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Star Ocean: First Departure

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Star Ocean: First Departure
File:Star Ocean First Departure.jpg
Developer(s)TOSE
Square Enix
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Composer(s)Motoi Sakuraba
SeriesStar Ocean
Platform(s)PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
ReleasePlayStation Portable
First Departure R
PlayStation 4 & Switch
  • WW: December 5, 2019[4]
Genre(s)Action RPG

Star Ocean: First Departure[a] is an enhanced remake[5] of the original 1996 Super Famicom game, Star Ocean. The game was released in Japan on December 27, 2007, and was released in North America and Europe on October 21, 2008 and October 24, 2008 respectively; making it the first time that the original Star Ocean was officially released outside of Japan.[1]

Gameplay

The remake uses a similar battle system to Star Ocean: Second Story where the player controls the characters in real time. While characters are in 2D, battles take place in 3D environments similar to other action RPGs. The overworld in which the character explores is also in 3D while specific places are pre-rendered backgrounds.

A notable game mechanic, called Private Actions, play a role in the character development. These are certain events that occur within towns, during which character developments happen. This can cause characters to either gain or lose "affinity" toward other characters in the party. When their affinities are high enough, characters can have "rage", which increases their attack power, when certain allies fall in battle, until that ally is revived. For example, if Roddick has a high affinity toward Millie, then if Millie falls in battle, Roddick will become angry, until either Millie is revived or the battle ends. Private Actions also affect which character's endings you see.

Plot

Main article: Star Ocean (video game) § Plot

The original storyline of Star Ocean is retained with the added bonus of voice acting in scenes and new full-motion video cutscenes.

Voice cast

Character (EN/JP names) Japanese voice actor English voice actor
Roddick Farrence (Ratix Farrence) Mamoru Miyano Yuri Lowenthal
Millie Chliette (Milly Kiliet) Hitomi Nabatame Katie Leigh
Dorne Murtough (Dorn Marto) Kentaro Ito Dick Smallberries Jr
Ronyx J. Kenny (Ronixis J. Kenni) Kenji Hamada Sam Gold
Ilia Silvestri (Iria Silvastoli) Sanae Kobayashi Julie Maddalena
Ioshua Jerand (Joshua Jerand) Jun Fukuyama Ethan Murray
Erys Jerand (Eris) Kana Ueda Stephanie Sheh
Mavelle Froesson (Marvel Frozen) Houko Kuwashima Tara Platt
Pericci (Perisie) Yukari Tamura Alicyn Packard
Phia Melle (Fear Mell) Megumi Toyoguchi Dorothy Fahn
Cyuss Warren (Cius Warren) Hiroki Touchi Grant George
Ashlay Bernbeldt (Ashlay Barnbelt) Norio Wakamoto Michael McConnohie
T’nique Arcana (Tinek Arukena) Chihiro Suzuki Vic Mignogna
Welch Vineyard Tomoe Hanba Melissa Fahn
Lias Warren unknown Robert Mark Klein
Yvena unknown Cindy Robinson
Asmodeus Ryotaro Okiayu Joe J. Thomas
Jie Revorse Sho Hayami George C. Cole
Del Argosy (The Crimson Shield) Yutaka Aoyama Richard Epcar
Martoth Chliette unknown David Lodge
Mrs. Farrence unknown Ellyn Stern

Development

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: Second Evolution. Yoshinori Yamagishi, producer of the series, stated that he wants the remakes to feel as though they're completely new games.[6]

First Departure uses a slightly altered version of the engine used for Star Ocean: The Second Story with similar features, including prerendered backgrounds and 3D battle fields. Production I.G provided new artwork and animated cutscenes for the game. New playable characters have been added as well. There are new voice actors and extensive amounts of new, fully voiced dialogue.[7] Some music from Star Ocean: The Second Story, such as that of the bonus dungeon and riding a bunny on the world map, are played during similar scenes in the remake. It also features a theme song: "Heart" by the Japanese group Asunaro.

The English localization was handled by Nanica, Inc., with voice-over production services provided by Epcar Entertainment, Inc. Recordings were made at the Oracle Post studios in Burbank, CA.

Music

The scores for Star Ocean and First Departure were composed and arranged by Motoi Sakuraba.[8][9] Music from the game was included on the album Star Ocean Perfect Sound Collection, released 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.[10] 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.[11] Critics praised Sakuraba's progressive rock style, and highlighted his musical experimentation throughout the original Star Ocean score and First Departure.[8][12] 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.[13] Several musical pieces were missing from the original album and were added to the remake's release.[13]

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.[8] This theme was replaced for the First Departure R release with the song "Atarashī Ippo" (新しい一歩, "The First Step") by Yauchi Keiko of Shadow of Laffandor.[14]

Release

The game was released in Japan on December 27, 2007, and was released in North America and Europe on October 21, 2008 and October 24, 2008 respectively; making it the first time that the original Star Ocean was officially released outside Japan.[1] The English localization was handled by Nanica, Inc., with voice-over production services provided by Epcar Entertainment, Inc.[15] 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.[16][17] Production I.G provided new artwork and animated cutscenes for the game.[16] New playable characters have been added as well.[18] New voice actors and extensive amounts of new, fully voiced dialogue were included, with even some non-player characters being voiced over as well.[19][20] A limited edition called the Star Ocean: First Departure Eternal Edition was released exclusively in Japan alongside the standard version.[21] It features alternate box art and was bundled with a Star Ocean-themed PSP-2000 handheld and carrying pouch.[21]

Star Ocean: First Departure R

An HD remaster of the PlayStation Portable version titled Star Ocean: First Departure R for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 was announced on May 25, 2019 and was set for release later that year.[22] The new release features re-balanced game difficulty and increased world map movement speed[23] as well as the option to toggle between character portraits from the PSP version or re-drawn designs based on the Super Famicom version.[24] 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.[25]

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.[36][37] In a 2009 retro review, NintendoLife 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".[38]

Star Ocean: First Departure on the PlayStation Portable sold 115,280 copies in its debut week in Japan,[39] with lifetime sales of approximately 204,996 copies in the region.[40][41] It received a 31 out of 40 total score from Japanese magazine Weekly Famitsu, based on individual scores of 8, 7, 8, and 8, earning it the publication's Silver Award.[31] 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.[42]

The English version of First Departure received mixed to average reviews, earning a 77% rating on GameRankings[26] and a 74 out of 100 average from Metacritic.[27] 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 that it would appeal to fans of older games, stating "If you can look at First Departure and understand that it's based on a very old title, you'll likely be able to overlook the problems and get a fair amount of satisfaction".[35] GameSpot also stated that the title had "limited appeal" in addition to providing little challenge.[33] 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.[30] GameSpy would additionally declare that "Despite a couple of minor hitches, Star Ocean: First Departure is one of the best remakes Square Enix has brought to portable consoles."[34]

First Departure R for the PlayStation 4 earned a 73 out of 100 average from Metacritic.[29] 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.[43] 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, ultimately declaring that "RPG aficionados looking for something simple could find something in First Departure, but don't expect much more than a slightly polished remake of a remake."[44]

References

  1. ^ a b c "From CHRONO TRIGGER to THE LAST REMNANT: Square Enix Rolls Out an Exciting E3 2008 Lineup of New Epics and Fan Favorites" (Press release). Square Enix. July 9, 2008. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  2. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (October 5, 2007). "ORIGINAL STAR OCEAN PSP ANNOUNCED". IGN. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  3. ^ Justin (October 3, 2008). "STAR OCEAN: FIRST DEPARTURE RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCEMENT". Gamer Investments. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  4. ^ Jenni (September 10, 2019). "Star Ocean: First Departure R Will Launch Worldwide On December 5, 2019". Siliconera. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  5. ^ Square Enix Party Press Conference Announcement | Square Enix
  6. ^ Voice actors surf PSP Star Oceans - PSP News at GameSpot
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  14. ^ "SHADOW OF LAFFANDORが書き下ろした『スターオーシャン1 -First Departure R-』テーマソング 『新しい一歩 (feat. U)』が全世界配信スタート！". PR Times. December 5, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
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  35. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference autogenerated3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  36. ^ "Sales Record". tri-Ace Corporation. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
  37. ^ "1996年ゲームソフト年間売上TOP100" [1996 Game Software Annual Sales Top 100]. Famitsū Gēmu Hakusho 1997 ファミ通ゲーム白書1997 [Famitsu Game Whitebook 1997] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Enterbrain. 1997. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015.
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