You Won't Believe These Changes To Star Ocean 2 R!! 

Make sure to LIKE the video and leave a comment to be entered into the contest - and don't forget, I'll be choosing the winner based upon their comment - so make it good!

My original memory with Star Ocean 2 will never leave my brain. I grew up playing hockey, I was always a big gamer. One day I went to Hockey practice and the captain of the team overheard me talking to another kid about final fantasy 3(6), he came over to "shut it down" or so I thought. So, the captain comes over to me and says "Hey what about Star Ocean 2"? I never heard of the game at this point so he went on to explain everything in so much detail, a grand space adventure with action combat instead of turn based. He painted a beautiful picture of a game that I simply had never heard of. It's a lesson in not being so judgemental, I never thought the captain of our team would recommend one of the greatest JRPG's ever, I thought he was coming over to make fun of me but that was my own insecurities coming out as uncalled for judgements. Everytime I play SO2 I think of him and wonder if he still plays videogames, and if he's seen the remake of Star Ocean 2. The remake made the game even better and more accessible to newer generations so I'm thrilled. ❤ Thanks for doing this David! I think I speak for everyone when I say that you have a such a strong (sassy) voice for our community. 😅

David, I think you hit the nail on the head as far as the most resonating part of this game: the love, care, and hardwork that Square Enix, Gemdrops, and tri-Ace have put in SHINES THROUGH for this classic, making a modern version that contends with every other new&shiny game out there and also respects the essence of the original game. It is MIND. BLOWING. what new life has been brought to this game, bringing in OG fans that thought this series would never get the modern respect that it deserves and newer fans that have never heard of the series. I think newcomers flock towards the gorgeous art and HD-2D graphics, but stay for an amazing game. I’m not the best storyteller and I know this section will be awash with comments, but I’ll give it a shot anyway. Growing up with JRPGs in the 90s and kind of being raised by them, the stories and experiences can really stay with you, even into adulthood. Sometimes I feel like I tripped on a copy of Final Fantasy VI for the SNES and never fully recovered. Star Ocean 2 (1999, in the US) had to contend with games like Final Fantasy VIII, Legend of Mana, and Chrono Cross for my attention, but I’ll always remember one aspect of it: Claude’s dad. I’m sure there’s no shortage of estranged fathers in this comment section and mine was along the same lines. Video games aren’t exactly the primo thing you want your kid getting into, in additional to all of our other personal differences. Sad to say, I probably learned to be a better human being -more- from games than I did from him. I think that reflecting on Claude and the admiral’s relationship in my youth gave me a bit of hope that I could forge my own path. Now it’s 2024 and Star Ocean 2’s revival has me blown away. I didn’t expect this game of all games to get the modern lift and reception that it has. I’m a full grown adult that (after a bunch of therapy lol) has no guilt or abandonment issues with regards to my father’s shadow- In contrast, I think my love for these games is growing more and more, shamelessly and unabashedly. I’m excited for new game plus and playing through the stellar story; but it’s a shame my old man never came around or accepted my interests before his passing. For myself and no one else, I think, I’ll be playing these games and experiencing these stories for as long as I live. Here’s to more 2D JRPG classics getting the Star Ocean Second Story R treatment (FF6, please?) and showing the world that these games aren’t dead- they can withstand the test of time! 💪

I played Star Ocean Second Story on PS1. It was my very first JRPG I ever played. My father got it thinking it looked interesting and he ended up loving it before it really caught my attention. But I soon fell in love with it and became addicted to RPGs after. My father passed away in 2003 so this remake provides a lot of nostalgia and good memories for me with my father. I know he would have absolutely loved this remake. What I loved most about the remake was how it was brought to life with the HD-2D style.

Star Ocean 2 means a hell of a lot to me. When Star Ocean 2 R dropped on my oldest daughter's birthday, we all cancelled other plans to play our own copies on our respective Steam accounts. My husband, me, and our 16 y/o daughter. The original PS1 version was her first RPG, that she would watch us play, and then eventually play on her own. She liked it because of the action battle system. She and I played the PSP version, too. But SO2R? We were SO EXCITED. Leading up to it, we would have long talks about what we hoped would be added. She still thinks Allen would have made a better party member than Noel. We thought it would be cool to have other NPCs to join up, like the Prince of Cross and Allen. We all ended up beating it in our own time, but we would always make room to play at the same time whenever we could. We all took different character paths in SO2R, which was why we all wanted to have our own copy to play. I chose to start with Rena and go the Ashton/Precis route. My husband chose to start with Claude, and he went Ashton/Bowman. Our daughter started as Rena, went Opera/Ernest/Bowman route (because she didn't want to have room on the team before Noel came up - she HATES Noel). We had such radically different parties for the final dungeon, which was just TOO COOL!! They thought I was crazy for controlling Rena the whole way through ("Mom, why are you playing an action RPG like it's turn based? This is Star Ocean 2, not Bravely Default 2!" XD Still cracks me up!). Yes, the base game itself is fantastic. But what really makes this game special? The family time! The fact that SO2 is our family game, and we're planning to do another run of it for New Game+. And the fact that we had a Star Ocean-themed Sweet 16 in November was something I don't think any of us will ever forget. And... my son? His name is Ashton!! After Ashton Anchors!! My husband and I decided on it together, because SO2 has been our game since we were still dating.

what did i love most about SO2? i remember playing it when my little cousin would come over (i dont talk to her anymore) and we would play together passing the controller back and forth. we would spend hours on it and we beat it together. She would help me with parts because i am legally blind and we would laugh and the dumb stuff i pulled off. It was really a great memory. Not to mention the story was amazing! (also, Dias is the best character)

When I played this game way back in high school it became one of my favorite games. The wierd merger of an almost star trek world and jrpg sign me up please! I loved the quirkiness of the characters also made jokes about Ashton's abysmal luck that if I remember correctly never increases. I played the hell out of the game and probably had to have the discs repaired X amount of times. Then years later my cousin, The man who got me into DnD and almost every 80's rpg game I can think of, started playing it. We were in a contest to discover ALL the endings first, he of course won it. So when the R was about to be released I called him up to ask if he heard only to find out he passed away. So one of my goals to complete in his gaming honor is achieving all the endings once again, not in competition but as a tribute to someone who showed me rpgs are the GREATEST!

What I loved most about Star Ocean 2 is how immersive the world felt to me back when I was a kid playing the original on the PS1. I think part of the reason the game felt so immersive to me was the phenomenal music of the game. As a kid, I always had an affinity toward video game music and would regularly stay in areas of the game where I enjoyed the music. That place in Star Ocean 2 for me was in the Shingo Forest in the beginning of the game and the cutscene where Claude walks back to Arlia Village for the first time with Rena as it zooms out and you see the village in the distance just stuck with me over the years. As a kid, it made me feel like I was in Claude's shoes, thrown into an unknown place, but excited to discover what this unknown yet beautiful world has to offer. Star Ocean 2 was the first game to give me that feeling of wonder, magic, and excitement for the journey to come and is a huge reason why I still love JRPGs to this day. Star Ocean 2 reminds me of those fond memories of being completely absorbed into a game and of simpler times.

I have always been a big fan of the star ocean series after playing Star Ocean 2 almost 25 years ago. I've played every localized game since then, and I still think Second Story is the pinnacle. The remaster updates the game while maintaining everything that made it great. One of my favorite parts of Second Story and what really made me a lifelong fan is the events of Eluria Tower. While attempting to limit spoiling anything--from the shift of setting, to the reveal of antagonists, to the change in tone--this is what made Star Ocean different from other RPGs. These scenes are further enhanced in Second Story R through voice acting, new pixel art, and the fantastic soundtrack. There are many events that I still remember from 25 years ago, and I loved reliving. From Kurik to Lacuer, and Nede... and I'm looking forward to eventually getting to Fun City. Outside of that, the gameplay is so fun! From trying out the different characters, to busting the game early by getting the Sword of Marvels, to item creation, to the post-game dungeon. I'm so glad Star Ocean continues on, and it reaches new heights with Second Story R. PS. I didn't get him on this playthrough, but does Ashton still have a thing with barrels?

My favorite part about 2R has got to be all the updated illustrations! I’m an artist and seeing how much love and care was put into all the characters portraits was lovely to see! Especially having the old portraits available to see as well was amazing! I was beyond excited to see all the NPC portraits they added in with the new update! My favorite character is Celine! I’m a sucker for mages and her little hat is so cute! Thanks David for making these videos, you’re a joy to watch and I wish you nothing but happiness and love!

In the early 2000s, my best friend and I stumbled upon Star Ocean 2 at our local video game rental store. We were immediately intrigued after reading the brief synopsis on the back of the case that promised a futuristic RPG adventure with skill based crafting and over 80 possible endings! Little did we know, this game would become a defining part of our childhood. From the moment we popped the disc into our console, we were captivated by its intricate storyline, engaging characters, and innovative gameplay mechanics. We spent countless hours immersed in its expansive world, battling monsters, exploring dungeons, and unraveling its rich narrative. As we grew older, our fond memories of Star Ocean 2 never faded. It remained a cherished part of our gaming history, often reminiscing about our adventures in the vast universe of the game. However, it wasn't until the announcement of Star Ocean 2R for the Nintendo Switch that our passion for the series was reignited. The prospect of revisiting our beloved childhood game with enhanced graphics and new features was exhilarating. We eagerly awaited its release, counting down the days until we could once again embark on our intergalactic journey. When the day finally arrived, we both dove into Star Ocean 2R with the same excitement and enthusiasm as we did years ago. The nostalgia hit us like a wave as we rediscovered familiar characters and locations, now revitalized in stunning high-definition. Yet, it wasn't just the visual upgrades that captured our hearts once more. The revamped gameplay elements and additional content breathed new life into the classic title, making it feel fresh and exciting all over again. Star Ocean 2R not only renewed our passion for the series but also served as a beautiful reminder of the timeless joy that video games can bring, no matter the passage of time. David, thank you for sharing your passion for RPGs with the world. I'm eager to explore the latest Star Ocean 2R content! Stay safe everyone ✌

I am not from Canada or the US, but I still will answer the question: I liked the abilities the most. You could do so much with it. Make things cheaper, create your own items, trivialize grinding since you could just reduce exp for next lvl up to 1 and just let your characters automatically beat everything around you into a pulp without encounters even happen and so on and so forth. the possibilities were really really cool and also fun.

My gawd David you earnestly are amongst one of thee most upbeat, sassy, and “fit” 🤭 of my fav RU-vidrs. The fact you have so much energy and joy for some what some consider niche games and series (like Star Ocean) but many of us love and cherish is just the cherry on top. I remember playing SO: Till the End of Time for the very first time and falling madly in love with this planet spanning fantasy adventure, with a wonderful/diverse cast of characters from across planets, and this enchanting space opera story( so it’s still one, if not my fav, mostly in part due to nostalgia 🤣, and I’m REALLY hopeful it’ll get a remaster or port) and while I never got to experience Star Ocean 2 when it originally came out, once I started up 2R it was like I was transported back to that time during early middle school, and after sitting in the looooooooong bus ride home just chucking my Jansport bookbag into the corner of my room, shutting my bedroom door and booting up SO: TtEoT and just exploring the galaxy right alongside Fayt and his friends! The fact that SQ isn’t ignoring this series and is STILL giving it love and care with a patch makes me just as hopeful as you that we’ll get more in the series in our lifespans. Who knows space is infinite!!! 🔭🪐💕 P.S. If I do “by chance” get picked as one of the lucky two I plan to giveaway the digital copy since I already own R2 for my Switch (likely I’ll give it to David so he can raffle it off to another Star Ocean and David fan) so why not spread the joy!!! 😊🎉 Hopefully a others are also as generous if they don’t own the game already too 😘

Star Ocean 2 has been such a big part of shaping my life! With the original PlayStation release, I remember the cover art catching my eye on the shelf at EB Games (the Canadian version of Gamestop at the time which coincidentally they rebranded to calling it GameStop here too a few years ago lol). I waffled a handful of times on picking it up because it was really expensive compared to what I normally was willing to spend on a new game. Yep, even from a young age insisted on sleuthing out a sale! A couple of months went by and I noticed one weekend I no longer saw it on the shelves! Panic crept in so I rushed to the clerk, asked if they had it and they looked at me with pity while saying "JRPGs are a niche market here so they sell out fairly quickly with little chance of restocking". Absolutely devastated. I would suffer this consequence a few more times before online shopping became commonplace. Fast forward to a couple of years into the PS2 era life cycle when what do I see peeking at me in the bargain bin of PS1 releases that a hole in the wall Mom & Pop shop has near the back of the store? STAR OCEAN 2! Excitedly I reached for the case only to knock hands with someone else! Turned accusatory eyes on the perpetrator to see it's a fellow teenager. I told them "Back off that's mine" and they snorted going "Really cause I bet you don't even have 2 nickels to rub together." The stand off commenced! Eventually, my Mum came to get me because I'd spent over an hour in this shop. The other teenager knew her from their Mums book club much to both our surprises. The quirks of living in Canada even in a city it's got that small-town vibe. Anyway, quickly I explained the situation to my Mum who found it all quite absurd. She just snapped the jewel case up, went to the register and paid. When I tell you the smug look I had on my face could have become the picture next to the definition in Webster Dictionaries it's an understatement. Even went so far as to practically skip over to Mum to thank her for ending the stalemate. BUT! I was not expecting her to call the other teenager over and state point blank "I've bought it for both of you to share. Now it's up to you to decide who gets to take it home first to play." The betrayal I felt at first was immense but sorting out the semantics of sharing the disc went pretty smoothly once I found out they lived literally 2 blocks from us. Spent the rest of our summer going back and forth between houses playing SO2 together actually. Every ending had more of an impact than the last! It really was the best possible outcome as I've forged a lifelong bond with this fellow gamer. Every Star Ocean release since at least one of us makes sure to get a copy on release to share with the other until they can get their copy. Second Story R's release coincided with them getting their "cancer-free" update after 6 months of chemotherapy too!!! Needless to say, we celebrated both milestones in true obnoxious style with junk food and a long night (well not that long because being nearly 40 now puts a crimp in staying up late) of gaming! Over the years I've moved to getting the majority of my games digital as I don't have the space to properly display collectors but my friend has a whole room dedicated to their collection. So if I'm lucky I would be surprising them with the collector box goodies! 🥰

My Star Ocean 2 story/memory goes all the way back to Summer 1999 around the time the game released. I went over to my best friends house all by myself, which was a big deal back in the day once you were allowed to venture beyond "The Shire" as a kid. We had planned to play Brave Fencer Musashi again as it was still a hot game in our games-to-play list. When I got there, my friend said, "I got something awesome to show you!", and he pops Star Ocean 2 into his PS1 and chooses Claude as his character. The moment the first battle began in the forest, I was in awe as to how fast and incredible the battle system was. Once Rena takes you back to Arlia, that's when it hit me as to how beautiful this game really is. The sprite work and overall atmosphere of Arlia was simply mesmerizing. And the music! Especially with the music is what really sold me on this game. Once it was time for me to go home, my friend let me borrow the game, and for the next week, I played the hell out it (sadly, I didn't make it past the coliseum where Dias kicks your ass). Fast forward to Summer 2000, my friend picked up a paper route as a summer job, and with his first paycheck, not only did he get me my own copy of Star Ocean 2, but he also got me the strategy guide for it, too. He knew how much I loved the game. Hence, it was an easy surprise. It's safe to say that I devoured the game throughout the course of 2 years, getting as many of the endings as I could. To this day, I still have the game and strat guide in my collection, and is the reason why Star Ocean 2 is near and dear to my heart. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to play SO2R, but I know that once I do, I'll be reliving those wonderful days, like when I first played it all those years ago. 🥹💖

Star Ocean 2 has always been my favorite Star Ocean, and this remake elevated it to a whole new level. Star Ocean 2 came into my life at a time where I felt small and like an outcast, I was in my 2nd year of high school and with my penchant for rpgs and all things "nerdy", let's just say I felt small in a big world. Enter Star Ocean 2, I had read about the first, in magazines but never knew about this one until release, I got the game and the guide and found a story that reminded me that no matter how small you may feel, the world is full of adventure and you have a place in it. The story, the characters and the music (especially the music) bring me back to simpler times, and this remake reminded me of that in the best ways. Either way thank you for letting us tell our stories and for all the fun you bring to our hobby.

Hi! I know this contest is for people who most likely have already played the game, but I wanted to enter as someone who's super excited to play it! I've wanted to play it the whole 5 months since it's come out, and the couple months before! I have super fond memories of looking over and over the videos surrounding the characters, how to recruit each one, which order, and thinking which combos of characters id pick for each route I'd go through (personally I'd put the husband and wife pair in the male players route because I've heard how strong the wife is, and that the character exclusive to the female route is also super strong), and I definitely have memories of watching David's videos on it, and becoming a fan of his that way I have not been able to purchase the game yet due to financial reasons, but hopefully, I can actually play this game I've been looking at for the past year! And if I can't get the game this way, obviously no biggie. Thanks to whoevers reading this, too! Sorry for the rambling lol

Not sure if it’s too late to be considered for the contest. However, I love this game. If I’m being honest, I haven’t been able to play the newest version yet because of financial reasons but I’ve been watching RU-vid videos of everyone else playing it. I play star ocean second evolution on the psp a couple of years ago. I’m a huge fan of the tales of series and I read online that star ocean was founded by people worked on the original tales of games. I then tried first departure replayed it about 10 times. I love how there are four optional character slots and you get different conversations based on the combinations of characters. Star ocean second evolution took what made first departure so wonderful and multiplied it times 10. Now there were 6 optional character slots allowing for more interesting character combinations. The story itself is more grand and they also reference characters from the first game. They also made TWO protagonists for more replay ability as well. Star ocean 2 will always be a game I play again because of how different you can make each playthrough. I feel that this game has one of, if not the most replay value than any game I have ever played. I’m really happy that more people are able to experience this fantastic adventure. PS I LOVE Welch. She has to be recruited in my playthrough a of both games. To avoid spoilers of star ocean 3, I won’t say what she is implied to be but I have to have her in my party. Love my inventor queen

I've put in more than 4000 hours into the ORIGINAL Star Ocean 2nd story. I found out about the game via my best friend who owned it. A few friends would sit and watch each other play with our various party combinations on a huge 50 inch TV. I remember watching the old Ashton Sword Dance/Claude Mirror Slice combo that could pretty much stun lock most enemies. I remember figuring out to use Headsplitter non upgraded during the Tournament of Arms to win. Since the Armored guy would make things a headache. On the original PlayStation version between myself and my friends we've gotten almost if not all the endings. One of my favorite parts of the original PS release was the voice line collecting that would scan the entire Memory card of saves and register all voice lines that had been said across the memory card. That's how you originally unlocked Universe mode by I believe It was getting 50% of the voice lines. Unfortunately due to a glitch/failed coding/failed item implementation you could not 100% it. Since Chisato couldn't ever use her voice lines for when you gave her her favorite food during battle. I remember the first time we finished the game we got the Rena/Claude friendship ending then we played more did more of the Arena stuff the end game dungeon stuff and then beat the true ending boss we got the Rena/Claude LOVE ending or maybe it was the next playthrough with the opposite starting character. This was when we realized that there were Friendship Endings and Love Endings for some characters. One of the endings that Suprised me the most was the Elenor ending with Ashton. I remember the first time I did the Master Chef tournament and won it was amazing. The crazy ways a few special skills/etc were learned in the original. (Later finding out it's the same) I remember finding out that certain characters in the original could not learn certain abilities so if they didn't start with them you were SOL on ever learning them. (the things like Originality and such) I remember the first time I ever beat the Arena's final boss (Phoenix) was with Ashton. Leaf Slash and Cross Slash were my best friends for that boss fight. Since It loved to try and stun lock you into oblivion. I remember the first time seeing Diaz and being very surprised at how STRONG he was. Thinking there was no way he was gonna be part of the team then finding out we got him on our team was like "Whaaaaaaat" In the original you had to go out of your way to find Ernest to be able to recruit Opera. I Loved the original. I even purchased a PS2 so I could play my original copies and beat the game again not long before the 2nd story R was announced. When I saw the announcement trailer I was so excited. *Insert N64 kid Meme* I was over the FREAKING MOON. I've been hoping for this for YEARS. I remember hearing that on the Japanese PS4 Store they released the PSP version upscaled and it sold poorly so it never made it over here to America. Now my experience with the 2nd Story R has been nothing but highlight after highlight. From playing the Demo I first played the demo normally with both characters. Then I started a Demo run as Claude skipped anything and saw how far I could go. Ex the mountain where you go for Ashton's Quest is locked. Marz is Locked every town is locked but you can make it to them if you can survive. Then the day the game came out. I played it for 2 days straight without sleeping. I was doing every little thing I could do. I was trying to see how hard it would be to pull of tricks that I pulled off in the original. Well I learned some things just are a bad idea because of the introduction of Leader Mobs. I remember seeing the Giant Fish outside Harley. Have had so much fun. The game is easier in some ways and more challenging in others Leader monsters really throws a wrench into some fights. Also, finding some of the really weird fishing spots to fish has been fun. The way PA's are done was such a great choice. Being able to see the relationship levels are and not having to guess like the original. This remake of Star Ocean 2nd Story was everything I could have asked for and more. It has so many LITTLE QOL changes I wouldn't have even have asked for but now that I have them I'm over the moon about. 1 example is things that used to be PA are now just part of the game (running into Ernest) being able to multicraft again PA's being able to swap from PA mode to non PA mode on the fly is amazing. The original and the remake are my favorite games of all time. Also, these changes/additions are fantastic. I'm surprised they're adding these but a happy Surprise. I thank you for this opportunity David. I'm in the discord @RichieTheGamer

Hey David! Awesome video as always! I don't have the deep background from playing Star Ocean as a kid as I didn't have a Playstation until the PS3 when I was in college. I grew up lovinf RPGs in the SNES and GBA. I discovered Star Ocean through your "Top 10" countdown videos. There were lots of mentions of the characters and dungeons which enraptured me. I immediately jumped off from there and fell head over heels for the series. Starting with "Till the End of Time" and devouring everything I could get in the series but the 5th game... Ugh. Second Story R is by far my favorite of the bunch from the incredible plot to the characters to the action packed combat. I have so much fun exploring the worlds. I'm most excited for Chaos mode and the ending tracker as a completionist this is going to make it so much easier to obtain every ending. Thank you so much David for introducing me to a series that has tied in my mind with "Tales of" as the best JRPG series I've ever played! Keep up the great work!

Star Ocean has been a part of my childhood growing up. I played the original Second Story my dad when I was little, and I have a lot of fond memories of us butting our heads together to get through the end game portion of the game (we were very underleveled lol). He’s since passed on, but I will always hold a special place in my heart for those times shared. Now that Second Story R has released, I am just having the best time reliving this beautiful game again. The world has just sung with new life, and I’m having the most fun revisiting all the old places and seeing how the art direction has grown. I’ve been loving all the private actions too, and Celine's banter with everyone has made her one of my new favs in the cast. This game is one of my childhood treasures, and I just know dad would be loving it too. ❤

I had to get Star Ocean 2 when it first came out. I was a huge rpg's and a video game fan all around. Until then all rpg's were in a mid evil setting. Star Ocean 2 broke that reminding me of my love for the Star Wars movies as a kid. There was other games like Chrono trigger when u go to a decaying future but still mostly set in the past. I originally didn't expect it to be more action based. After a few fights I realized that this 0:04 games balance of action and rpg elements is what needs to happen in the gaming industry. Random battles are awesome! Leveling Up.. Always awesome!! The elements of this game and how they all came together to influence further games just made it a classic for all time. You wouldn't really think it but SO2 has done more for the build of modern day action rpg's then you'd ever know and what Square's been doing with the SO2R is just taking it to the next level. So glad to have a chance to play this classic again and with all the upgrades just might have to play it 10 times to get that big star!

My favorite memory of the game will always be the first time you see the ten wise men, gave me chills and all lol

I know theres probably a lot of people who played it when it first came out but as a kid in the early 00s I wasn't all into JRPGs but was still nostalgic over PS1 games. Wasn't until I started working at a grocery store, my buddy kinda introduced me to the genre and like the 2nd game he had me play was Star Ocean 2. He told me it was way ahead of its time, and that I could borrow it if I wanted. It felt so rewarding beating the 10 Wisemen by probably having the most unplanned battle strategy but the ending I had gotten was so beautiful it really showed me like woah I really gotta try more JRPGs. Its all about that struggle and to be rewarded with the most beautiful stories. Of course I gave the copy back to him but its like since then, I was destined not to play it until the remake came out. I had looked online to buy it and all I could find were $100+ copies. I've taken many MANY used game store trips and I still have yet found a copy today. However I instantly bought the PSP port once I found it. Bought a PSP since my memory stick duo stopped reading in my old one. Get as far as Laucer Base and the memory stick decided to stop reading on THAT PSP. Buy another one PSP and not long after and it happens AGAIN before I can beat it. I couldn't tell if it was me at that point. And there it sat on my shelf unbeaten since my first experience, and haven't even played Rena's side yet. But then now with a wife and 1 year old twins, Christmas comes around and I tell the wife I only want Star Ocean 2 R because I'm gonna play this game and I'm gonna abuse it. And that Christmas night the kids were winding down, everything's cleaned up and put away. It's a great time to finally play it. I had just finished up everything with Sea of Stars before this point and my one son would watch the game as I read him the dialogue. So when the game first boots up in Claude's story I was experiencing this "holy crap were finally here moment" along side sulking in the beautiful redesign. But once the dialogue started happening I realized I don't have to read the dialogue anymore. My son gets to hear someone with a lot better voice read them so I was thinking man his mind is being blown right now. And then that's when it kind of hit me. Feeling that "I'm finally here" and realizing his mind is being blown similar to how I'm amazed by the updated beauty that he's feeling reminded me that's what Star Ocean 2 has always been about even with the original. Like I said I didn't necessarily play this as a kid myself but it really took me back to how advanced the PS1 was and how mind blowing other games on the console were. I can't expect my son to have the same gaming experience I had, but it made me excited to ready him for the amazing ones out there to see what ends up becoming his favorite. [ I just really hope this one does from watching his dad play hours of it]

Lunar 1, Grandia 1, and Star Ocean 2 were the holy trinity of non-SquareSOFT PS1 rpgs to me growing up. Each one felt so uplifting to play, particularly if I happen to have had a bad day at school. All the NPC dialogue in those games made the world definitely feel more real, and fun to interact with than in the SNES era of RPGs. One of my favorite things about Star Ocean 2 was how easy it was to just lose yourself into its world, and I love how the game in turn seemingly rewarded you for the time you put into it. One of the more well known examples was taking the time, and going through the steps to get pickpocketing early which in turn allowed you to get Sword of Marvels way earlier than you should.

I like that the developers didn't do too much to fix a lot of the 'broken' stuff you can do in the game. Shows that they care about the old audience and had a 'fun first' mindset when it came to those elements. First time playing SO2 was after I first moved, family played it together just like FF and other games, fun gatherings. Some years later, around 2003 or so, I'd want to go get a copy of my own, had been a while since the game came out so it wasn't just anywhere. Gathered up a stack of old CDs and walked 4 miles to the mall, first Dimple Records to sell the CDs, ended up with just about enough, and then down to EB games that I knew to have some slightly older and harder-to-find games (I had gotten titles like Phantom Brave and even Tactics Ogre Knight of Lodis from them previously), was a good walk, and it felt nice to finally have a copy of my own to start a one-person playthrough. Played it again on the PSP a couple of years later, liked some of the improvements and also LOVED playing Star Ocean 1 for the first time, with it built in the same engine as the SO2 port, it really felt like the sequel to SO2 we never got, despite SO2 being the actual sequel of SO1. Celine always seems to get the most love, for clear reasons, but Precis was always my favorite. First waifu in a way, I wish she grew up with me.

Star ocean the second story, holds an incredibly special place in my heart. When it first came out, I was pretty young and I was really into RPG‘s. The reason I was in the RPG so much was actually because of my older sister. She was incredibly passionate about them, but for some reason this game was always her favorite. She specifically looked up to Rena. She was always creating art for the characters. I remember watching her play for hours on end. And eventually when she was finished playing the game, I took a shot at it and poured hundreds of hours in but was never able to finish the final dungeon. Sadly, my sister passed away when I was 18. Ever since I played this game once a year as a memorial for her. I still have her original copy, though it’s very beat up. Watching her create all that art for the game actually inspired me to go to art school as well. I’ve even begun to dabble in game development as a pixel artist. It’s a bittersweet story, but this game is incredibly important to me. I’m so happy that it was remade and that in a way her memory has been reborn and live on. Now I can replay this new version and keep track of all the playthroughs ❤️❤️ I hope the story doesn’t make you too sad David. I wanted to share it with you. I wish you all the best and if you choose me know that I will forever be grateful 🥲 lots of love!

Hey David, First of all - been following you for a little over a year now. Enjoying EVERYTHING. Star Ocean memory - I first played the PSX version of SO2 on my roommates backwards compatible PS3. I bought the game from a bargain bin. We both loved it. We used to mimic the battle voices as a joke (still do years later). For example, when we see someone who we dont want to talk to we will shout out “oh no, here comes THE ENEMY”. We even have it as a sound on our discord soundboard. I love this game and it is so memorable to me.

When I was young I didn’t have any friends and largely kept to myself. I loved video games as a kid but had learning issues. I could barely read and there were even talks of holding me back. Many of the other kids would make fun of me because I couldn’t make out even the simplest of words. I would even act out in class so that I would be sent to the office instead of participating in class. The one thing that saved me were RPGs. I picked up Star Ocean 2 on a whim, not knowing how text-heavy it was. I put down the game several times because of how difficult it was to read. Everything about the game was so amazing and I forced myself to learn so that I could play more of it. After finishing the game, I felt more confident to participate in class. My grades improved, I started to enjoy school, and even made some friends. It’s been many years since then and I’m about to finish my last semester of law school. If I went back in time and told my younger self that I would attend college and even make a living from reading and writing he would never have believed me. Thinking about how this game changed my life brings tears to my eyes Like me, Star Ocean 2 has changed over the decades. I really enjoyed Second Evolution but by the looks of it Second Story R will probably end up being my favorite version. The 2.5-HD graphics keep the nostalgia of the old game while bringing it into the modern era. I love the new art and voice acting. I would draw pictures of Claude as a kid and seeing all the character’s reimagined portraits makes me so happy. I could go on about how much smoother the combat feels or the quality of life improvements but the thing that really keeps me coming back to this game is the impact that it had on my life. I was going down a bad path before this game. But after beating Star Ocean 2 I wanted to be more like Claude and Rena. The game’s fast paced was what drew me to buy it with what little money I had but its story is what really changed my outlook on life. Experiencing a story about a party of characters struggling against being much more powerful than them gave me hope that change could occur in my own life. I wanted to experience more of that hope which ultimately put me on the path I’m on today. I’ll never be able to repay the debt I owe to this game.

I played this game back on the Playstation. Fell in love with the graphics, the cut scenes, the active combat, the voice acting, the story, the setting, everything. Blew my mind the first time I noticed that skills evolved the more you used them. When I figured out how to pick pocket and discovered that a certain NPC had a goodie box near the beginning of the game, the third time I played the game and stole it and got an end game weapon... The fact that you could play the game from two perspectives was also a superb function. Still own the original game, bought the new version for switch and fell in love with it again!

I played this game back maybe 20 years ago as a kid and never quite understood the concept of an RPG at the time. I loved the concept of instruction manuals back then and thought the art in the manuals were inspiring and it's what grew my inspiration towards art later in life. The combination of sprites (what I loved) and modernized art within the 1.5D concept made this a day 1 buy for me and WOW I really fell in love with this game all over again as I never even complete it when I was a kid

I recall visiting a friend's house and observing his brother playing SO2 on PlayStation while I played Tale of Eternia. In the past, it was common to borrow games from friends and family once they had finished with them. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to complete the game myself. The aspects of the game that I particularly enjoy are the battle system, pixel art, and world exploration. I could discuss these features at length, as they are similar to what I appreciate about Tales of Eternia, which is why I have developed a passion for playing this type of game. Just so you know, I have been following your channel since I discovered your videos on the Legend of Heroes. wayyyyyy back!! so glad that your channel got big!!!

Circa Summer of 1999- visited the malls frequently with my folks (a different era, huh?) and I made a point to visit EB Games each time for their demo kiosks (Lunar at the time) and selection of RPG's. The brand new Star Ocean 2 just arrived, which I had read about in GamePro magazine. I wanted it, but as a child, learned that I could not have everything I wanted right away. Later that Summer, I was invited by a childhood friend over to his house to play a game he had just gotten. Lo and behold, he had Star Ocean 2. At that point, I had become used to the various turn-based systems of the Final Fantasy series. I had played the likes of Secret of Mana and Evermore, and Illusion of Gaia, but those had simpler action battle systems limited by hardware and their trappings within the dungeons. But this was something new entirely. A completely skill-based, full movement action battle system in a free-form arena. It completely suited my childhood friend's taste in RPG's, and it opened my eyes as well to a focus on building your combat skills in an RPG. I distinctly remember the choices we made- going for Ashton since we resonated with his struggle while also adoring his new dragon companions, and Precis since a confident STEM girl with robot arms was such a novel powerhouse character for the time. We later learned that starting as Claude prevents recruiting Dias and getting Ashton prevents recruiting Opera (and also Ernest, I guess, lol). This kind of disappointed us, since my childhood friend wasn't keen on dedicated spell casters like Leon (for good reason, they're pretty mid in Star Ocean 2), and we couldn't understand how getting Ashton led to any logical reason for missing Opera. However, I learned to like using Leon for another reason- his spell animations provided a breather and the ability for me to think a bit about next course of actions. And if you were going to use a dedicated spell caster full-time, Leon was the go-to choice. This was around the time when my disabilities started getting in the way of doing schoolwork in adolescence, as well as when they really started interfering with my ability to maintain interpersonal relationships. Making choices like using Leon in combat were a part of how I was able to compensate for my deficiencies without facing scrutiny for making suboptimal or poor choices, in gaming and life. Thankfully my childhood friend did not make me feel inadequate in that regard, and our adventures in Expel and (Energy) Nede provided an exciting break from the family issues and fighting that soon led to a divorce between my parents. There was even one point that the anger in my parents' crumbling relationship fed into me enough that while borrowing my childhood friend's copy of Star Ocean 2, during the Nede cooking minigame, I actually hit the Playstation while it was running after losing. Thankfully the disc was unharmed, even though it was dislodged from the spindle, but it was the beginning of the end for that Playstation. It eventually stopped working the next year as a result. This was one of many ways that I was taught how my actions can have consequences, and that one should have some respect for belongings, especially when they are gifts or borrowed. I didn't borrow Star Ocean 2 from my childhood friend again, and I felt a sense of shame such that I didn't play the game again until years later. I will be grateful for the rest of my life to the developers of games like Star Ocean 2 for crafting these virtual worlds and stories for people to partake in when they need a short break from the real one, and providing a place for people to take out their difficulties in life without directly taking it out on other people.

Having missed the boat on this gem when it came out, based on your video I dowloaded the demo, and I was hooked. Growing up with jrpgs, but getting away from them in my 20s and 30s, now in my 40s being able to experience this Renaissance of the 2d jrpgs I grew up loving with these modern takes has been wonderful. As always, keep up the great work.

The original Star Ocean 2 was one of the first RPGs I ever bought just for myself. No one I knew at the time knew anything about it, and it just looked so cool. A Sci-if mixture in there really set it apart from the more common Fantasy games. When Star Ocean 2R came out I was gifted it for my birthday, and let me tell you the week following it I just feel in love with it all over again. I really like the changes for the interfaces for Item Creation and the Super Specialities. Seeing percentages and a list of the items I can make without me having to have a separate guide open? Amazing! Skills like Survival being reworked to be active all the time and really help get items? Fantastic~ The team really took care with this game and it’s encouraging to see that they’re going to keep working on some updates.

As a 80s kid, playing JRPG is part of the gaming experience growing up. Star Ocean ranks right up there with the FFs and other series. I would love to add this to my backlogs and share this with my son so that he knows the games I grow up with.

I live in Germany, so I can't enter that contest, but I'd like to share my thoughts anyways. The best thing about this remake is basically that it exists. Never in my life have I seen so many people who love this game so deeply, as when they announced this remake. I love how square enix made one of the best games ever be talked about again so much. I told all my colleagues about it, even if they've never heard about Star Ocean, and they started to get excited with me. I love how stunning everything looks. When I arrived in the sacred forrest I started crying, because it was so amazing (also because the music there is soooo good). I love how they added more private actions. The characters were already great in the original, but thanks to the new private actions I feel like I know these characters like I know my friends. I love that you can do fishing now, I don't know why but it makes me really happy. It's also great that the Item Creation works faster now (those Neumann Boots in the original killed me). The exploration was so satisfying. To go to all the places I know so well and seeing them in such a charming way. I just love that there were so many people that love the game so much, that they gave a new life to it. Since they announced it I feel like fans from everywhere came together to celebrate this wonderful game. And I love how people who never played the original came into the joy of playing this master piece. Thanks you so much for talking about this game, it makes other fans very happy! ♥️

I discovered Star Ocean 2 back on ps1. I played this game so much back then. It is still my favorite ps1 game. What really separated it from so many other games of the era was the PA system that let you get to know more about the characters and influence the various endings, having two main characters to see the story through different perspectives depending on who you chose, as well as having to choose who to recruit to your party. My favorite part of the game though was its incredible soundtrack. One of Motoi Sakuraba's finest scores. The remake's soundtrack was everthing i could have hoped for.

When Star Ocean 2 came out I was a sophomore in high school. I had one really good friend that loved jrpgs as much as I did. We both got copies the game. We had so much fun playing it, figuring what characters you could recruit, what endings we could get, the best equipment, how to level up the fastest, etc. With the remake, although it looked amazing compared to the original, and the battles were much more fluid, it really took me down memory lane. It made me feel like I did as a teenager, I played the remake non stop! What I loved most though was my kids watched me play it and they fell in love too. My 11 year old daughter wanted a copy for Christmas. I got it for her, and she beat the game and is on her second play through! I really wanted the collectors edition, and David warned us not to wait…. I waited just a week or two and missed out!

Thank you for the opportunity to win this. I don't have a history of Star Ocean 2, nor any of them yet. I have wanted to get into the games, but life has a way of needing the money you earn for other things. I love the graphics that this game has. The 2D-HD style that they went with for the remake is beautiful. Another part that I really like is that it allows you to choose a character that you want to play as. For me, more rpgs need to have that. From what I have read and heard, this is one of, if not the best, of the Star Ocean games. It makes me excited to play it, whenever that may be. It is definitely on my list, that's for sure. Well, all of them are on my list to play, even 5. I know that was said to be bad, but I still want to experience all of them. Thank you again, David. Whomever does win this, I hope they enjoy it.

I played and fell in love with the original many decades ago, still living at home as a carefree teenager. I remember Star Ocean - back then - reminding me a lot of Tales Series. But what do I love most about the Remake? Well the visuals are absolutely gorgeous, but honestly I'm a retro-gamer at heart just like David, so I don't need gorgeous visuals to be sold (I love the original game's visuals too, even though, yes, the new version is even prettier). For me it's the combat improvements! I can't believe how much love was put into the remake, because the combat is so damn crisp - even by comparison to the old game. We would have all been the happiest campers just get any release of this wonderful GEM, but the fact that the development team made the gameplay *feel* better just blew my mind. This is the absolute gold-standard of a remake, and this game's existence - and success - fills me with delight.

I think for me the thing I love about Star Ocean 2R is the Skill and Crafting system. There were no other RPG's that did this like Star Ocean did back in the day. I remember playing the heck out of it when I was a kid with friends and trying to get all the weapons and armor trying to break the game. Writing down what things made what equipment. When the internet became bigger finding fan translations of older Super NES RPG's like Tales of Phantasia and the Original Star Ocean on Super NES just cemented my love for these different RPG's. I've always been just a big RPG gamer and collector. About 4-5 years back I finally found a CiB copy for a good price for Star Ocean 2. Loaded it up in my PS3 and it just hit me in the feels. When Star Ocean 2R got announced I knew I had to have and replay the game. Got it on switch because I love the portability factor. I hope we get some remakes or remasters (in the same vein) of the older Tales games (Phantasia, Destiny 1 and 2) Love your channel David.

What I love about Star Ocean 2 R is the emotion that is delivered through the stories and characters. It really runs the gamut of emotional range. We are given heaps of charm, laugh out loud moments, inspiration, heroism, and even loss and grief. The game has always been deep in its story, and that is further enhanced with this version. What’s even better is you get to experience the game all over again, from an entirely new perspective, as soon as it is over. Yes, many of the events play out the same, but we are treated to a new way to view everything by choosing between characters. I like that. This release is the biggest sleeper hit JRPG since Chrono Trigger. It’s fun. It’s gorgeous. It’s an amazing adventure. But, what stands out beyond all of that is the emotional range in the story, writing, and characters. That is what has made Star Ocean 2 R an instant classic.

Til The End of Time was my first Star Ocean game, but when they released the demo for 2R, I was SOLD. The story and voice acting were good, but honestly the visuals were the part that impressed me the most. I spent so much time just wandering around that opening forest before beginning the ACTUAL story! 😂 ❤ ⭐️ 🌊

I recently got back into playing video games after almost 15 years. I found that it has helped me find relief from life. In the past I had played games that were "popular" but only recently have I discovered my love for rpg's. Star Ocean Second R has been such a breath of fresh air. I enjoy the visual art style and has introduced me to the Star Ocean franchise. I am truly greatful that I can enjoy such an amazing journey.

16 year old me loved this game. I remember getting out of school for summer so pumped because it was releasing June 8th 1999. Had to beat this bad boy for all the endings before the world ended in Y2K😂. Then I realized it had like 80 plus endings and just hoped I made the right decisions for ME and beat it several times. I’m a Dad and past 40 now so while it’s harder, I’ll still stay up late Fridays and Saturdays after my wife and daughter are asleep and geek out on retro RPGs. PlayStation 1 was such a golden era I’m so glad these games are back. Now, can we PLEASE just yell as loud as we can for a Xenogears proper release on modern hardware. Or Vagrant Story with the best intro in any rpg ever (I’ll die on this hill!). What great memories, thanks David for all your content and being relentlessly positive in the face of a sometimes crummy world.

This is amazing news, going to go back and dive in!! This just gives me hope that we'll get a remake of Star Ocean Blue Sphere!! I still think back to the day when I was in my movie rental shop as a kid, they'd sell used games at times and Star Ocean was one of them. I picked it up and had no idea the impact that it would leave on me. Still can't believe how perfect of remaster this was.

Oh also, stuff that I loved… the added lore in areas you could optionally explore on the world map (I’m thinking the crater by Linga for example) had me smiling to no end. Surprisingly, at the very end of the game I got really into the fishing stuff and going around both worlds just to fish at the end turned out to be really enjoyable and the hunts or whatever were also great! I wish there was an option to remove the auto attack combo though. As for what I loved most, the added PAs are for sure what got me. There’s this one PA at the College in Giveaway (I think the name was changed for the remake but can’t remember right now) and it features the whole party just chilling. It gave me a such a nostalgic gut wrench that just thinking about it as I type this on my phone gave me a brief wave of that feeling!

I used to accompany my mom to the grocery story because she would buy me candy if I did. As I got a little older I would wander off to the electronics section and look at games. I has been looking at star ocean for almost two years on the shelf of my local Fred Meyer. Finally I got some money for my birthday and bought it without knowing anything about it. None of my friends had heard of it, nothing. I quickly became obsessed and so did my friends. I have no idea what happened to my original copy but to say I was pretty excited about the remake is an understatement. I love the updated visuals in general but particularly the over world and how the encounters work!

This was my 3rd jrpg on the original PSX and I bought it, because my dad got me the Star Ocean 1 on the SNES. I remember my dad spent the time to take out the 2 tabs in the SNES for me lol he brought the plastic cover of the console, but the game worked lol. I remember playing the first SO and fell in love with this game. Then SO 2 came out on PSX, I jumped on it, I spent my lunch money on it. I had no regrets played the game for two months straight and I think I still have my PS1 memory card somewhere. I just remember starting the game picking Claude and the game just made me felt right back at home. All the control felt even better than the SNES SO1. I remember finishing the game the first time and go... man I can a bright and amazing future for Star Ocean, I wonder what the game will look 10 years from now. So far playing all the remakes, makes me glad we had those star ocean games that weren't a hit, it feels like the dev team went back to the game that made the series and rediscovered what they loved about it. I love the combat personally and the story. But the combat is what I lived for! I loved the first time I fought the 12 wiseman and dying... unfortunately. Then I overleveled the hell out of my party, it was a breeze after that LOL. I remember spending hours grinding to be op. I hope they don''t abandon pixel rpgs, with the tech we have today, we should see even better pixel rpgs!

Star Ocean 2 has always held a strong image and place in my heart. I always have this image stuck in my memories of my mother's boyfriend playing it and heading into the Cave of Trials. I was always very close with my mother's boyfriend and he cared for both of us deeply and I haven't seen him since he and my mother broke up (when I was about 9 or so) and she passed away. He introduced me to a lot of jrpgs like FF6 on the SNES and I would watch him play games all the time. I still remember the flags he would hang on his wall and how I thought that it was a silly decoration. Then one days years and years later I came across a copy of Star Ocean Second Story in a nearby Blockbusters and I immediately bought it. I played it nonstop as the memories began rushing back. This game has been a core favorite of mine and always brings back fond and happy memories. This remake has blown me away with how they kept the spirit and core of the game alive and truly enhanced it. I still remember when I introduced the game to my younger cousin and we would stay up all night playing it together.

I got into turned based RPG’s a few years ago with fire emblem and started following channels that talk about RPG’s.. I loved your channel and started watching regularly, it was YOU who talked me into my first action rpg and that was Star ocean 2R! Since beating that I’ve played through 2 Xenoblade games and started Atelier Ryza… I’m so addicted and it’s thanks to you, David 🍻

I missed out during its' original release, but I was a member of a popular VGM forum at the time that hosted mp3s of a selection of tracks. Sort of a sample of what the OST offered. The tracks stunned me. Sakuraba's unique use of fast-paced synth was unheard of in the genre, but there was also the late 90's CG that was used on the overs of both the OST and arranged albums (which I still have somewhere). I have always had an enormous soft spot for pre-rendered graphics in games, and SO2 looked unbelievably, tantalizingly lush in screenshots. Star Ocean 2 was always on my list of RPGs to try out back then, along with Persona 2, Valkyrie Profile, and others, but I never could find it at retail. Screenshots in Gamefan made it seem reminiscent in theme and tone of Xenogears or Phantasy Star, and that's 100% my jam. I would pour over those screenshots and imagine what the game would be like. I really miss the era of print media. 8:21

I remember playing this in college (yeah I’m that old) on PlayStation. It was all I played when I got it. I loved the crafting, the skills, the open world once you got past Cross castle (somewhat open anyway). I remember grinding my pickpocket to steal that one item that gave you free stuff, but also opened the hidden dungeon. I was never able to finish it before this remake. Completing that dungeon was the highlight of my gaming life! Being able to finish a difficult and fun dungeon was amazing!! Good luck to us all and thank you for the news and being a fan of RPGs!!

Hello David, long time watcher, first time poster. While I have not gotten a chance to play Star Ocean 2R due to some issues that came up, I love Star Ocean 2 back on the PS1. It was my first SO game and I remember renting it at Blockbuster with my brother and we would take turns playing it. I remember renting it 3 or 4 times to get through it all but never did. My friend many years later let me know Gamestop had 2 copies and he picked up 1 and I rushed over there, or as soon as my mom got back from work to take me, and unfortunately they did not have that copy any more. My friend let me borrow his when he was done with it and I was floored when I found out there was the 2nd planet and the 10 Wise Man because I did not have any clue the story was going to take that twist. I have been a long time fan of SO ever since. SO2 is by far my favorite by SO3 is right up there with it. I have played all the rest in the series and I have to find one I didn't like, though 2 is still the winner in my heart.

Star ocean was my first jp rpg and its still my favourite i still remmeber back in the old days when i cant wait for the weekends to play it or coming home after school and then play it i always listen to the OST and the art is so awesome such a amazing game , its not game of the year its game of the decade ! truly bless with this games

This is so cool! I’m not used to seeing a remake, especially one that’s from a lesser known series, getting a patch like this - particularly added artwork post-launch - but I LOVE it.

I first played Star Ocean 2 by chance. I didn't know it existed, and I didn't know anything about it. I was just getting into the RPG craze, and I went to the mall with my mom to go shopping and (hopefully) look at games. I made my way to the game store in the mall, and I wanted to pick up some JRPGs. I looked at the front artwork of different games and read the back as well to determine the genre. After grabbing one cool-looking game for cheap called Suikoden 2, my eyes landed on Star Ocean 2. Something about the cover caught my gaze, even though it's not exactly a shining example of a JRPG cover, and I took a look at the back. The art looked great, and there was a small blurb about 80 possible endings. I picked both games up and tried them both out when I got home. It's not a stretch to say I loved both games, but what really got me pumped was what I was able to experience by picking out two great games by browsing a mall shop. I tried to pick out games that way again in the future, but nothing can top the experience I received when bringing those two gems home on the same day. In fact, to this day, I wish I could replicate that experience, but that's probably not going to happen with how much we know in advance these days. That was a very special moment for me, and I will never forget it.

I wish I had a great story to share, but I'm just grateful that you introduced me to this wonderful series as this is the first one in the Star Ocean series that I'm playing and I'm loving it.

Well David my fondest memory of playing Star Ocean 2 was on the PS1. I thought this was going to be a pretty good game, but after playing through the game, the first time I was completely wrong. It was a incredibly awesome game. The characters, the connection they each had with each other, the story change my feelings towards each character. The soundtrack was awesome, making me wish I had the original soundtrack right there. Now being able to play once again this number one game of the series so far has been wanting more. The original Star Ocean Second Story I managed to play through twice in a row to see how many endings there were. I also played through Star Ocean Second Evolution on the PSP to see the changes that were put into that version of the game. Now I’m just starting to play through Star Ocean 2R on the Switch and I’m quite happy with what Square Soft has done and improved with the game. At 52 years of age I still love my RPGs. Side note I wish not to be enter in the contest as I have the complete original soundtrack to the game in my possession which I got off Play Asia and would love someone that loves the game be able to enjoy it. Thanks for another awesome video as I look forward to more RPG news weekly.

Wow, the ending collection section is so nice! They went all out on this game. I hope they take on its sequel... they did such a great job!!! I hope this isn't the end of amazing high quality remakes of older games from SE like this.

I remember playing this game on a playstation 1 with a portable lid. My cousin lent it to a teenaged me with so many other JRPGs which has sparked a lifelong love for the genre.

When I was younger my older brother had a playstation. He never let me go into his room or watch him play games. He'd talk about this new game where you could craft items, pickpocket from townsfolk, even send pigeons to get items for you and I was so intrigued and curious about how this game looked or how they could even do all these things(I was used to games like Donkey Kong on SNES at the time). Anyways, when my brother moved out, he gave me his playstation and all of his games and Star Ocean: The Second Story was amongst the small stack of games. I fell in love with the game and its characters- warping to Expel and saving Rena becoming the "hero of light" was the best story to me. I thought Diaz was the absolute coolest character in the entire world also. I couldn't get enough and I still call it my favorite game of all time. I bought 2 copies of SO2R also; one to play on ps5 and one to keep in the packaging for switch lol

What made me enjoy Star Ocean 2nd Story R was the deepness of its mechanics and crafting. For a PS1 game it blew my mind away playing retroactively. I picked it up a couple days before my birthday as a gift to myself and I thoroughly enjoyed the game. The story aspect that really gripped me was the twist with the 10 Wise Men. I was like damn …. Not saying more as to not spoil anybody. I currently own my copy on Switch, but would love to win this collectors edition so that I may introduce my little brother to RPGs especially those with 2DHD graphics. Seeing as he got a PS5 for Christmas I see his interests slowly moving from Fortnite, Rocket League and Live service games to those more story and single player focused. All the best to the others who’ve participated.

Back in the day, It was hard to know about JRPGs, I didn't know of the Star Ocean saga. A friend from University lent SO2 to me and I started playing it. I didn't know anything about the series. I started playing it and saw similarities to Tales of Destiny, but the fact that the battle occurred in a 2.5D platform shocked me. The music captivated me, and the characters were very charming. I loved the sci-fi/medieval theme. Then I saw that CGI animation of a big wave destroying the town were just were in. I missed many quests, items, things to explore. There was no way going back. It felt like Aerith dying all over again. From that moment on, I realized that this game was going to shook me from begining to end. I couldn't finish it before returning the game to my friend, and I couldn't find the game on the stores. Luckily I got it for the PSP when they rereleased both SO and I was able to play and finish both games there. I'm excited of this ending tracking interface and high level battles!

Grew up as Star Ocean the Second Story was one of my favorite rpgs on the PS1. Identified with Dias as a loner brooding type when I was a teenager haha! Not being that accessible on modern systems, I am now able to share Star Ocean second story R with my son, who is 8. The more action-based battle seems to fit well with him compared to a traditional turn-based rpg and we have had a lot of fun going through it. The changes that were made have made it new and fresh for me, even though I have beaten it so many times already.

David, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one with issues. I keep a pristine sealed copy of SO2, Valkyrie Profile, Vagrant Story, and Xenogears along with a less immaculate copy of each to play as well as duplicates of the strategy guides for each as well. Been collecting a long time. Covid and everything after have reduced my income greatly so while I haven’t had a chance to snag a copy of SO2R, it hasn’t stopped me from enjoying your fabulous RPG content for years now. Thanks for all you do and keep it up!

I got my start with JRPGs on the PS1 and honestly whenever I think of JRPGs my mind immediately goes to that era, star ocean, valkyrie profile, legend of Dragoon, xenogears, legend of legaia, all those games were just amazing and honestly I was too young to really appreciate how good of an era it was for my favorite genre. Honestly 12 year old me couldn't get over how cool Ashton was with two dragons coming out of his shoulders and I certainly can't forget my disappointment at the character roster for star ocean till the end of time and it's distinct lack of dragon related body ornaments, oh to be young again. Love your videos David, your enthusiasm always brightens my day!

My favorite thing about Star Ocean 2R was watching my boyfriend who was so excited to play this game again. This is one of his favorite games of all time. It's definetly up there as one of mine now.

Star Ocean Second Story is the game that kicked off my love for the series. I still have my original ps1 copy and the Prima strategy guide. The guide is practically falling apart but that game was my escape when it launched. It released on June 8th and my birthday is on the 11th and my parents surprised me with it. I absolutely fell in love with it and the combat system had me hooked along with all the different characters you could recruit. I’m 38 now and playing Star Ocean 2 R on the Switch brought back a flood of nostalgia. Square absolutely knocked 2 R out of the park and I can’t believe they’re continuing to add content to it. I think my favourite thing about 2 R though would be the graphics. The Octopath style looks so good and it really is a gorgeous game to look at it. I honestly never thought that I’d ever get to play a remake of one of my favourite games of all time but here we are ❤

Star Ocean 2 on Playstation was my first Star Ocean experience, and it had such a nice blend of sci-fi and fantasy, it really hooked me. It kinda reminded me of Phantasy Star (way back on the Sega) with its futuristic technology mixed with swords and magic. I never owned the PSX version, I rented it a lot and almost beat it, but I've grabbed up every Star Ocean since then. While I love the whole series (though each entry does have flaws), SO2 has always been my favorite. Something about Rena's story keeps me coming back. I love how much love went into this remake, all of the quality of life additions. It's so much easier to keep track of all of the different skills/crafts you can teach everyone and what they do, and this new update just adds even more on top of it. What did I love most about the remake? Outside of everything there is to love about the original... SO2R is just so accessible. It really feels like they nailed the exact vision the original was going for with its systems and mechanics, and fully fleshed it all out. In the original, I found some of the menu's and item creation skills a bit overwhelming and confusing, but everything is explained and easy to figure out in the remake. Maybe it was because I was MUCH younger when I played the original, but I feel like the game's skill system is way more easy to understand in the remake. Special mention to the BEAUTIFUL HD2D graphics :)

I hope we continue to get re-releases so that these games can be enjoyed by new and upcoming generations. My best Star Ocean and general gaming memories are with my grandma. People are always surprised when I say that my grandma is the one who got me into jrpgs. She started gaming in the 90's and was a Nintendo connoisseur of sorts! She had a setup with her SNES, 64, Gamecube, handhelds, and also a PS2. She always bought one copy of a game or console for her, and one for me. We had matching gameboys and DS's and even matching recliners to game in. I wouldn't know Star Ocean, Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, or the Tales series without my grandma. She passed in 2007 at the age of 75 and much of her collection is mine now. ❤

Star Ocean 2 has always been dear to my heart. What I liked most about star ocean 2 r is seeing the gorgeous character art, and seeing the world in the HD2D style was so exciting. I grew up playing the game (and other Star Ocean games) at my cousin's because they had the game, Renas character design really made me feel joy. I love her color palette. I also love the story, something about finding a real chosen family like Claude found in rena and their companions speaks to me as I've not been very close to my own family but have my own chosen family among some really close friends of mine. My favorite part of the game is probably fun city and messing around there. As a kid I really liked doing the cooking mini game with Rena. Anyway thanks for this opportunity. I'm excited to fight the new raids and get the Wisemen for use in battle!

So my favorite memory with SO2 is that when I finished it originally on PS1 I cried heavily for the rest of that day and even through the rest of the week. It was just such an amazing experience and one of my first JRPG ones too. My Mum was so concerned she sat me down to find out why I was this puffy sobbing mess. After I'd regaled her with the tale she too was nearly in tears. We repeated this with Second Evolutions release and last fall with Second Story R! I'm so glad I've been able to share the series with her over the years. Her eyesight sadly has started to fail so she struggled a bit to see all of the new gorgeous details in Second Story R but still listened with enthusiasm and kept me company while I played.

This is excellent news since I’m almost done with my first play through of so2R, it’s taking me long cause I’m taking my time doing all the lil things like fishing, achievements, and all the fun city stuff. My fave part has been the freedom they give you to go at your own pace and pretty much do/make anything you want to help you.( your tips video helped a lot for understanding this amazing rpg there’s soo much to do!) also the story along with the characters it all fits in perfect. Anyways you’re awesome David love your channel!

Love from Belgium 🇧🇪 ❤ So glad you shared the information with us ❤

Appreciate it David, been putting off playing this game long enough. This patch is amazing, for free! True blessing.

These new updates are great additions to an already outstanding remake ✨

I remember renting the game back in the summer of 99 (back when you could only rent games for two days at a time). I kept coming back every few days to rent it again, so much so, that the local rental store said, "kid, you're the only one who rents this game, why don't you just have it!" Star Ocean 2 is the reason why I ended up falling in love with JRPGs, as I had never really played one before this game. It is why I played and fell in love with games like Lunar and Parasite Eve. It has become a tradition of mine to play through the game (or at least a portion of the game, cause backlog probs!) every summer since then. EVERY summer. I love this game so much and have played it so much, that even my husband knows the music by heart and can hum along to it. In fact, I love Star Ocean 2 (and the remake!) so incredibly much, that I made my str8 best friend play it back in November. He loved it so much that he and I decided to start a video game podcast (Turn-Based Besties), with our first ever episode dedicated entirely to Star Ocean 2! The running joke in the podcast is "Can I mention Star Ocean 2 in every episode without it being awkward?" We are on episode 5 and yes, yes I can haha! Truly, this game was pivotal for me. I've introduced many friends to the beauty of this game and have talked ad nauseam about it for *checks watch* 25 years. It would be a dream to snag a collector's edition, but honestly, this prize is going to a die hard fan no matter who gets it, so all is good :) Thanks for your consideration, David!

This was my third RPG on the PS1, and I never forgot about it. They made progression with crafting/fishing/exploring addicting and a ton of fun to progress through. The fact they're adding free stuff to the game is just a beautiful touch to the quality remade they gave us. Playing as Dias again was probably ultimately my favorite part, next to the ending of course.

I’ve recently gotten into the start ocean series! I’m currently playing through Star Ocean First Departure for the PSP and I’m loving the game! The characters, story, world building, gameplay, all of it is so amazing! I particularly am looking forward to replaying the game with different party members and trying to get as many endings as possible. Based on what I’ve heard about the sequel (that it does everything that the first game did but better), I know I will love star ocean 2 and am greatly looking forward to playing it!

If I could have one wish, its that they bring back the sound tests page from the original, it unlocked all the sound bites from the characters and it was a blast to go through them all. I spent the better part of the last two decades saying "unexpectedly weak" and oooooh it's hot" at random times with no one else having a clue as to why

We never own any Playstation system until I was about 10 years old. Although Star Ocean Till the End of Time was my first, I needed to go back in time to play the first two because I like SO3 so much. It wasn't until years later until I started working and order it myself SO2 for PS1. Although it came as two game CDs only, I got to play this game. Little did I know, I quickly fell in love with it. The OST and the way you do item creations was so much convenient than SO3. The storyline quickly got you attach to it. Even though I was much older by this time, I was amaze at how well the overworld was done and towns were easier to find compare to SO1. The battle system was my favorite. I love the free moving around when you want to. It became a game I truly love to this day. I couldn't put it down. Finish the game in days only to continue on the other main character. Years later, I bought a PS Vita, then hack my system to play the psp version. I was absolutely in love with the new updated dialogs and the voice actings. It's my absolute favorite game to this day, I'm just so happy they did a new remake. This game is dear to my heart.

Star ocean 2nd story I originally played as a young teenager and its amazing blend of fantasy and sci-fi immediately drew me and I fell in love with the game and it was my most played game for I think like almost a decade at 300+ hours. But I think specifically the single thing that got me the most in the game (Aside from it being one of the most fun games to break ever) was the opening forest theme song where Claude first meets Rena I listened to that song over and over and even dreamed of it multiple times having isekai dreams of adventure before I even learned what the word isekai meant or even heard the word. The anime Star Ocean EX and it’s absolutely legendary opening “To the Light” also has a permanent living place in my head and now I have a new theme song to fall in love with in “Stella” the opening theme song to Star ocean 2nd story R! Also if you’ve never seen it the scene where Claude fires the phase gun in Star ocean EX is anime over the top at its best!

I remember buying the original on the psx and just being completely enamored by it. It just ticked all the right boxes at that time. I played that every year for so many years, but also did the same thing when the psp version came out! Now Star Ocean Second Story R was exactly how my mind interpreted the game when it came out on the psx. It was a perfect recreation of how my brain envisioned the game and brought be back to being a kid! With all the crazy in the world, it’s just nice to be pulled into a familiar world to help bring order to the chaos.

I didn't grow up as a gamer. I got to be around video games from time to time and was so pleased just waiting to take my turn on the n64 at the local boys and girls club every Thursday after school. So being that I didn't have a ton of exposure to different games and genres as a kid, I'm getting to play catchup as an adult. While researching science fiction rpgs I found out about star ocean. Researching further I discovered your channel and your love of the series. When they announced 2r I was so glad to get to play the game in the series that I heard was best. I beat the game with Claude about two weeks ago and my goodness I just need to play through it again as Reyna to recruit the characters I missed the first time! Been a silent viewer for a couple of years now I think and just want to take this as an opportunity to say thank you.

What I love about Star Ocean 2 r is the art style. It reminds me of Illusion of Gaia on SNES and that holds a very special place for me as a kid I played that rpg so much.

I have a fond memory of playing Star Ocean 2 with my younger brother. We would stay up all night playing together. Many years later, when he visited me for the weekend, we were able to play the ugame again, taking turns with the controller. The game holds a special place in my heart due to these memories.

Star Ocean 2R made me realize my older brother lied to me. He was stuck on a boss and handed me a controller to "help him." Sadly, he never beat it, but I always wanted to. Once R came out I made it a mission to finish what we started. Once I finished the game it hit me, not only was he stuck on a super boss, but the game was single player the whole time and I did nothing. After that realization I decided to get the platinum trophy and it'll forever be one of my favorite childhood memories.

SO2r was the first time I completed the game, but not the first time playing it! I am 34, so I come from the era of going to the neighbors house, and seeing the original release being played by their older brother. Just hearing the SO menu sounds, those older voicelines (you know I switched to the old portraits for a while :p) brought me back to that era of my neighbors mom making us top ramen, and humming the music on my way home for dinner. I enjoyed the game and everything it offered, but the nostalgia hit really overwhelmed anything else. Thanks to you David, by the way, for making the guides when SO2r was released. I assume a lot of people, me included, were introduced to your work through this game!

RIP to me. Im in the UK. I played Star Ocean 3 but got Star Ocean 2 and Divine Force recently last year.

I'll be honest, I've never played SO2, but every Star Ocean entry has absolutely captivated my interest. From the moment I first heard about it with SO2, I've loved the idea of it. I remember seeing it in my local game rental store millions of times and always wanting to get it, but I never got a chance to. I finally played an entry with SO3. I played about halfway through SO3 and my 13 year old self got stuck in a dungeon. Regardless, I loved it. It was like a mix of my two favorite things; Star Wars amd Final Fantasy (yes I know more Star Trek influence but oh well). Fast forward past my ps3/xbox 360 gaming hiatus and I tried SO5. I got so bored I almost cried. But still the concept interested me. Around the time my wife got pregnant with our son, I reignited my love of JRPGs and discovered your channel and the amazing jrpg community. Star Ocean came back on my radar, and I got so intrigued I bought all of them including re-buying 5. Well all except 2, because until recently it hasnt been available on any modern consoles. I've always loved the idea of sci fi meets high fantasy, and when I finally played SO First Departure R, it was so amazingly executed I fell in love and bought S06. I'm working through my backlog, and the SO series is definitely high priority. Especially having heard so many beaming reviews of SO2, even before the gorgeous overhaul that is SO2R. I truly hope to play this game one day, and even thought about emmulating the ps1 version for those beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds. I know I probably won't get picked since I've barely touched the SO series, but I hope my long rant made someone feel nostalgic and resonated with them nonetheless.

Hi David ❤ JRPG’s have always been my favorite genre. I am currently playing Star Ocean Second Story R and I AM LOVING IT!! I love the characters and the story as it is unique. It’s so satisfying too! Thank you for sharing these news of the update and HOPE to win the contest!❤ Appreciate all that you do for the JRPG community like me 😊

Omg omg omg. This is fantastic news. Square doing things right. When an RPG comes out it isn't often they get such attention after release without it being some paid dlc thing. I've been in love with the Star Ocean series since I was a kid. Mid forties me had a crap when they announced Second Story I could have had a standing crap. There isn't a definitive part I can share, but kore of how the remake, is how I imagined the game being over twenty years ago. Or more so, how grand I remember it as. The original game was amazing, and when R released, it was like they took what I imagined the original being, and gave it true life. Second Story was a great game and pretty damn lovely for its time, but R, is its masterwork. And it's in all the facets of the game. Writing, character growth, the staggering amount of endings... and Precis will always be a favorite character of mine. "Victory is mine!" There isn't a fine point to what I live about the game, but kore of what the made it into. Truly how a remake is supposed to be. Good luck all's, y'all's!

My favorite thing about Star Ocean Second Story is that it's me and my brothers first time finding a common ground for each other. We I was younger my brother didn't really want anything to do with each other and he would actively try and avoid me. One day I came home after buying the psp version of Star Ocean 2 and he overheard my psp play the music from the game and stopped me. He asked me what game I was playing and I told him the remake of Star Ocean 2. He then ran upstairs grabbed his ps1 and his copy of Star Ocean 2 on ps1 and sat down with me and started playing it along side me. We actually found something we both liked and even to this day we still message each other about new RPGs that have released and if he's played them yet. So I would say my favorite thing about Star Ocean 2 is, it brought me and my brother together as family. (Side note, he actually gave me his copy of Star Ocean 2 on ps1 before moving back to California and I still have that copy to this day)

My first memory of Star Ocean 2 was actually a random encounter and chance of fate. I was renting a game for the weekend back when renting games were a thing and I hand't intended on renting SO2. I was going for Brave Fencer Musashi and the attendant had mistakenly included the first SO2 CD in the BFM case. I was upset when I got home but I decided to give the game a chance. When I played it, I felt transported into a new world. The adventure of traveling in space opened my eyes to my love of video games and the angst of being the son of a famous hero was a theme going on in my life. At the time, my father was a restaurant owner and was known in my town as sort of a local hero, and I was constantly being compared to him at every step. I related so hard to the way that Claude grappled with forging his own path being the son of the famous Ronyx J Kenny. It was one of the reasons I decided to walk away from inheriting his business and choosing my own path. SO2 was also the first game I played with my best friend at the time and brought us together every weekend to level up and discover this new world together. It even convinced us to create our own video game characters and make short stories about their origins and special movies. SO2 was a huge part of my childhood, so when I heard about SO2R, it was no contest. Playing through it rushed back so many memories and I'm ecstatic to see such a resounding cheer from the community upon its release. It shows my experience wasn't unique. Many players feel the same heartfelt appreciation for SO2 and proves how great storytelling and character development in video games makes the medium timeless for so many!

what made me fall in love with this game is the fact that I played the original only a couple of years ago and it was completely brand new to me, the story and the setting being a cross between space and underdeveloped planets, the hidden details of communication like their translating devices. I found this game by mistake after having been bored with a lot of newer gen games. the art style and sprite animations really made me feel like I was in a magical world, observing and also taking part in the adventure with everyone. at the time I played this, was like 26 years old, felt extremely alone and my mental health was really at a low point. so playing this, I was able to have friends again and be apart of something, this game made me care about decisions and the consequences that came with them, it made me genuinely care about the characters lives in the game and wanting to be able to help them.. where I'm from, it's difficult to help people because you're often taken for granted or become a pushover so being able to help the characters in this game was a feeling id forgotten about completely. for a short amount of time I was able to feel like belonged somewhere. and when the remake came out.. I lost my cool and bought immediately even though I was slightly in debt. the way they recreated every environment and detail was something that caught me off guard, I thought this is a true remake! I don't have a favourite part of the game and can't describe exactly what made me love it but the original was just like a light in the tunnel for me and then thiiis ooone!!! was like fireworks in a maze.. I found my way to it real fast! bought extra copies incase my siblings wanted to try it. I hope star ocean can continue and I will always support this series. even without a prize my favourite game franchise of all time.

Heya David! I first picked up this game back in high school over 20 years ago. The most memorable things we're the battle system, sci-fi /fantasy setting, and multiple endings. I've been a Star Ocean fan ever since. This recent version kept all those aspects while adding such great quality of life improvements, speed up, NG+, and remastered music. My favorite part of SO2R is now my young daughter enjoys watching me play it. I've since beaten it and moved on to tackle my RPG backlog, but the daughter still asks me to boot it up. Maybe this recent update will push me enough to go through and finish my Platinum trophy. The kid insists I only control Rena though, haha.

The original has been one of my favorites games ever since a friend introduced it to me in HS like 20 yrs ago, a guy who I became friends with after we bonded over FF7 lol. I ended up loving the game so much that after he completed it he actually gave it to me and I still have it to this day! No box unfortunately, but I do have all the discs & manual. Ha, I even have a vid up on my channel from like 10+ years ago of a part of one my playthroughs. Anyway, that last playthrough was on PS3 and I hadn't touched the game since moving onto PS4, I remember wondering why it was never brought to our store in NA when it had been ported to the Japanese shop, and when I read that they didn't think there would be enough interest my jaw dropped. I'm super they changed their minds and brought us first departure & Second Story R! I remember on reddit ppl were getting pretty melancholy that the game would never be remastered like the first but that just never tracked with me, I mean the second game is objectively the best (yes, objectively lol) why wouldn't they give it the same treatment? Well, that's when I started thinking that it might be being remade. Super glad that panned out, oh and also I'd say my favorite thing about the remake are the graphics & combat overhauls, but additionally features like being able to walk (well, run) around as whoever I want and the orchestral music are incredible too. I have to say fishing was more fun than I was expecting as welll haha. The game game feels to me like a conjunction of second story & evolution, with a bunch of added bonuses which is just almost perfect... I will say though, I hope that if we're lucky enough to get future updates and/or dlc, that we can get modern looking sprites that more match the beautiful artwork (with a menu option to swap with the old ones), and an option... my dream feature lol, to recruit Dias as Claude or Leon as Rena after you've completed one playthrough as that character. Anyway, I got the game digitally this time around, but having no memorabilia or box cover just isn't the same, so I'd like to get it on Switch physically too. Ultimately I'm just super glad it's back, but to have it back and better than ever is a great feeling. I wonder if Blue Sphere could get remade too?

I love that it was such a different RPG for its time. The first star ocean was so obscure unless you lived in Japan, and was also a great game, but this was that on steroids, and I just love that they lean into the Star Trek esthetic. This is a game you can play countless times and 1) notice something new, and 2) every play through can be different. That's incredible for an rpg, let alone at its time, and it is a perfect package.