TGS hands-on: Star Ocean First Departure

Yes, it's a remake of a decades-old RPG, but the in-game graphics lack the life seen in other PSP RPGs. Even Square Enix's own Final Fantasy remakes on the system added shiny new graphical effects, like brand new lighting. At the very least, the game runs at a silky smooth framerate that looks really eye-popping. Navigating the overworld was easy, and we were pleased by the incredible production values: voice acting was aplenty and much appreciated (even though we couldn't understand what they were saying!).
The battle system is where we found ourselves less enamored with the game. In a similar fashion to Namco's Tales series, the three characters run around a field in real-time. Players can attack in real-time with their lead character, although the experience felt somewhat simplistic. Sure, we had a limited amount of time with the game, and it was in Japanese. However, the game simply didn't have the flair that its animated cutscenes do, and the battles were less than engaging. Hopefully, more time with the game will change our opinion, but for now we're not too enthusiastic about Square Enix's latest effort.









Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ruibing @ Sep 22nd 2007 3:50PM
I already preordered the new FF Tactics, so its enough for me for awhile.
Wolfrider @ Sep 22nd 2007 7:25PM
Er... wait hold on. Are you sure you weren't playing Second Evolution and not First Departure? Second Evolution uses the original's graphics. First Departure is an upgrade.
And Second Story (ie Second Evolution) would be a decade old.
Hashbrown_Hunter @ Sep 22nd 2007 7:55PM
I'm glad I made the right call on this one a while ago. I figured this was just going to try to be a cash-in.
Unless development turns around, I could care less about this remake.