Star Ocean First Departure R | RPG Classic Now In HD 

I really dig this game! Definitely interested in doing a full retrospective on it in the future!

I really want a xenosaga hd trilogy remaster.

Now we just need Second Evolution

I was OBSESSED with SO the Second Story when it came out on PS1 back when I was younger. And it was mostly because of the progression system of the skills and the way they would combine to unlock specialties, and then the way the specialties could be used for crafting and stuff like that. It was so good. Plus the special town events, stealing from any character on most maps, the super hard hidden dungeon at the end. Damn, that game was good. There was so much to do.

I loved playing this on a PSP emulator, and I can't wait to pick up this remaster. I hope this does well enough to warrant a "Star Ocean Second Evolution R"

I’m digging the classic tales look. Adding to my wishlist now! This looks far more promising than my first foray into SO: SO till the end of time. Thanks for sharing Mike! Hope you and Casen have a great holiday season!

Reviews of this nature keep me interested in this channel; I've had this game on my mind since the reveal and it's good too see it being talked about. I'll be sure too pick it up.

Now if they could just port over some of the Valkyrie profile and tactics ogre games that'd be great.

Just got a switch and have been looking for games, I'll definitely get this! Thanks for the review!!

Really well made video! Thanks for the info!

Star ocean is one of my favorite rpg's of all time. I would actually like to see a retrospective of this series.

I had no idea this was a thing! Thanks for the heads up, I bought it immediately.

I'll be picking this up when I get around to it. Sold my Psp copy back when a western release was announced. Here's hoping Star Ocean 2 gets the same treatment.

Great video! I'm 4 hours into the game and I'm enjoying it despite not having given much thought to the progression system. The game doesn't really spend any time explaining it to you so I figured it for systems that were there for padding more than anything else. I will start paying more attention to it now!

In first played Star Ocean First Departure when it was released on the psp and I absolutely adored it. While the story and battle system is kind of bare, I love how each character grows, giving them more depth. Another thing that I enjoy about Star Ocean in general, are the PA - Private Actions, giving you the opportunity to get to know your party members a little more. 😊 I'm just hoping they port SO2! That one is my absolute favorite, next to Till The End of Time, and the Last Hope. ❤️ I'm also a fan of the "Tales of" series as well! I have all the games currently available on PS4.

Great videos as always, Mike!

This video made me very interested in this game!

I never really paid too much attention to this series but this video has me interested. I do like the graphics aesthetic, the premise, the battle system, and the progression so I'll keep my eye on it. Kinda wish there was a physical release though

Thanks for the video! This video gave me the push to pick it up on the switch. Thank you!

Great video! I'm a big Tales of Fan so this is on my radar for sure.

Man, I loved the OG Star Ocean and Star Ocean 2: Second Story. I would love to play these again some day.

I really like the presentation on this game. I have been interested in trying to play second story for quite a while on the ps1 but its hard to find. The first departure looks just a interesting. I definitely want to get this game soon. Thank you for your review.

I'm excited to play this!

Thanks for the video Mike I can’t wait to play this weekend so pumped

Your description of the story has immediately won me over. It's discounted on PSN for the Golden Week right now. Thanks!

To each their own. I enjoy the voices (especially when looking at SO2 vs SO2 for PSP). The battle system voices are fun (even when shouting over each others) because it reflects the chaos in the battle. More than that, when the relationships start to develop, there are even mentions to their strongest relationships (shouts of agony, sadness, or absolute blazing anger). This...This makes the battle even more immersive. I never found the voicing grating for these reasons; but, also for the music which was always very dynamic and fun.

This game gets a 10/10 from me just for leaving the font as the PSone/PSP font. Honestly though, I am so, so happy that this can finally be played in HD on my TV, and that Star Ocean is back on Nintendo! I'm so looking forward to playing this again

I agree that progression systems are an essential and often overlooked part of RPGs.

I pre ordered her on my PS4 I still need to hop in but always love seeing some star ocean get some love

I would love LOVE an actual Star Trek rpg made like this game. Can you imagine? That would be so cool.

Happy I'm not the only one who feels the star trek energy in the SO games!

I remember playing, and loving, the Star Ocean that we got in the States on the Playstation. I bought this thinking it was a port of that, but this review has me pretty pumped to get into it!

hey mike thanks for this video! I didnt even realize this game was out, im a huge tales of fan myself, and had always been tangentially interested in this series, knowing the history, and this video pushed me over the edge!

So glad this is back, getting on both switch and ps4

seems like a good one to pick up once i wrap up some of the other stuff I'm playing atm

If you love the characters progression system then you will absolutely love Tales games since they have tons of that 🙌❤

If this comes out for PC like the other Star ocean game did I will buy it day one like I bought that game day one. Same with any other star ocean games on PC. Looking at your Star Ocean till the ends of time.

Star Ocean 2 is one of my most cherished game from my childhood, i played through it i don't know how many times. I'll def pick this up, and fingers crossed that SO2 will soon follow. Ashton is still one of my favorite video game characters to this day.

Cant wait to buy and try this game out, any idea when we might be getting new podcasts im really missing them they were amazing

Well, that is a very cool progression system. I'm going to have to look into this one now.

I have both 1 and 2 on my psp... And you just made me want play both all over again.

Oh god - I love this game. I own a copy of the SNES original, and i was so glad that there is a fan translation of it. When I saw the Remaster was released for Switch, it is needless to say, that I bought it blindly - and wasn´t disappointed. And Square: please make Second Story for switch happening, and please bring a physical release of both games.

I bought it a few days ago fully intending to play after completing my character’s story in SaGa Scarlet Grace Ambitions. Started it last night though and found myself playing for almost four hours...

Already played this on PSP. It’s good that more people will have the chance to play this. What I am hoping for is a remaster of Second Evolution.

Great vid, Mike. Had SO1 and 2 on my psp. Really enjoyed them. Definitely agree about the voices. The constant shouting in battle is really annoying.

Been playing it non stop since it came out. It is fun.

Nice video Mike, I know you worked hard on it. Shame I missed the part of the stream where Chrissy found out you were playing as CAT PEOPLE!!! As you know I bought and downloaded it as soon as I realised what you were working on, I look forward to getting back into it.

Yee! I love the first 2 star ocean games.

I hope they release this on Steam at some point (despite Squeenix's somewhat dodgy track record with PC ports). I do own a Switch, but I honestly don't use it much.

I played star ocean on zsnes with the translation patch, and I liked it. now I don't remember anything about the story but I remember liking it.

Ok i may have to pick this up. Just for the character progression alone.

It's weird they don't let you then off voices. Star ocean 3 is the only jRPG I've seen that gives you the option to keep voices on in cutscenes but turn them off in battles, which is a total godsend I wish was in every single jrpg. You'd think if any game offered the same it's be the remake of the original! Anyway great video Mike. Always enjoy your commentary on games like this.

Well, I'm sold

great video thanks!

I really enjoyed the PlayStation Star Ocean game.

Might have to pick this up, I loved Star Ocean 3 but never got into the origin games.

Grabbed it already but have a few outstanding rpgs I'm working on , may take some time this weekend though

I was so happy when they announced this game for PS4! Now that i'm finally playing it I hope this means Star Ocean series has a chance to make a comeback... as long as we never mention Till the End of Time's story.... ever again. I also hope this means Star Ocean Second Evolution gets ported to the PS4 and Switch, it's my favorite game in the series!

*Star Ocean: The Next Generation* Live long and AvEnGiNg FiSt!?!?

Currently playing on switch, great great experience and am willing to invest in the whole series I think

Something you have to mention in your eventual retrospective (looking forward to that!) is how replayable this game is. It is impossible to get all characters in one playthrough, and like Chrono Trigger, it's not that long. The only gripe I have with the first 2 games in regards to item creation,although it's been years since I've played them, is how even at max level, you need to make items repeatedly for it to actually work. Other than that, great games!

Seems like you have hit it big with a Square Enix sponsorship. So I guess that confirms your speculation that they have someone listening your podcast. Gz :)

11:33 my eyes! How could they do this to my boy FFVI?

it's funny I love rpgs but for some reason I never got into Star Ocean at all despite many recommending it to me so for me it is great to see this and to see that it has your recommendation cause I can never get enough retro rpgs and this looks great to me!

I never really got around to beating this one when it first came to the PSP. Maybe I'll give it another go.

Very nice video 👍. I hope we get SO2 as well.

I actually played this one on the PSP version with the Star Ocean 2. And the only takes games I’ve ever played that I first started on is the Tales of Xillia 1 and 2. But I still love this game no matter what.

Playing Star Ocean FD on ppsspp, and man, I was totally hooked on its character progression system and the skills are NOT JUST skills, they are life saver in general that benefits, not just the combat, but the overall gameplay. I can't wait to play Star Ocean Second Evolution.

Oh the voices in battles SMH. Illia loves spamming meteor palm. I haven't played this game in over a decade and it's all coming back to me.

When I get my Switch this is going to be the first game I get!

The combat, to me, is one of the strengths. Second Story is in my top 3 of all time. So, so good.

Wanted to play the Star Ocean series for long time since I first saw it somewhere, and then played Star Ocean First Departure when it was released on PSP. A really good one! Especially liked visual style - sprites upon the prerendered backgrounds look cool and pretty, and I liked that the characters have been nicely voice acted as well - a thing that you almost never see on the old-school JRPGs. At first I was a little disappointed in the scale the story takes - for a name Star Ocean I would expect many galaxies and planets to visit - instead we get one or two planets for the whole game. But nonetheless I still enjoyed the story.

I love this game. I played star ocean 2 first and have completed it twice

Just picked up on switch cause of you. 👌🏻

Man, there's just too many games out there now. I gots to be selective with what I play these days, but it's always cool to see new stuff like this. If we don't hear from you guys before the New Year, Merry Christmas to ye! Hope its a good one.

Looks great.

Great video Mike! Switch has become my go-to system for JRPGs. Now if we could only get Chrono Trigger and a collection of FFI - VI.

star ocean is such ana amazing series with so much potential. shame 4 and 5 don't show any of that

Protip for new players: You get the Determination skill in the Portmith (the second major town of the game). Put all of your skill points into it early on as it decreases the number of skill points needed to learn the other skills by a massive amount. After determination, pick up Danger Sense, as it pumps your stamina and lets you reduce (or raise) the encounter rate, which is obnoxiously high in this release of the game.

Now in (DUBIOUS) HD!

gotta love how ronyx has blue hair in the art but in cutscenes/sprite black hair gj squeenix haha

I miss the old tri-Ace games. Was just thinking about Radiata Stories earlier today.

How can you not like Tales of games? They are so good

I wish this is on PC too.

Wishlisted the game as soon as I saw the skill systems... What can I say? I love DnD

I've played the second story star ocean for 20 years (off and on). I'm just obsessed with it. And this new gem will make me buy the switch.

Dude how am I only seeing this now!? It’s on the switch!?

Whelp, I'm sold. Thanks!

I still haven't played Radiant Historia (another game you recommended). I'll add First Departure to my list as well. Tales of Berseria, The Last Remnant, and Wild Arms 3 are also on the that list. Also Bushido Blade and Gundam Battle Assault 2 if I can find them.

One of the biggest problems I have with First Departure is the lack of a minimap when navigating dungeons and stuff. But I think I will dig out my old PSP to give it another playthrough.

Ive been wanting so badly to platy this game

Nice I want to see Uncharted Golden Abyss ported someday

Ik I played and beat this on PSP back in the day. I remember enjoying it but I dont remember any of this haha guess I get the joy of a "second" blind playthrough

Star Ocean 1 and especially 2 are excellent games, and I will pick this up just to have it on PS4. Hopefull they'll release 2 as well. I couldn't agree more about the voices. I almost always wish I could just turn them off in most cases. But I'm glad that they at least have begun to include the Japanese voice track for most jrpg's nowadays.

Does anyone know if this Remake will get a physical copy, or is it only available as digital download?

I love the 1st two PSP titles (love Star Ocean 2 on PS1, as well). It baffles me that they brought this title to PS4 but not its immediate PSP sequel, 2nd Evolution (seeing as its his son in the sequel). Odd decision, that. I plan on playing every Star Ocean, in order, back to back again ... well, every one except Integrity & Faithlessness (the S.O. timeline doesn't need that one). Second Evolution R, please.

i remember when mass effect launched, and people talked about how ground breaking the companions were and all that... and all i could do was laugh, since i had played the original star ocean on a snes emulator. and the absurd amount of stuff those companions genuinely affected was mind blowing to me. i still remember one companion who, during a city visit, asked me to lend him some money, i accepted. walking through the city i saw him in a table playing with other npcs. after i left the city, and the party rejoined, here comes he, with what could only be described as the entire equipment loadout of an entire platoon! im talking dozens of swords, armors and so on. of course, they were far weaker than what i had, but on the same time, each one was more expensive than the amount of money i lent him in the first place! that's something that happen to only THAT character. but similarly, most others have unique events like that, and the fact you cant pick everyone, due to their own reasons(some have beef with someone else, while others will only join if you let someone else join as well).

I really should try these first two games at some point. I only played Till The End of Time and it really didn't motivate me to give the rest of the series a chance afterwards.

This literally looks an exact copy of The Second Story, with a different story and characters. Not a bad thing, I love SO2, the overwhelming similarity is just a little... strange. SO2, Xenogears, and SotN are the only games I still have PSX discs for. I'll hafta pick this up, thanks for the coverage :)

The biggest success of this port is that they didn't add the hideous filter to the beautiful sprites, unlike the Grandia port.