Star Ocean (video game)

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Good article Template:Main other{{#invoke:infobox|infoboxTemplate | child = | subbox = | bodyclass = ib-video-game hproduct {{#ifeq:|yes|collapsible {{#if:|{{{state}}}|autocollapse}}}} | templatestyles = Infobox video game/styles.css | aboveclass = fn | italic title =

| above = Star Ocean

| image = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image=Star Ocean SFC.jpg|sizedefault=frameless|upright=1|alt=|border=|suppressplaceholder=yes}}

| caption = {{#if:Star Ocean SFC.jpg|Super Famicom cover art|Super Famicom cover art}}

| label2 = DeveloperTemplate:Pluralize from text | data2 = tri-Ace (SFC)
Tose (PSP)

| label3 = PublisherTemplate:Pluralize from text | data3 = Enix (SFC)
Square Enix (PSP/PS4/Switch)

| label4 = DirectorTemplate:Pluralize from text | data4 = Joe Asanuma

| label5 = ProducerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data5 = Yoshinori Yamagishi

| label6 = DesignerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data6 = Masaki Norimoto

| label7 = ProgrammerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data7 = Yoshiharu Gotanda

| label8 = ArtistTemplate:Pluralize from text | data8 = Meimu

| label9 = WriterTemplate:Pluralize from text | data9 = Yoshiharu Gotanda

| label10 = ComposerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data10 = Motoi Sakuraba

| label11 = Series | data11 = Star Ocean

| label12 = Engine | data12 = Template:If first display both

| label13 = PlatformTemplate:Pluralize from text | data13 = Super Famicom, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4

| label14 = Release | data14 = Super FamicomTemplate:VgreleasePlayStation PortableTemplate:VgreleaseFirst Departure R
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4Template:Vgrelease

| label15 = GenreTemplate:Pluralize from text | data15 = Action role-playing

| label16 = ModeTemplate:Pluralize from text | data16 = Single-player

| label17 = Arcade system | data17 = Template:If first display both

| data30 =

| below = Template:EditOnWikidata

}}Template:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|ignoreblank=1|preview=Page using Template:Infobox video game with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"| alt | arcade system | artist | caption | border | child | collapsible | commons | composer | designer | developer | director | embedded | engine | fetchwikidata | genre | image | image_size | image_upright | italic title | modes | noicon | onlysourced | platform | platforms | producer | programmer | publisher | qid | refs | release | released | series | state | subbox | suppressfields | title | writer }}Template:Main other{{#if:Star Ocean SFC.jpg|}}

Template:Nihongo foot is a 1996 action role-playing game developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix for the Super Famicom. The first game in the Star Ocean series, it was released only in Japan in July 1996, and was the first game developed by tri-Ace, consisting of staff that had previously left Wolf Team due to being unhappy with the development process for Tales of Phantasia with Namco in 1995. The game used a special compression chip in its cartridge to compress and store all of the game's data due to possessing graphics that pushed the limits of the Super Famicom. Additionally, the game had voice acting for the game's intro and voice clips that played during the game's battle gameplay, a rarity for games on the system.

The story involves three friends who, while searching for the cure to a new disease, come into contact with a space-faring federation that is locked in a war with another galactic power. Using advanced technologies and time travel, the group attempts to uncover the cause of the war and to find a cure for their planet. The Super Famicom version was never released outside Japan due to Enix closing its American branch shortly before the game was finished, as well as Nintendo's focus on supporting the then-upcoming Nintendo 64 video game console. The game was later remade by Tose for the PlayStation Portable under the title Template:Nihongo foot and released in English-speaking regions in North America, Europe, and Australia in October 2008. A remastered version titled Template:Nihongo foot was released for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 worldwide in December 2019.<ref name=FDR/> The game was the start of the Star Ocean series, featuring six main games, three spin-offs, a remake, a remaster, and a manga.

Gameplay

Star Ocean is a role-playing video game that is played from a top-down perspective.<ref name=GSpy/> The player navigates a character throughout the game world, exploring towns and dungeons and interacting with non-player characters.<ref name="nintendolife1">Template:Cite web</ref> Unlike the original game, the PlayStation Portable remake includes a world map for the player to navigate.<ref name=onlytwo/><ref name="autogenerated3"/>

Party

In progressing through the game, the player is able to recruit up to eight additional characters to travel alongside the protagonist; some recruitments happen automatically, while others only happen depending on the previous actions and options taken by the player.<ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Though only 8 characters can be recruited in a playthrough, ten characters are available to be recruited, and as a result not all characters can be recruited in one playthrough of the game.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Certain characters cannot be recruited unless the player's party is a specific size, or the player has made specific story decisions.<ref name="siliconera1"/> In First Departure, players have the option of recruiting characters they did not previously have the option of adding to their party.<ref name=beyond/>

Battle

Star Ocean battle scene

One of the battles at one of Roak's towns, Kratus

When players move their party in the game's dungeons and paths, random battles occur.<ref name=GS/> Combat is done in a 3D isometric point of view.<ref name=GSpy/> Unlike games in the Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest series, the battles are not turn based, but play out in real time.<ref name="nintendolife1"/> Players also do not directly control all of their characters' actions, but instead chose battle strategies beforehand for all but one of their characters who then move and attack their closest enemy automatically.<ref name="nintendolife1"/><ref name=beyond/><ref name=engadget>Template:Cite web</ref> Added to First Departure was a combo attack system where special attacks stack to become more powerful.<ref name=beyond/> Players can equip characters with four special abilities with "ranged" and "distance" slots, whereas the remake reduced that number to two.<ref name=onlytwo>Template:Cite web</ref> Up to four characters can participate in battles, but the player is only able to control one character at a time, leaving the others to be controlled by the computer's artificial intelligence.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> The player can switch which character is being controlled in battle.<ref name="nintendolife1"/> All characters have a standard "attack" option, in which the character's equipped item is used to attack whichever enemy the player has locked on to.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Additionally, special techniques called Symbology can be used as well, which have the potential to deal more damage, but cost MP (Mental Points), of which each character has a finite amount.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Special attacks are assigned before combat begins.<ref name="autogenerated3"/>

Customization

Special Points (abbreviated "SP" in game) are also rewarded from battles, and are used to customize the character's abilities.<ref name="rpgamer1"/> For instance, allotting SP to the cooking ability grants or improves a given character's ability to make consumable foods out of raw materials in order to heal characters from damage taken in battles.<ref name="rpgamer1"/> Item creation can allow for characters to be able to create weapons and equipment that are stronger than those available to be bought in stores and towns.<ref name="rpgamer1"/> Individual items have a 20 item limit.<ref name="racketboy1"/>

Affection system

Star Ocean has a game mechanic called "Private Actions" that plays a role in character development.<ref name="nintendolife1"/> While entirely optional, they often reveal additional backstory of particular characters or have other varying effects on gameplay.<ref name="nintendolife1"/> Upon arriving in a town, the player can opt to have all the characters in the party to temporarily split up and go their separate ways within the limitations of the town.<ref name="siliconera1">Template:Cite web</ref> The player retains control of just Roddick (Ratix in the original Super Famicom game), and is able to look for the other characters.<ref name="racket"/> Upon finding other party members, various events may happen; sometimes only small talk results, other times, larger events happen, that may even require a choice to be made by the player.<ref name="siliconera1"/> Depending on the results, this can cause characters to either gain or lose "affinity" toward other characters in the party.<ref name="siliconera1"/><ref name=1UP/> For example, if one character loves another, the affinity level will be high, but if the former is mistreated, it will lower their feelings for the latter.<ref name="affinity"/> A character's affinity towards one another can have effects on the rest of the game.<ref name=1UP/><ref name="affinity"/> Affinity also affect which character's endings players see.<ref name=1UP/><ref name="affinity"/> While the game's overarching plot always largely ends the same, various parts of the ending are changed, added, or left out, depending on characters' affinity at the end of the game.<ref name=1UP/><ref name="affinity">Template:Cite web</ref>

Synopsis

Plot

The game takes place in S.D 346 (A.D 2432), and starts off in a small town of Kratus on the under-developed planet of Roak.<ref name="siliconera1"/> There, a few of the local Fellpool (cat-like people) youth, Roddick, Millie, and Dorne, are part of the village's local "Defense Force", who defend the village from minor threats such as thieves and robbers.<ref name="siliconera1"/> One day, however, a neighboring town, Coule, starts contracting a terrible disease that turns people into stone.<ref name="siliconera1"/> The town healer, Millie's father, contracts the disease while trying to get rid of it, leading the group to search Mt. Metorx for a herb that is rumored to cure any sickness.<ref name="siliconera1"/> Dorne unintentionally contracts the disease as well after touching an infected pigeon.<ref name="rpgamer1"/>

When they reach the summit, they are confronted by Ronyx J. Kenny and Ilia Silvestri, two crew members of the Earth Federation (Terran Alliance in the PSP remake) starship Calnus.<ref name="rpgamer1">Template:Cite web</ref> They inform them that the disease was sent to the planet by a foreign race called the Lezonians, whom the Earth Federation has been at war with. Roddick and Millie go with them on their spacecraft to help them find a cure. They learn that Fellpool blood could be used to process a special, invisible material which could give them a massive advantage in the war. Upon coming in contact with Lezonians, they reveal that they were being forced into war by a shadowy, powerful third party with a disgust for the Federation.

Before Dorne fully succumbs to the disease, they do tests on him to figure out a cure. They determined that the only possible way to fight it would be to make a vaccine that uses the original source of the disease. While the origin of the virus is tracked back to being on Roak itself, it is from Asmodeus, the King of the Demon World, who had been killed 300 years prior to the spread of the disease. Ronyx talks the group into using a Time Gate on the Planet Styx to go back 300 years into the past to track down Asmodeus back when he was still alive.<ref name="rpgamer1"/> While this works, Ilia trips while approaching the gate. As such, Ilia and Roddick have a delay from when they enter the time gate, and after the trip through time, they find themselves separated from Ronyx and Millie. The two groups work towards locating each other, and Asmodeus, in efforts to heal their family members and stop the war.

Characters

• Roddick FarrenceTemplate:Efn is a 19-year-old Fellpool swordsman and the game's protagonist. Roddick is a childhood friend of Millie and Dorne who served with them as town watchmen before being swept into adventure. He is voiced by Yuri Lowenthal in the English version, Mamoru Miyano in the Japanese remake and remastered,<ref name=BTVA1>Template:Cite web</ref> and Hiro Yuki in Super Famicom original and remastered.<ref name=BTVA2>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Millie ChlietteTemplate:Efn is an 18-year-old Fellpool practitioner of Symbology healing magic who wields a staff, and a longtime friend and romantic interest for Roddick. She is voiced by Katie Leigh in the English version, Hitomi Nabatame in the Japanese remake and remastered,<ref name=BTVA1/> and Konami Yoshida in the Super Famicom original and remastered.<ref name=BTVA2/>
• Ronyx J. KennyTemplate:Efn is the 38-year-old human captain of the starship Calnus, and uses a bow and arrows after leaving his phaser weapon behind. He is the father of Claude C. Kenny, the protagonist of Star Ocean: The Second Story. He is voiced by Sam Gold in the English version, Kenji Hamada in the Japanese remake and remastered,<ref name=BTVA1/> and Akira Okamori in the Super Famicom original and remastered.<ref name=BTVA2/>
• Ilia SilvestriTemplate:Efn is the 23-year-old human head science officer on the Calnus, serving under Ronyx. She fights using martial arts supplemented by gloves or claws, and enjoys alcohol. She is voiced by Julie Maddalena in the English version, Sanae Kobayashi in the Japanese remake and remastered,<ref name=BTVA1/> and Wakana Yamazaki in the Super Famicom original and remastered.<ref name=BTVA2/>
• Cyuss WarrenTemplate:Efn is a 20-year-old Highlander who wields a large broadsword. Son of Lord Lias, one of the Three Heroes of the Demonic Wars, he dreams of becoming the greatest swordsman in the land. He is voiced by Grant George in the English version, and Hiroki Tochi in both Japanese versions.<ref name=BTVA1/><ref name=BTVA2/>
• Ashlay BernbeldtTemplate:Efn is a 57-year-old Highlander soldier wandering the world to find a successor in which to teach his sword skills. If recruited, he forms such a relationship with Roddick, and thus they share many of the same techniques. He is voiced by Michael McConnohie in the English version, and Norio Wakamoto in the Japanese remake and remastered,<ref name=BTVA1/> and Kazuhiko Inoue in the Super Famicom original and remastered.<ref name=BTVA2/>
• Phia MelleTemplate:Efn is a 20-year-old Highlander and the head of the Astral Knights who uses throwing daggers in combat with the Hisho-ken style. She has feelings for Cyuss, but hides them under her outward desire to be a great knight. She is voiced by Dorothy Fahn in the English version, Megumi Toyoguchi in the Japanese remake and remastered,<ref name=BTVA1/> and Konami Yoshida in the Super Famicom original and remastered.<ref name=BTVA2/>
• Mavelle FroessonTemplate:Efn is a mysterious 19-year-old sorceress who accompanies Ronyx and Millie to Ionis. Her weapon is an orb that she throws at the enemy. She is voiced by Tara Platt in the English version, Hoko Kuwashima in the Japanese remake and remastered,<ref name=BTVA1/> and Nozomi Nonaka in the Super Famicom original and remastered.<ref name=BTVA2/>
• Ioshua JerandTemplate:Efn is a 20-year-old magic-using Featherfolk who is searching for his sister Erys, whom he was separated from after their parents were murdered. He despises combat, but realizes it as a necessary evil to survive in the world. He is voiced by Ezra Weisz in the English version, Jun Fukuyama in the Japanese remake and remastered,<ref name=BTVA1/> and Nobuyuki Hiyama in the Super Famicom original and remastered.<ref name=BTVA2/>
• T'nique ArcanaTemplate:Efn is an 18-year-old Lycanthrope who can transform into a dark blue werewolf in battle, and trains to become an excellent fighter and martial artist. He is voiced by Vic Mignogna in the English version, Chihiro Suzuki in the Japanese remake and remastered,<ref name=BTVA1/> and Takuya Fujisaki in the Super Famicom original and remastered.<ref name=BTVA2/>
• PericciTemplate:Efn is a 16-year-old Lesser Fellpool with more pronounced cat-like features including feline ears and fangs. Pericci serves as comedic relief, starting with low stats but gains several powerful techniques. She is voiced by Alicyn Packard in the English version, Yukari Tamura in the Japanese remake and remastered,<ref name=BTVA1/> and Wakana Yamazaki in the Super Famicom original and remastered.<ref name=BTVA2/>
• Erys JerandTemplate:Efn is Ioshua's 17-year-old sister who was kidnapped when they were children, and was brainwashed to be an assassin by the mysterious Crimson Shield. She later escaped and swapped her body with Mavelle to search for her parents' killer in secret. Erys does not appear in the original Super Famicom release, and is voiced by Stephanie Sheh in English, and Kana Ueda in Japanese.<ref name=BTVA1/>
• Welch VineyardTemplate:Efn is a mysterious 18-year-old traveler who appears somewhat ditzy and interested in meeting guys. Welch, like Erys, is only available in the remake. She first appeared as a non-playable character in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, but has been retroactively added to the first two games.<ref name=welch>Template:Cite web</ref> She is voiced by Melissa Fahn in the English version, and Tomoe Hanba in the Japanese version.<ref name=BTVA1/>

Development

In 1994, video game developers Wolf Team signed a deal with publisher Namco to release the game that would be Tales of Phantasia, which was later released in 1995 in Japan for the Super Famicom.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The development cycle for this game, however, was plagued with creative disputes between the developers and publisher, leading to much of the development team leaving to form a new company, which would become tri-Ace, which explains some of the common themes between the games, such as the similar battle systems.<ref name="nintendolife1"/>

After Tales of Phantasia was completed, some of the game's designers felt that the core skill and item systems were too "generic", and for their next game they would make a much deeper gameplay experience.<ref name=shmups>Template:Cite book</ref> To deepen the story, the "private action" system was created to reveal more of the characters history, personality and relationships, but the score the game generated from various choices was hidden from players since there was no "right" or "wrong" story path.<ref name=shmups/> In order to tell a "bigger" story, space was chosen as the setting.<ref name=shmups/>

Both Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean stretched the power of the Super Famicom to its limits, with a total of 48 megabits of data.<ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref name="racketboy1">Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, Star Ocean was also one of two games that used a special S-DD1 chip to aid in compression of almost all graphics and map data, meaning that it effectively stored even more data than Tales of Phantasia, though the compression led to a lower audio quality.<ref name="racketboy1"/><ref name="racket"/> The game also featured special technology called a "Flexible Voice Driver" that allowed for the compression of sound, allowing for voice clips for characters when in battles, another trait that was both very rare for a Super Famicom game, and shared with Tales of Phantasia.<ref name="nintendolife1"/> Different voice clips would be played depending on the scenario; if the characters were confronted by weak enemies, they may say something more confident, where as if confronted by strong enemies, they may say something more fearful or frantic.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Mode 7 graphics were generated using software, and appear when items pop out of treasure chests; the need for extra tiles, however, limited the graphical effects implementation.<ref name="racketboy1"/> The game also featured surround sound.<ref name="racketboy1"/> Planning for a sequel began as soon as development was completed on Star Ocean.<ref name=shmupy>Template:Cite book</ref> Feedback about weak boss monsters later led to more challenging battles in Star Ocean: The Second Story.<ref name=shmupy/>

The game was released on July 19, 1996.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite appearing in North American video game magazine Nintendo Power in 1996, the Super Famicom version was never officially released anywhere outside Japan.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Enix America ceased to publish games in North America by the end of 1995<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> due to poor sales,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Nintendo had already passed on publishing Tales of Phantasia a year prior, instead choosing to focus on the then-upcoming Nintendo 64 video game console.<ref name="racket">Template:Cite web</ref> The game was later unofficially translated into English by DeJap Translations, who created a patch that made the game fully playable in English via emulation.<ref name="nintendolife1"/> The game would not be officially available in English until 12 years later, when the game was remade for the PlayStation Portable as Star Ocean: First Departure in 2008.<ref name="autogenerated3">Template:Cite web</ref>

First Departure

Star Ocean: First Departure is an enhanced remake<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> of the original Star Ocean for the PlayStation Portable, developed by Tose.<ref name=beyond>Template:Cite web</ref> The first details of the game were revealed at the "Star Ocean Special Stage" during the Square Enix Party 2007, alongside those of Star Ocean: The Second Story. Yoshinori Yamagishi, producer of the series, stated that he wanted the remakes to feel as though they're completely new games.<ref name=GSVoice>Template:Cite web</ref>

The game was first released in Japan on December 27, 2007, then in North America and Europe in October 2008, marking the first time that the original Star Ocean was officially released outside Japan.<ref name="NA" /> The English localization was handled by Nanica, Inc., with voice-over production services provided by Epcar Entertainment, Inc.<ref name=voiceoverz>Template:Cite web</ref> First Departure uses a slightly altered version of the engine used for Star Ocean: The Second Story with similar features, including prerendered backgrounds, 3D battle fields and hand drawn facial animations.<ref name=beyond/><ref name=face>Template:Cite web</ref> Production I.G provided new artwork and animated cutscenes for the game.<ref name=beyond/> New playable characters have been added as well.<ref name=welch /> New voice actors and extensive amounts of new, fully voiced dialogue were included, with even some non-player characters being voiced over as well.<ref name="siliconera1"/><ref name=GSVoice/> A limited edition called the Star Ocean: First Departure Eternal Edition was released exclusively in Japan alongside the standard version.<ref name=edition/> It features alternate box art and was bundled with a Star Ocean-themed PSP-2000 handheld and carrying pouch.<ref name=edition>Template:Cite web</ref>

An HD remaster of the PlayStation Portable version titled Star Ocean: First Departure R for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 was released in December 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The new release features re-balanced game difficulty and increased world map movement speed<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as well as the option to toggle between character portraits from the PSP version or re-drawn designs based on the Super Famicom version.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The English release allows the player to choose between English voices or Japanese audio from either the PSP version or re-recorded dialogue from the original Super Famicom voice actors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Music

The scores for Star Ocean and First Departure were composed and arranged by Motoi Sakuraba.<ref name=heart/><ref name=shmup>Template:Cite book</ref> Music from the game was included on the album Star Ocean Perfect Sound Collection, released on November 1, 1996 by Sony Records, which included arranged medleys of themes from the Super Famicom version by Sakuraba, Yoshiharu Gotanda, and Kazushi Satoh as well as voice tracks.<ref name=perfect>Template:Cite web</ref> An album containing music from the PSP version was released on January 30, 2008 by Sony Music and Square Enix which contained 68 tracks across two discs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Critics praised Sakuraba's progressive rock style, and highlighted his musical experimentation throughout the original Star Ocean score and First Departure.<ref name=heart/><ref name=onlinesquare>Template:Cite web</ref> Tracks added from Star Ocean: The Second Story received mixed reviews on the First Departure album, adding some familiar Star Ocean themes but also some lesser known songs to the mix.<ref name=style>Template:Cite web</ref> Several musical pieces were missing from the original album and were added to the remake's release.<ref name=style/>

The First Departure remake features the theme song "Heart" performed by Japanese music group Asunaro, which accompanied the game's opening animation as well as the end credits, and was included in that version's official soundtrack in 2008.<ref name=heart>Template:Cite web</ref> This theme was replaced for the First Departure R release with the song Template:Nihongo by Yauchi Keiko of Shadow of Laffandor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Reception

The original Super Famicom release of Star Ocean sold approximately 235,000 copies in Japan, of which just over 175,000 copies were sold during 1996.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="EBsales">Template:Cite book</ref> The four reviewers in the Japanese magazine Weekly Famitsu generally gave the game complimentary scores. Two reviewers found the game unique and ambitious in its gameplay, with one reviewer critiquing that the real-time battle system would make players panic and mash buttons. They had different opinions on the story of the game with one saying it was solid, another saying the player's mileage in the game will depend on their how much they can get into the story, while another said that stories involving travelling to the future and past were a bit cliche at the moment.<ref name="Famitsu-SFC" /> In a 2009 retro review, Nintendo Life praised the game's technical aspects calling it "one of the best-looking Super Nintendo games ever created" and that the soundtrack "never ceases to amaze".<ref name="nintendolife1"/>

Star Ocean: First Departure on the PlayStation Portable sold 115,280 copies in its debut week in Japan,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with lifetime sales of approximately 204,996 copies in the region.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Weekly Famitsu gave the game high enough scores to earn the publication's Silver Award.<ref name=fam/> While the editors thought the title's animation and characters were well done and the story was "charming" they lamented that players could only save their progress at certain points such as the world map, which they also felt too large and had a limited field of view.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The English version of First Departure received mixed to average reviews, earning a 77% rating on GameRankings<ref name="GR2" /> and a 74 out of 100 average from Metacritic.<ref name="MC" /> Many reviewers felt that despite the updated graphics and sound, the game still felt less refined than more modern role-playing games. IGN found the game to have a "bland, awkwardly-told narrative" with "weak characters", but thought that it would appeal to fans of older games.<ref name="autogenerated3"/> GameSpot also stated that the title had "limited appeal" in addition to providing little challenge.<ref name=GS/> Andrew Fitch of 1UP.com, however, called First Departure an "overlooked classic" with "ridiculously engrossing crafting minutiae" and numerous character party combinations that increase its replay value.<ref name=1UP/> GameSpy called Star Ocean: First Departure one of the best games for PSP platform.<ref name=GSpy/>

First Departure R for the PlayStation 4 earned a 73 out of 100 average from Metacritic.<ref name=MCPS4 /> Dualshockers called it "an underwhelming port of an excellent but often forgotten Square Enix JRPG", remarking that any improvements to the PSP version were "mostly minor" such as the re-balance to the game's difficulty. The website remarked that the character designs featured in the animated cutscenes originally created for the PSP version do not match the remaster's new artwork, adding that these scenes were rare, but they are emblematic of the fairly low-effort port that Star Ocean First Departure R is.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> PlayStation Universe called attention to the title's "simplistic gameplay" and repetitive combat, but commended the animation of its character sprites and updated portrait art.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:Official website
• Template:Official website (PSP version)