from there... The series probably should have ended after 3 anyway, after it was revealed that everything was just a simulation. That game's subtitle 'Till the End of Time' turned out to be quite literal, and since then Star Ocean sequels have had to be awkwardly slotted into this pre-existing timeline that has already ended. It's kind of sad how Star Ocean has turned out.
I can definitely understand the take that it's the best one. I think I still prefer the first one though, slightly. Both are amazing.
@@Xygor The first game was certainly more technically impressive. It's mindblowing that it was able to run on SNES hardware!
@@captainthunderbolt7541 I remember enjoying 3 until that third act twist. It felt like it invalidated everything I had done in 3 *and* Second Story because "its all an MMO lololol."
@@brandonbigsby2557 Yah, it kind of did... It was also a pretty cool plot twist, but it completely destroyed the universe of Star Ocean. Like, three Star Ocean games have released since then, but why should we care about any of it? We already know that anything that happens is just an MMO storyline...
4 was pretty good but definitely had its set of flaws. 5 was an absolute dumpster fire. 6 has redeemed the series, imo.
I remember my friend got this game. At the time he just wanted a game and didn’t know anything about it. He called my house phone and asked me to come over after he played a few hours. The rest was history. We were instant fans. So many memories.
This was the first Star Ocean game I played. I saw it in the store and there was something about the cover on the CD case that drew me to it. It looked like a unique blend of space and fantasy so I bought it based on that. I was so glad that I did. This became one of my top 3 RPGs on the PlayStation and I loved this game. Everything from its music, battle system, and story that combined science fiction and fantasy was just spot on and was a fresh take on the RPG genre of games.
My favorite in the series is Last Hope for how it sets up how it all started with meeting all the other races for the first time and how humanity was figuring out how to fit in out in space.
Thanks for your memories about this game. I will definitely cover The Last Hope eventually.
Yep it's the best in the series. The remaster of the first one is pretty good too.
I honestly tuned out those voices haha but yea they def can be comical haha
Loved Star Ocean Second Story. Great game
Wasn't it?
Game is 25 years ago,
im pretty sure whoever know this game is already at 30th or 40th , best time childhood right 🤭
Still a good one for adults.
Rena needed to know how to communicate in certain parts of the story, goodness
great review man i hope someday this one is released too and we'll have the complete set for the ps4.
Hopefully it will be!
Its the only star ocean game I could get in to. A modern remake would be be worth it just to have a 3d rendered precis lol
This was a great one!
Looks like a great game. My first Star Ocean was on Xbox 360. I don't remember the name off hand but I got to the coliseum and just started grinding for an item and never left lol. Well that was many moons ago. Thx for the content!
You're welcome! That's The Last Hope. It was latter remastered and released for PS3, then Steam much later.
SO:SS is still my second favourite game after Tales of Symphonia. The music, the story, and the time period it appeared in my life greatly impacted my teenage years. As a teen, both games gave me huge insight about how to change your life and how your actions impact those around you.
This and the Tales series really were the best of the action combat/traditional RPG style.
Star ocean the second is pretty much my goat. I was over the moon last week when my local retro shop got a clean copy of the game in for the PSP. I've played the heck out of the PS1 game but sadly never picked up the PSP version back in the days.
Dude I was about 14 when this came out this game taught me more about science then my school taught me
Interesting!
Thanks for this great review! Nice video
Thanks for watching!
SO3 is my favorite but 2 is a close second. Hopefully this game gets a remake and with the recent leak we may be in luck
Seems like a sure thing now!
It did! 😀
I'm cool with a Star Ocean 3 remake as long as Maria, Fayt and Cliff don't get nerfed. Just give the mid-tier characters an upgrade, that's it.
It baffles my mind how this is the only game in the Star Ocean series that isn't available on modern platforms despite probably being the most popular in the series.
I never rebuy games that I already own, but I would for Star ocean the second story.
Also that is odd. You would think it would have been on modern systems by now.
@@buckroger6456 What makes it even stranger is that Second Evolution is available digitally in Japan on the PS3 and PS4 but it hasn't been released in the west...despite it already being localised?
oh my... i almost forgot magus' battle theme..
Gotta have it!
My absolute favorite PS era RPG. I remember getting almost all the way through the first disk without really understanding the skill point system. Once I figured that out it took a good game in my mind to a whole new level. The second time I played through I maxed out every character, got all the best gear, completed the bonus dungeon and unlocked the limiter on the final boss. First time I ever 100% a game.
It's a great pick for favorite PS RPG. The bonus dungeon was hard, so congrats!
This was definitely one of my most played PS1 games. A treasure of the console, and of the genre.
100%
It's still my most played PS1 game. I tend to replay it about once a year.
i love star ocean , i played the 3rd one and the last hope Both are amazing games !!! last hope has the best systm ever seen in any action jrpg it was perfect and very very technical , well i must play the second story it look realy good .
I still have to review the ones after this one! I liked Til the End of Time a lot back in the day.
For me it's the best story line
it's hard to express how much this game blew my mind with its combat system, item creation system and insane amount of post game and extra optional content and what....a level cap above 99?! level 250+!? whaaaat I was hooked and grinded like a maniac to try to defeat post-game content with beast mode characters that most regular bosses I could just defeat by standing there and letting them kill themselves with reflecting damage off my character parrying them non stop
Yes, lots of great facets of this game that other RPGs didn't have!
bro i love your channel
Thank you, I love your viewership!
Ashton and Dias is my favorite character in the entire series
Both are strong fighters!
I just bought this game today from a local game store. Black label CIB for $50. So glad to finally have it in my collection. Now I just need to play it for the first time lol
Good find! It's worth playing!
This is my favorite Star Ocean series and it makes me sad that they won’t port this. Same thing with Tales of Destiny 😕
It was a great one!
this is also my favorite. i hope you do a story of this
Maybe eventually!
I own it but never finished it. I didn't get very far either. I think I remember you're in the land the girl finds you in then stuff happens then you take a boat to another land, if I'm remembering correctly (been so long for all I know I'm thinking of a completely different game) or something like that. I stopped around there for two reasons: 1. The voices during combat were driving me crazy (I ended up just muting my tv everytime I went into battle) 2. That crafting system. I didn't have a lot of free time then so once the game showed me what it was really all about I knew it would require more time and attention to detail than I had to give, so I shelved it. I intend to return to it and start over and give it a fair shot. However, I have been debating playing the original first to understand the lore better. I loved what I played of it, but, yeah, I looking online for ANY way to turn the battle voices off.
MIRROR SLICE!
As an aside, if you haven't played the new Star Ocean (Divine Force) yet, I really recommend it. I've increasingly soured on the series since SO2 and really enjoyed the new game a lot. A real return to form.
I haven’t, but I’d try it.
Will also vouch for the new one. It was a pleasant surprise.
SO2 Is still my favorite RPG of all time. I can never get over how good it is with all it's details, like how items you steal often tell a story about who they are. Did you steal the sick girl's medicine?
I only ever played the Original, but it was one of my Favs. It was the first time I felt a Real Time JRPG was done right.
It really was, probably the best combination of traditional RPG and action style I've ever played.
Despite the game evolving over time I find the magic in part 2 of the series of story telling is def unequaled to this day. From start to end its an amazing game and I shall enjoy it on the Switch a LOT along with part 1 another fave from the SNES
Yes, its still my favorite in the series. That probably wont change due to nostalgia either lol. But I really do think the pacing, story, music and look is just perfect in this series. Bowman is a low key monster, even if it is massive spam. The attack commands never really bothered me, just kinda tuned them out after a bit. The skill and item creation system is INSANE, so much good stuff everywhere.
Bruh the two pills I think that's all you'd hear lmao dias was an absolute beast too he's the only one I beat the last boss in the arena with
@@jknoclue607 yo!!! Dias is legit! I love how fast he is, his attacks don't leave you wide open if you miss a attack on a enemy.
I think that it's the best in the series, with "Till the End of Time" a close second.
I'll cover Till the End of Time pretty soon!
I remember this one being really great.
It was!
LOVED both stories
Definitely my fav of the series.
It’s a worthy choice!
I've only played the first once it released on switch I really liked it a lot. I want to play 2 and 3 one day
I will review 3 pretty soon!
Yeah those early star oceans kicked ass. Great games.
Absolutely!
i have it on my phone and I'm on a second cd,wraping up the secret information.nuff said!
It's been a very long time since I have played this game, but I still remember that it was a good game for its time. For me, I love the 3rd game as the best for me. The story of the third game I found to be very interesting, and very philosophical for a console RPG. The nature of the universal reality of the game is something that scientists have proposed as also being the nature of our own universal reality. I also liked the 4th game better than the second.
I will cover Till the End of time soon!
I played this game sooo f'ing much. I was all about trying to get them voices
It’s so good!
one of my favorite star ocean ever😍😍
Mine too!
This is lowkey my all time favorite game, I’ve replayed it countless times. And even replaying it now. I wish they could do a remake like they did final fantasy.
Hopefully someday!
your wish was granted (sort of. it's not a full remake but it looks promising).
@@ShakeITyEA yea I had a aneurysm when I saw it lol
Just started valkrie lenneth on ps5 so good
Square Enix need to remake this on the PS5
What was that one weapon that once crafted the game came like wayyyy ez? Eternal Sphere? It shot out other orbs as damage along with the sword swing. Frikking OP.
Yes, Eternal Sphere
@@Xygor loved the game, Celine spam yelling out “thunderbolt” is forever engrained in my memory
Hands down the best one. The OST is stellar too.
don't forget you can romance some of the other characters for different story bits and endings
That's true!
They need to make RPGs 2.5D again.
I totally agree!
TEAR INTO.PIECES!!!!, TEAR INTO PIECES!!!! TEAR .. SPICULE!!!!!!.
TEAR INTO PIECES
Ever play star ocean blue sphere? It’s the sequel? either way I loved this game the cooking, private action, combat system, mindblown
I never have, actually.
Great memories with this game. I liked it so much I 100%'d it back on the PS1 version. The skill system in this game was so awesome. One of my favorite tricks is getting the Sword of Marvel early in Star Ocean 2.
I wish they would adapt these games for Android
Love it
Great!
The english translating that appeared MANY YEARS LATER. 😅
Which one?
Yes best game in series hands down, i was a parse god with Claude Rena Dias and Ashton.
I used to like Ashton and Dias a lot, but isn't Ashton kind of slow in the end?
Str Ocean 2 and Lufia 2 are just the best rpgs ever made. Not even 1 rpg came even close to these 2 gems.
Both are very good!
best game in the series and it's not even close. Amazing story. Amazing characters. FANTASTIC musical score across the game. I have not finished a single other Star Ocean game because nothing even compares. It was the peak and every one that followed has not even been close to what it was.
I can understand this viewpoint, but I still think the original is probably better.
@@Xygor i bought it last week on the switch and playing through it now. I'm liking it. I still don't think it holds a candle to second story. Just doesn't do anything better than it
@@dominiquerichard1342 fair enough, I undertake that opinion! Both are great.
I cant remember welch in my gameplay, is it new? I loved this game and want to play again. I still have my cd but no ps1 console😥
She's only available in the remake version (Second Evolution).
definitely my favorite in the series. in my opinion it’s just about as perfect as an rpg can get.
Isn't it a classic? A shame they don't make many more like it now.
@@Xygor
absolute classic. no doubt about it.
This is a very nostalgic game for me, and I think it still has an impressive polish to it. The later games gave this series a reputation of being really awkward and scuffed, but this game shows a near ideal vision for the concept of the series. But I gotta say, shockingly, I think 6 is better, and will probably be seen as the better one over time.
I haven't played the newest one yet, but glad to hear this feedback.
6 is ok doesnt really do much that is new and the gripes like the ap bar damper some of the action for me
Star Ocean 3 is the best for me and after that this one.
Great, I plan to cover that soon!
What do you think about the remake thats coming?
Looks really good from the footage!
I love how I could never figure out how to get opera. I kept getting Ashton and couldn't figure out why they never appeared lol
That was the sort of thing you probably had to cheat and loot up tricks to figure out!
🤣🤣 that was me, till I just skipped getting Ashton and lucked out seeing Opera and kept trying to track her down. She is a very tricky one to get if you don't know what to do.
Absolutely the best in the series 1000000000%
I can understand the take!
The thing i found hilarious is if you know what you're doing you can break the game after the first town
For all its faults and flaws I really enjoyed my time with second evolution. The story and character designs pulled me in to this larger than life kind of game.
It was a worthy remaster. I hope they put it out on modern consoles/Steam eventually.
Wow never knew killermoves improved
One of the coolest parts of the Star Ocean games!
Motoi Sakuraba though... Music is off the Charts
It is, all his work is great! Very unique style.
As a Bowman, I reject your impatience with "Poison Pills"! :D I'd say SO2 is the best, but I haven't played SO1 yet. In general though, I find more to be better - endings, skills, etc.
It won’t get better than this one. Just down some Red Bulls to keep you going through the SLOOOOOOOW opening and you’ll find an insanely fun game.
Even if he has Ass-less chaps 😂
I agree that the start is really slow! You're right about how good it is though.
I have the unfortunate experience of being discontent with both versions of this game, the PS1 version's lousy localization super bothers me, but when I play the PSP remake the inferior music quality also makes me really sad. ☹
Yeah, the localization was not great. Maybe it will be rereleased with better music in the future.
Still no Story Explained for Star Ocean 2...
I really liked it but my god is it insane with grinding. Characters cap out at like lv255 or something and then there's all your skills and spells and stuff that level individually. I actually never finished it. I got stuck somewhere on the second planet and wasn't strong enough to get through some arena or something even though I was probably level 150+...
You don't need to be nearly those levels to beat the game though. Personally, I think the normal story is pretty easy. The bonus dungeon is really difficult though.
@@Xygor I must've been overlooking something that would've made things way easier then lol ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Didn't even know there was a bonus dungeon lol
Don't agree with everything in the video, but I had to stop and show love for personal favorite Playstation game. I will say, play the PS1 version, not the PSP version, the tone is much better, and the visual changes they made aren't lore-friendly.
Until someone patches alpha'd art, plus 3D modeled item system from PS1 version into the engine of the remasters, as well as, unlocking certain character recruitment so we can properly unlock all VOs, we don't have the definitive edition!
Remake on Switch!!!
And it's in the HD-2D (more like HD-2.5D) style which is a huge deal in my opinion.
I bought this game when it first came out, I'm old now, but I was a like 11, or 12 then... And my PlayStation was an old SPCH 3001 model, and I didn't know anything about the models of PlayStations at the time. If you know what I'm talking about, I ended up cleaning disk one of this game until it was ruined, not knowing the eye gave out, a bit later, I did the same to Final Fantasy VIII, and then Jade Cocoon, then the internet became an actual thing that everyone was using, and I found out it was not the game's fault, it was the eye of the machine. If you know, then you know, but at that age the price of a game, and this was the late 90s, but the price of a game to just up and stop working was deviating, and no amount of toothpaste or shaving cream could save what wasn't actually broken.
I love this game, and I beat it as a kid, and I thought it was so naughty that Claude and Rena had a baby lol... Freaking Childhood!
Thanks for the memories, even though they are bad ones! Haha.
Still hold out hope it'll get ported to PS4 like the first did.
Yes, hopefully!
It did in JAPAN in 2016 but never anywhere ELSE even the PS1 version of the game NEVER left the PS1 itself since it never got a PSP/Vita/PS3/PS4/PS5 port either.
As for First Departure it did get a PS4 port one that while that version has no difficulties by games end the R version of First Departure is basically 2nd Story/Evolutions UNIVERSE mode by default.
Meaning that while LV 150 is GOOD enough in the PSP version of First Departure to get through all 30 floors of the 7 star ruins in the R version since the NORMAL enemies their have Universe mode stats EVERY enemy even on floor 1 can do 9999 damage per hit/spell EVEN At lv 255 their and yes the ONLY save point for all 30 floors is BEFORE you start even its FIRST floor.
yes, best in series! but the end of the game got straight unfair. I was never able to beat it unless I had Opera and abused the bloody armor/ opera heal combo to stay alive
Opera is super cheap!
Only beat last boss once. Didn't know u could level past 99. And never got opera because I kept Taking Ashton.
I did the same because of that ASHTON SUCKS since he should NEVER be a bloody armor user and Bowman NOT Precis can equip it so Precis Celine Noel Leon all suck since they can never equip it bosses are still cheap end game AT lv 255 you can still LOSE without Opera and 4x Bloody armor users that and attack magic sucks in this game.
Welch 2nd Evolution only CAN equip it too bad even she still SUCKS.
It doesn't get any better than 2 and 3. They just have that certain magic that the series is missing. 6 had a good effort but still couldn't capture this old magic
Both were fantastic. I will cover Till the End of Time soon.
I wonder why SE doesn't do a hd 2d remake of this game and the first one? it makes sense! the remastered version are bleh
Maybe someday in the future!
"BURST KNUCKLE!"
That is all
Sounds like you heard that one a lot!
This is definitely the best Star Ocean game in the series. First departure on switch is second best.
It is the games started to SUCK from the PS2 onwards BUT the game freezing bugs of 2nd Story still make it practically unplayable that NEVER happens in 2nd Evolution.
While Second Evolution in 2016 DID get a PS4 PS3 Vita port it still as of NOW NEVER left JAPAN.
Maybe we'll get another remaster sometime!
We are in fact for Second story R you can still GET the Marvel Sword before entering Cross Cave itself.
They need to put this on the PS store already 😑, how are you going to have the remake of the first game and Til the end of time (ehh) but skip this one which is regarded as the best in the entire series?
Good question!
Exactly Second Evolutions PSP PORT on the PSP Vita PS4 2016 NEVER Left Japan.
Voice acting was the best part growing up. 😂😆