Star Ocean: The Second Story R Launch Trailer Released, Assault Actions and New Game Plus Detailed

There are powerful party combinations in . Some setups can quickly destroy enemies or are tough enough to prevent dying. While there are optimal teams, any team will work to beat the game on easy and normal difficulties called Earth and Galaxy. A planned party is best for the hardest Universe mode.

The Sword of Marvels is an exceptionally strong weapon in . It is among one of the best early-to-mid-game weapons for either Claude Kenny or Dias Flac. If you plan on using one of the two in your main party, it is worth acquiring.

There are 13 total party members in . Compared to the original PlayStation release, this now includes reoccurring series character Welch Vineyard — she was also in the older PlayStation Portable remaster. The other party members have also received a few tweaks to speed up their performance in combat.

The Aeterna Sword in is one of the best weapons for Claude in the entire game. Getting this weapon is possible reasonably early in the game, but there is a word of warning to go along with it. The Aeterna Sword is so good that it might make the rest of the game a bit easier, so equip the sword with that knowledge in mind.

For many, may just be another remake of a highly revered PlayStation title, but in all honestly, it is one of the must-play JRPGs of the year. In many ways, the remake successfully retains the characteristics of the sci-fi/fantasy themes from the franchise while introducing new features that bring it up to par with modern titles. The game’s visuals have also been overhauled and inspired by ’s aesthetics, making it a very charming world to get lost in.

Assaults are instant attacks made by characters outside the party of . They act as a form of striker or summon that will perform a move and then leave. This includes characters in reserve and even cameos from other Star Ocean titles.

Square Enix’s Star Ocean: The Second Story R, a 2.5D remake of the 1998 classic RPG, is now available on PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch. It features revamped visuals, high-quality portraits for characters, a rearranged soundtrack, quality-of-life features and some new content.

"Star Ocean" is a fantastic name, evoking a sense of adventure, 16-bit blue skies, the majesty of space. "The Second Story R" is a terrible subtitle, evoking WhatsApp messages where I accidentally press 'send' too soon. Combined they produce Star Ocean: The Second Story R, a beautiful-seeming 2.5D remake of a Square Enix PlayStation JRPG. It's out on Steam now and there's a demo.

Whenever I revisit my earliest RPG loves, I often find that the thick fog of ’90s nostalgia does more harm than good. I’ve spent far too much time fondly recalling the way I saw certain games as a kid with a big imagination, only to realize some of those adventures don’t quite measure up in the same ways now.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R strikes a good balance of retro and modernity with its throwback visuals and new combat mechanics.

If you're anything like us, then you've already played all there is to offer in Insomniac's excellent superhero romp and are left pondering, «Does Spider-Man 2 have New Game Plus?»

Star Ocean: The Second Story R for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC, and WarioWare: Move It! for Switch are the highlights of this week’s Japanese video game releases.