1UP: "The Star Ocean series is developer tri-Ace's longest-running franchise, a more ambitious take on mechanics seen in the Tales series. According to producer Yoshinori Yamagishi, The Last Hope is Star Ocean's final chapter -- yet it's also a prequel set years before the first entry in the series (which will arrive in the U.S. soon via PSP remake First Departure). There's a simple reason for this: The previous game, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time for PlayStation 2, more or less painted the series' storyline into an inescapable corner. At the end of that game, players were surprised to discover that the universe that had been so richly developed through the course of three adventures was in fact a virtual-reality simulation, a self-contained reality within fourth-dimensional space.
With the plug more or less pulled on the worlds of Star Ocean, the only place left to explore is the VR realm's past -- although Yamagishi stresses that "VR" isn't entirely the correct term to use here. "It's more accurate to say the games take place within another dimension," he says. But he confirms that The Last Hope is set within that dimension and, he hopes, will help resolve the mystery behind its existence.
"The reason we've created Star Ocean 4 [The Last Hope] is because the team wanted to explain why this world came to exist," he says. "If players pay careful attention to the story, they'll be able to understand its meaning.""
Many overlooked RPGs lie dormant in the catalogues of gaming, but players can pick up their swords and shields with these amazing JRPG hidden gems!
From games that digitaltrends DeAngelo Epps has always wanted to play but missed out on, like Odin Sphere, to newer titles that he'd love to re-experience like Yakuza: Like a Dragon, there was enough there to justify diving back in. And those titles aren’t even a small percent of what’s available here. Vanillaware titles, Square Enix games, NIS franchises he’d never even heard of — there’s a whole lot to dig into.
PSPlus is Amazing for RPGs and NIS America, Square Enix and Vanillaware games are perfect for PSPortal.
Not really a 'secret' but a paradise indeed, I just finished Soul Hackers 2, pretty good, and started Labyrinth of Galleria and I am having a blast. Tons of great RPGs in the PS4/PS5 family
Perfect for playing on the Portal, since rpgs can be such timesinks. For those people who can't stay glued to the TV, it's good to give some freedom around the house, out on the porch or whatever. I haven't picked up a Portal yet, bc of life priorities, but I definitely anticipate picking one up asap and playing more rpgs!
I'm currently playing Final Fantasy VII:Remake for the first time on PS5 and I am freaking blown away by this game so far. I don't know why I waited this long or due to my huge backlog but had to be honest, this game exceeded my expectations.
Yea, story pacing aside, the combat system is pretty killer, especially if you slow it down to play it more like a tactical turned based jrpg!
I actually wish FF16 had gone this route, instead of the DMC route. The FF7:R system gave enough action for those who wanted to play that way, while still appeasing us old school turn based jrpg fans.
Glad you're enjoying!
Some of the best in game HDR I've ever seen in that game. I liked it a lot too. My first final fantasy game believe it or not
Star Ocean is one of those series that did, and still does, things that others don’t. Think of it as a JRPG for fans of series like Star Trek. The casts regularly involve people from more advanced civilizations getting involved with those who are still growing, even though there are various measures in place to allegedly stop that sort of interference. As a result, people get energy weapons, cyborgs, magic and people who can turn into cats. It is a lot to take in.
Let's see here. There was another classic JRPG series that started this SCI Fi. It was Phantasy Star by Sega. Before Star Ocean, there was Phantasy Star 1-4 on Sega consoles
a beginners guide to star ocean....after playing the 3rd game
you've been told that the universe (SO lore) is just a ------------------- and close the book
Yeah, that plot twist didn't work for me. I wish SO3 isn't canon, but it is. Anyway, SE can just sweep SO3 under the rug perhaps by soft rebooting the franchise.
The first two were so great, among the top RPGs on 16 and 32-bit era. I wonder why it went downhill after that...
Play the PS1 game and then the PS2 game and then the rest probably aren't worth your time unless you're a superfan of the series. I think that's all you need to know.
ONLY on X-box 360