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Star Ocean: The Second Story R |OT| Todos los Dias

What average score do you think Star Ocean: The Second Story R will get on Metacritic?

  • 96 - 100

    Votes: 5 11.6%

  • 91 - 95

    Votes: 2 4.7%

  • 86 - 90

    Votes: 9 20.9%

  • 81 - 85

    Votes: 21 48.8%

  • 76 - 80

    Votes: 4 9.3%

  • 71 - 76

    Votes: 2 4.7%

  • 66 - 70

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 65 or below

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    43
  • Poll closed .
Sleepwalker

Sleepwalker

Member
So I played through a couple hours of the Demo on Rena's side and instantly ordered a copy but have a few questions while it arrives:


- Which story should I play? Are the differences big? Is one side much better?

- How to break the game as early as possible? Id like to to not grind that much. Would need a decently explained guide for this as I did not play the first..

Thanks!
 
D

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
Sleepwalker said:
So I played through a couple hours of the Demo on Rena's side and instantly ordered a copy but have a few questions while it arrives:


- Which story should I play? Are the differences big? Is one side much better?

- How to break the game as early as possible? Id like to to not grind that much. Would need a decently explained guide for this as I did not play the first..

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Both stories are good, hard to say which is better. Differences are: 1. each scenario has 1 exclusive character you can recruit, 2. Lots of places where they’ll be separated and you see from one perspective 3. Many exclusive private actions.



Here are some ways to break it. There are LOTS of ways lol. My best advice for starters is:
- max Determination first
- go for Train, Enlightenment, and Bodyguard to maximize your XP/SP/BP gains
- craft ruby with Claude to make Berserker rings for all your physical fighters (gives you permanent berserk status which doubles your attack power)
 
D

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
Just sharing a random memory from the old GameFAQs days: a bunch of weebs on the SO2 board used to say “Crawd” instead of “Claude” because it supposedly sounded better and more authentic to the Japanese original.

Now I finally get to try the JP audio for myself and…. It sounds a lot more like coo-LOU (like loud)- dough than fucking “Crawd” lol.
 
Celcius

Celcius

°Temp. member
I think today I’m going to start my new game plus and this time recruit Opera, Earnest, Bowman, and the characters I didn’t get the first time around. And then also see Claude’s story this time instead of Rena.
 
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Celcius

Celcius

°Temp. member
Just got to the final dungeon on new game plus and I'm really glad I did the new game plus.
Claude had more exclusive scenes than I thought he would and plus it's cool recruiting all the characters I missed out on the first time (including Opera!). Plus I got a chance to grab some gear I missed out on the first time around like Aeterna. And then it's always fun to go through the game on NG+ and mow through all the enemies and bosses that gave you a tough time the first playthrough.

What level do you need to be for the post-game dungeon and Gabriel? Also, I've got like 4 million dollars... is there a point to having all this money or does it just kinda get useless after a certain point?
 
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NeoLed

NeoLed

Member
M
Celcius said:
Just got to the final dungeon on new game plus and I'm really glad I did the new game plus.
Claude had more exclusive scenes than I thought he would and plus it's cool recruiting all the characters I missed out on the first time (including Opera!). Plus I got a chance to grab some gear I missed out on the first time around like Aeterna. And then it's always fun to go through the game on NG+ and mow through all the enemies and bosses that gave you a tough time the first playthrough.

What level do you need to be for the post-game dungeon and Gabriel? Also, I've got like 4 million dollars... is there a point to having all this money or does it just kinda get useless after a certain point?
Click to expand...
Money is kinda useless. I can only see it used for min-maxing with IC and we don't like savescumming
 
NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt

NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt

Gold Member
Bloody Armor + Aeterna Plus with a 20% HP gain whenever you hit an enemy + Bunny Shoes is OP

I was able to beat Aeslia Queen, last three to 4 Group Battles, and Gabriel with Limiter off, all Raid Enemies etc. Basically I beat the hardest enemies in the game using this cheat
 
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SkylineRKR

SkylineRKR

Member
NeoLed said:
M

Money is kinda useless. I can only see it used for min-maxing with IC and we don't like savescumming
Click to expand...

exactly having money being handed out like candy in this version defeats a lot of save scumming. You can just try and try over and buy and make new mats. Its much more fun this way than reload.
 
SkylineRKR

SkylineRKR

Member
Remake

Put armor on it, I had HP drain after about 7 tries. Just put whatever armor on it so the bar is filled and you have 100%. Its quicker if you use spare Mithril Mesh or Robe of Ishtar etc.
 
Needlecrash

Needlecrash

Member
I just got to the Hoffman Ruins on my Steam playthrough as Rena. Almost at the same point as Claude on my PS5 playthrough and I'm about to finish up Kilik as Claude (got the Mischief/Sprite Bracelet) on the Switch.

I beat one of the raid bosses (Ultra Aubear) already before the Hoffman Ruins. Felt bad using the Bloody Armor for the fight but I wanted the experience lol. Getting the Hachimentei after beating the Desert Raid boss is....well...cot damn this sword is STRONG.
 
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SkylineRKR

SkylineRKR

Member
I just went and beat the Maze and all the superbosses in the game. The maze was easy, except for Gabriella. Ofcourse, you can cheese with bloody armor or different setups. Bodyguard+Scout+ring of avoidance (Rena can create these from Philosopher's Stones) is broken. If your enemies are green, just stand still in a room. I was lvl 255 in perhaps 10 minutes of waiting.

Iseria Queen sucks, its a copy of Gabriella. I don't like this fight, its constantly spin move after spin move. Final boss without limiter is easier I think, he just spams spells but doesn't have a spin move or anything. He's easier to break. I just abused Healing Star.
 
Go_Ly_Dow

Go_Ly_Dow

Member
Think I'll be completing this tomorrow. I've had a great time with the game so I hope they do more remakes like this.

Also, what's everyone's thoughts on the Divine Force? I've always thought it looks like a better attempt at making a well rounded SO game than 4 and 5? (I've never played them and only 1, 2 and 3.). Basically, is it any good!?
 
L

Labadal

Member
I'm doing all of the arena stuff before moving on. The survival one seemed like a joke, until the last fights. Good stuff. I haven't crafted any OP stuff (yet).

Story spoiler.
I beat three of the ten wise men, so far.
 
D

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
Go_Ly_Dow said:
Think I'll be completing this tomorrow. I've had a great time with the game so I hope they do more remakes like this.

Also, what's everyone's thoughts on the Divine Force? I've always thought it looks like a better attempt at making a well rounded SO game than 4 and 5? (I've never played them and only 1, 2 and 3.). Basically, is it any good!?
Click to expand...
It’s pretty good! Way, way better than I was expecting after 4 and 5. Combat and traversal are both very fast and fun. The characters look pretty awful but I ended up liking them a lot. Raymond might be my favorite protagonist in the series. The writing is above average for JRPGs and there’s a surprising lack of anime bullshit, it was refreshing.

Downsides are that you can tell it was on a budget and the last 1/3 feels pretty rushed. Also the postgame stuff is pretty disappointing compared to the earlier games.

Definitely worth playing if you’re interested. I rank it 3rd in the series after 2 and 1
 
Z

Zephyranthes

Member
I'm just after Eluria Tower in Claude's story, having a blast with the game so far. Gemdrops did an incredible job, would love to see them have a crack at some other Square Enix classics....imagine a finished version of Xenogears with the visual upgrade and QoL improvements we got here. :pie_smiling_hearts:
 
NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt

NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt

Gold Member
Go_Ly_Dow said:
Think I'll be completing this tomorrow. I've had a great time with the game so I hope they do more remakes like this.

Also, what's everyone's thoughts on the Divine Force? I've always thought it looks like a better attempt at making a well rounded SO game than 4 and 5? (I've never played them and only 1, 2 and 3.). Basically, is it any good!?
Click to expand...

Love The Divine Force. It was so much better than 5. I'm planning on going back to The Divine Force and doing everything

The only bad Star Ocean is 5
 
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Brigandier

Brigandier

Member
Zephyranthes said:
I'm just after Eluria Tower in Claude's story, having a blast with the game so far. Gemdrops did an incredible job, would love to see them have a crack at some other Square Enix classics....imagine a finished version of Xenogears with the visual upgrade and QoL improvements we got here. :pie_smiling_hearts:
Click to expand...


200.gif
 
Go_Ly_Dow

Go_Ly_Dow

Member
DonkeyPunchJr said:
It’s pretty good! Way, way better than I was expecting after 4 and 5. Combat and traversal are both very fast and fun. The characters look pretty awful but I ended up liking them a lot. Raymond might be my favorite protagonist in the series. The writing is above average for JRPGs and there’s a surprising lack of anime bullshit, it was refreshing.

Downsides are that you can tell it was on a budget and the last 1/3 feels pretty rushed. Also the postgame stuff is pretty disappointing compared to the earlier games.

Definitely worth playing if you’re interested. I rank it 3rd in the series after 2 and 1
Click to expand...

NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt said:
Love The Divine Force. It was so much better than 5. I'm planning on going back to The Divine Force and doing everything

The only bad Star Ocean is 5
Click to expand...

Awesome thanks. I just bought it as it was on sale. After SO2 I'll be playing Yakuza and then there are a lot of amazing games releasing early next year, so I'll play it after I'm done with those.
 
NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt

NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt

Gold Member
Go_Ly_Dow said:
Awesome thanks. I just bought it as it was on sale. After SO2 I'll be playing Yakuza and then there are a lot of amazing games releasing early next year, so I'll play it after I'm done with those.
Click to expand...

If I had to do a SO Ranking

1. Star Ocean 3 Till The End of Time
2. Star Ocean The Second Story R
3. Star Ocean The Divine Force
4. Star Ocean 4
5. Star Ocean Second Evolution
6. Star Ocean First Evolution
7. Star Ocean 5
 
Hudo

Hudo

Member
For those of you who also played Octopath Traveler 2, would you say you had more fun playing this? I know it's a bit weird to compare it since Octopath is a turn-based RPG whereas Star Ocean is an RPG with action combat. But hey...
 
D

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
Go_Ly_Dow said:
Completed it. Struggled with the final boss for a bit but after switching to 2 healers beat it first attempt. Overall one of the best remakes so far.

Some of my fav tracks.















Click to expand...

Hell yeah, I think Endlessly and Pyroxene are some of my all time favorite JRPG dungeon themes. They have such a unique feel.
 
Needlecrash

Needlecrash

Member
Just got to Nede on both PS5 and Steam playthroughs. For the Switch... I think I'll get Welch and Precis/Bowman; no Ashton this time.

With even more tricks and ways to break the early game now, it's no wonder how people are finishing the game so quickly this time around.
 
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SkylineRKR

SkylineRKR

Member
Needlecrash said:
Just got to Nede on both PS5 and Steam playthroughs. For the Switch... I think I'll get Welch and Precis/Bowman; no Ashton this time.

With even more tricks and ways to break the early game now, it's no wonder how people are finishing the game so quickly this time around.
Click to expand...

You can bypass encounters and still level up. And you still get EXP from insta killing weaker mobs on the map. The challenges once cashed in net you tons of cash, and powerful items and gear too. The pacing is far, far quicker than it ever was. I beat the entire thing including the superboss matches at Fun City at 35 hours and I was level 255.
 
Needlecrash

Needlecrash

Member
SkylineRKR said:
You can bypass encounters and still level up. And you still get EXP from insta killing weaker mobs on the map. The challenges once cashed in net you tons of cash, and powerful items and gear too. The pacing is far, far quicker than it ever was. I beat the entire thing including the superboss matches at Fun City at 35 hours and I was level 255.
Click to expand...

Getting to Nede at around 22 hours or so for me. From the original PS1 playthrough, the pace to get here felt like LIGHTNING. The Bodyguard Super Specialty makes leveling up MUCH easier and faster too. The pacing is super fast and the ability to do Fast Travel makes things even quicker. It does suck the Cave of Trials/Maze of Tribulations is locked until post game but I see why now.
 
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Werewolf Jones

Werewolf Jones

Gold Member
Only just started playing this just over a week ago like 18 hours in up to the point that Dias or Leon can join you. Honestly blown the fuck away by how good this game is for the most part, I think the new character designs help the tone to counter balance the anime tropes. I'm using the classic PSP English voice cast, don't see them around in much anymore.
 
cireza

cireza

Member
Currently playing it on Switch and this game is superb. So happy I bought it !

Motoi Sakuraba is one of my favorite composers. He is so good at town themes and action themes, it always feels so nostalgic with him. I can recognize his style instantly.
The game is also very fun, looks pretty good even though the Switch doesn't help with trees and shadows popping all the fucking time.

And I like how open it is and how many choices it offers to the player constantly. This kind of game-design really died in JRPGs, and most of the them are very linear nowadays. So this feels like a breath of fresh air. Make choices, accept the consequences, have fun. You will get to make different choices in another run and it will make the game worthwhile again.

All love the setting, it has some Phantasy Star vibes as it is futuristic and that's a good point.

Honestly very disappointed that it didn't make it to Xbox, but well, it runs decently enough for the Switch.
 
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Werewolf Jones

Werewolf Jones

Gold Member
I'm doing NG+ as Rena, her story just isn't as good as Claude's, so glad I played Claude first. There's a reason they only let her get Dias.

Claude, Rena, Opera, Bowman, Welch, Ernest, Dias and Chisato.

First time through was

Claude, Rena, Celine, Ashton, Welch, Precis, Leon and Noel.

The fact I could play this game AGAIN and never have the same party twice is incredible. Also going by fan art Precis is the fan favourite character.
 
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