Star Ocean: The Second Story Critic Reviews

I would have to say the single feature that most caught my attention would have to be the emotional points. Started in the original Star Ocean game, it has been honed and perfected in the sequel (I am told it's better in the next in the series).

The problem I found here is that swithcing between characters in your party and trying to control them all at once is pretty hard. It's nice that Enix and Tri-Ace added the option to choose but we feel that the standard is the way to go.

It's so full of optimization that's it's bound to be one of the classics for PlayStation. It stands out from the rest in several areas, the integral Item Creation, group spells, Custom Combinations, Individual Skills, and the many characters that can be played throughout.

As with all RPG's, it's really all about the story and this is where Star Ocean really succeeds. Besides being an incredibly long game to play, it's also interesting and has characters that you want to root for and see victorious.

If you persist past the ugly and confusing combat and a Bible worth of speech, there is a harmlessly atmospheric, quirky game underneath.

With at least 50 hours of gaming in each character's scenario, Star Ocean might not be compelling enough to play through twice, but the first time is as engaging as any RPG you're likely to play. Highly recommended in any case.

Delivers an engaging adventure for an instant role-playing classic.

Although it's far from perfect, Star Ocean: The Second Story is a remarkably expansive game with a complex, immersive plot and highly compelling characters.

The Second Story, with it’s excellent skill system, item creation and complicated character relationships, takes two steps forward in RPG gaming. Unfortunately, it takes one of those steps back by being mired in some old and tired RPG conventions and by lack of documentation.

The amout of things to do in this game is staggering. From the Private Actions to the Skills, this game will keep you occupied for many, many days.

While it doesn't provide the graphical flash of "Final Fantasy 8," it delivers a different graphical beauty that feels warmer than the all too familiar polygonal experience. It's got a good story that sadly weakens at the end; though there's just enough steam left to get you through.

Gamers will no doubt enjoy the flexible interface with its different options, not to mention the game as a whole.

It leaves out the most crucial element: a compelling story. The story is predictable and unimaginative and little is done to move the story forward any faster than at a snail's pace.