I
first played this on Easy mode back then since I'm more used to turn based JRPG
than the more frantic action RPG that most Star Ocean games are. I did play
this game recently on Normal mode prior to writing this review to get a better
feel of the differences in gameplay of both the Modes.
Star
Ocean Till the End of Time is the third Star Ocean game and is the first one to
be released for the PS2 back in 2004. Taking place 400 years after the events
of Star Ocean: Second Story, Star Ocean Till the End of Time is the story of
Fayt who is hunted by both Federation and alien rebel factions. On the run he
meets up with friends and foes alike. Together he and his friends holds the keys
to stopping a threat beyond their universe.
The
plot of Star Ocean Till the End of time isn't new in fact it does mirrors Tales
of Symphonia to some extent. In fact the major plot twist of the game when you
reach Disk 2 reminds me so much of the movie the Last Action Hero. You will
know what I mean when you get to that part.
Is
the game bad? Nope. Far from it although it does not have the best Star Ocean
plot in the series its clearly not the worst in fact the narrative is pretty
solid until that big twist near the beginning of Disk 2 where the story and
character development slows down a bit. Not to be picky but I expected more of
a bigger reaction from the characters after that reveal specially after all the
enemies and hardship they all went through.
The
gameplay of Star Ocean Till the End of Time is as solid as ever and perhaps
even a lot better than Second Story. Being an action RPG gameplay revolves
running around a huge map where you can gang up, flank your enemies all in real
time. Coming from a person who players turn based RPG this takes a while of
getting used to but it's really fun when you get the basic controls down. I've
seen videos of players taking down enemies with zero damage just by playing
footsies.
There's
even a difficulty setting before you start of the game. If your new to Star
Ocean I'd suggest picking the Easy Mode but if you want to get the full game
experience start with the normal since you unlock more stuff like new outfits
for each of the characters via Trophy collection. be warned though normal has
less experience and the enemies are a bit tougher.
The
graphics is yet another one of the games strong points. The game was made back
in 2004 and its still as beautiful and impressive compared to the games of
today. if you have a PS4 you can pick up the remastered version for that
console which has a more solid graphics than the PS2 ones.
The
character in Star Ocean Till the End of Time are well designed. Fayt being this
sword and magic wielding character, Cliff Fitter being this bruiser melee type
that always have this knuckle fist all the time. Nel being this female ninja. Each
character outfit reflect their class type and your gameplay changes depending
on which character you use since there are 8 characters you can choose from
depending on how your story goes.
The
only downside to the characters is that you can only bring a maximum of 3
characters during a fight and those that you don't use don't level up unless
you use them in the game so its tedious if you want to max all of the character
levels. Also the invention and crafting aspect of the game where you get most of
the best weapon, items and upgrades are a grind to do even if you follow a
walkthrough guide.
This
game also features a game plus mode once you finish the game which unlocks an
infinity dungeon where you fight secret bosses and get even better items and
weapons. In fact the best armor in the game is only attainable in defeating one
of these said secret bosses. So if you're a completionist or wants more additional
content for their game then the New game + is for you. Also this game has 19
different endings depending on how you play the game.
The
music of the game is awesome and has this rock techno feel to it that
compliments each of the setting and fights perfectly. There's even a rock song
put in there for good measure. The best way to describe the music used in the
game is that it so much reminds me of the Gundam series. Also this is probably
the last Enix game before Squaresoft took over the company.
Also the mixture of CG scenes and in game cutscenes is nice. Also the voice acting is pretty decent for the most part specially the voices of all the main characters. if only some of the side characters voices were a bit better. Also the mouthc don't sync with the sound but thats a minor complain on how well the rest of the game turned out.
Overall the Star Ocean Till the End of Time is a pretty solid game despite of its so, so narrative. It's not the best RPG in the market but to some its one of the best JRPG for the PS2 console that is not a Final Fantasy title. if you like action RPG and want to try something different than this game is for you. Definitely a must try for any fan of JRPG.
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