Star Ocean: The Second Story R is the kind of RPG I want to play when I want a modern Fallout degree of character customization, Final Fantasy VI degree of in-game character development and relationship building, and Final Fantasy XVI degree of fast yet furious battles. Its questionable pricing and absence of upgrade paths aside, it’s a beautiful RPG that shimmers on the Switch 2. If you have yet to play Star Ocean: The Second Story R, it’s a worthy recommendation for those wanting a glimpse into a PS1 remake done quite well.
The Switch 2 is getting some absolute banger ports as of late. From the Final Fantasy VII remakes to Pragmata, Switch 2 owners are getting access to games that were absent on the previous Switch handheld. It’s great to see so many publishers focus on getting some of their most beloved and critically acclaimed titles in the hands of Switch 2 owners, but some of that greatness is being overshadowed by player-unfriendly practices. By that, I mean pricing out existing Switch owners who want a Switch 2 port that takes better advantage of their handheld’s newer-and-improved hardware.
It’s quite hard to ignore the elephant in the room when looking at Star Ocean: The Second Story R on the Nintendo Switch 2. The remake of Star Ocean was released on the original Switch, PC, PS4, and PS5 back in 2023 to much-warranted positive reviews. Fast forward to now, Switch 2 owners who bought the original 2023 version have no way of upgrading to the Switch 2 version, save for purchasing the Switch 2 version separately, at full cost, and with no means of transferring their save file between the two versions. For games that feature over a hundred hours of content, being forced to start over after investing 20, 30, or even 40 hours is brutal. In the nicest of terms, it’s frustrating for longtime RPG fans.
If you haven’t played The Second Story R prior to today, though, there’s little reason not to pick it up. Fellow Chump Ben Sheene considered it as “the blueprint going forward if Square Enix or any other developer wishes to remake games from [the PS1’s] classic era of RPGs.” It doesn’t take the 30-or-so hours of speedrunning the main story to see Ben’s perspective. Heck, it doesn’t take half-that-time, either. Star Ocean: The Second Story R lays its cards on the table within its first few minutes and slathers the player with its “unquestionably gorgeous” art style.
It looks great on the Switch 2, don’t get me wrong. The bar is in a consistent state for Star Ocean’s graphical quality because of its release design. Lest you forget that this remake was released in 2023 and looked well enough on its own. The consistent 60fps of the Switch 2 version and the new textures reinforce the notion that Square Enix was onto something novel in a time where HD-2D was being utilized in the developer’s other IPs (namely Octopath Traveler). Star Ocean: The Second Story R is not technically HD-2D; it overlays highly detailed 2D sprites on beautifully designed 3D worlds. The Switch 2 adds a beautiful sheen onto something that’s already beautiful, but…that’s about it.
For Star Ocean remake’s port to the Switch 2, I would be expecting just a little more to draw in players to recognizing the value of this version which is priced at a premium. Unlike the Switch 2 upgrade paths of games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, there is no new content added to The Second Story R. There are no new side quests, no new secrets, no new…anything…beyond a new coat of paint. That does not justify the $59.99 price tag, especially when prices have increased across the board. I’m hesitant to recommend the Switch 2 version of Star Ocean: The Second Story R because of this.
Despite its questionable price, though, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is worthy of being played. Its dual-protagonist storytelling set it apart from its PlayStation 1 RPG competitors. It doesn’t move the needle in comparison to newer RPGs, but it’s a significant milestone in RPG storytelling that few games dared to attempt. With the massive cast of characters that come-and-go, it puts Final Fantasy VI to shame in the sense that the multitude of characters feel interconnected. The relationships between these characters evolve throughout the story, driving home the notion of Square Enix building up a universe of soul. The alternate endings add to the replay value here, as making decisions have slight consequences to the outcomes of those the player has become attached to.
Pacing wise, The Second Story R won’t resonate with some players. The first five-or-so hours are flooded with dialogue, cutscenes (skippable, thank goodness), and lore dumping that makes it difficult to enjoy. It’s a stark contrast to the game’s real-time action combat, a severely simplified version of Final Fantasy XVI’s battles. Why spend several hours watching conversations amongst NPCs who might-or-might-not matter if I could spend more time slaying enemies and growing stronger? It got to the point where I ended up skipping most cutscenes so I could feel like I was completing something.
The combat, however, is where The Second Story R shines. I controlled one character while three others in my party acted on their own. I took my character and moved them across a 2D plane, deftly dodging attacks while quickly landing any hits I could. The Break mechanic encouraged me to be mindful of stunning enemies while avoiding being stunned myself, adding pressure to battles that kept them exhilarating and variable. Despite the traditional grindfest that accompanies an RPG title, The Second Story R retained a degree of engagement that made it difficult to put down so long as I wasn’t caught up in worldbuilding.
In the character creation department, The Second Story R is granular to a near fault. There are upgrades for nearly anything, meaning that leveling up involves jumping through several menus to decide which to upgrade first along with what to save points for in the event a specific upgrade costs more than what’s available. The granularity is a blessing and a curse: Once I had these upgrade menus unlocked, I was nearly paralyzed by choice because I couldn’t decide what to focus on first. Multiply that by the number of characters in my party, and I was stunned. Luckily things iron themselves out as I completed side quests and battles, both of which rewarded me with oodles of points to use however I pleased.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is the kind of RPG I want to play when I want a modern Fallout degree of character customization, Final Fantasy VI degree of in-game character development and relationship building, and Final Fantasy XVI degree of fast yet furious battles. Its questionable pricing and absence of upgrade paths aside, it’s a beautiful RPG that shimmers on the Switch 2. If you have yet to play Star Ocean: The Second Story R, it’s a worthy recommendation for those wanting a glimpse into a PS1 remake done quite well.
