Star Ocean: The Second Story R Reviews
A vibrant adventure that feels fresh and plays beautifully on Switch 2. Star Ocean The Second Story R is a rewarding adventure that blends nostalgic charm with modern polish. Its fast combat, vibrant presentation and heartfelt story make every hour enjoyable, and it plays beautifully on the Switch 2 with smooth performance throughout. Even with a few small frustrations, the overall experience stands out as a lovingly crafted remake that’s easy to recommend to both newcomers and returning fans.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R shows how a truly great remake should be done.
Review in French | Read full review
Star Ocean: The Second Story R proves that some classics only get better with time. Its engaging real-time combat, memorable cast, and rich RPG systems are complemented by the Nintendo Switch 2's smoother performance and sharper visuals, delivering the definitive portable version of one of the genre's most beloved adventures.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
An amazing surprise, without a doubt. I went into Star Ocean: The Second Story R knowing next to nothing about either the game or the franchise as a whole, and it completely won me over. It’s a gorgeous JRPG that more than makes up for its admittedly cookie cutter premise with a memorable cast, excellent presentation, and, above all else, an impressively deep gameplay system. You just have to push through its rather slow opening hour first. Do that, and you’ll be in for one hell of a ride.
If you haven't had the chance to play Star Ocean: The Second Story R yet, then the Nintendo Switch 2 version is the best place to start. The game plays incredibly well on the console and provides the perfect leaping on point for those new to the series. Highly recommend picking this game up.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a fantastic adventure to get absorbed in, with an engrossing plot set in a beautiful, intricately detailed world that offers you so much to do. There is so much packed into the game, and so much optional content, that you’ll likely need a walkthrough if you’re looking to thoroughly uncover everything. This remake manages to modernise and add to the original game while still ticking so many boxes for fans of classic 90s JRPGs.
As I had already thoroughly played the title during the PlayStation 1 era, I can confidently say that Square Enix has delivered a fantastic remake. Separate difficulty modes for subsequent playthroughs, two entirely distinct story paths, and numerous new late-game features round out the overall experience. Claude would put it like this: a solid 9 out of 10.
Review in German | Read full review
The game excels in so many aspects that it's difficult not to recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable JRPG experience. Star Ocean Second Story R is a true gem that will leave you reminiscing while embracing the future of gaming.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is one of the best remakes released by Square Enix this year. The original Second Story has always been considered one of the best titles in the franchise, and this remake makes things even better. Bringing what is essentially a 90s JRPG into the modern era, the additions made here make this the best way to enjoy this classic.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Star Ocean: The Second Story R isn't just a terrific remake of a classic title, it's a revitalization of a franchise that at some point lost its way. With gorgeous graphics, a killer soundtrack, and a charming cast, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a brilliant return to one of the original PlayStation's great triumphs.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Star Ocean: The Second Story R reinvigorates a classic game with a beautiful blend of 2D and 3D graphics. While the game requires a bit too much grinding to progress in the story, the narrative and core gameplay make it all worthwhile. Square Enix has delivered one of their best remakes with Star Ocean: The Second Story R.
I think some of the hardest games to review are ones that speak for themselves, but those are so often the easiest to play and enjoy. I wouldn’t say the original Star Ocean 2 falls in that category, but it is a game so massive in scope for a PS1 RPG that I couldn’t help but respect it despite my disinterest. Star Ocean: The Second Story R attempts to smooth out the experience in so many subtle ways that it turns it into a modern classic. I don’t think remakes need to follow any particular rules, but for faithful ones this is a new standard. It encourages players to indulge in side content by signposting it all so well, which is great. I think the story is a bit predictable and the cast is far from my favorites, but the gameplay itself is so engaging that it smooths over these issues. This is perhaps the best rerelease I’ve seen from Square Enix, and even if I don’t think it makes the original a perfect game it is so full of love for the source material that it’s beyond commendable.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is not just the return of a great classic in JRPG history. Nor is it merely its definitive version, which revolutionizes the visual presentation and enriches the play system with great little finesses. Above all, the work done by Gemdrops is a true manifesto of what should be done to make a work-of-art remake that preserves the original spirit while embellishing and modernizing every single element. If you are a fan of the genre, you have no excuse not to play it. If you are not, well, it may be the right opportunity to get closer to this fantastic world.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Gemdrops revitalizes one of the best installments of the Star Ocean saga with Star Ocean: The Second Story R, a new remastering that offers a wonderful RPG experience. Square Enix should take into consideration giving more possibilities to Gemdrops because it is a studio that has the capacity to create real gems. A beautiful video game from the best era of the genre brought to the present day.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Gemdrops has created a worthy remake that is not only more accessible than the previous iterations but has made what is arguably the most definitive edition of the game to date.
With Star Ocean: The Second Story R, Gemdrops has worked in the round on every aspect of the original 1998 game, giving JRPG lovers an indispensable production that everyone should play at least once.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Star Ocean: The Second Story R rejuvenates the classic JRPG with modern graphics and a dual protagonist system, offering a visually appealing and immersive narrative experience. Its enhanced combat system and quality-of-life improvements cater to both series veterans and newcomers.
Star Ocean The Second Story R left me with mixed feelings. It started with a visually impressive 3D game intro and continued with stunning 3D environments, albeit with pixelated characters and monsters, which made me wonder about the design choices. However, these visuals didn’t detract from the excellent story, engaging combat and emotional impact the game delivered.
With Star Ocean: The Second Story R, a JRPG classic is celebrating a glorious comeback. Thanks to its likeable characters and complex gameplay, this is a game that no fan of old-school JRPGs should miss out on.
Review in German | Read full review
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is an excellent remake that introduces plenty of new ideas whilst embracing the nostalgic charm of the game’s original release. I loved the unique visual style that blends 2D sprites and 3D environments wonderfully, the combat was more satisfying than ever thanks to its intuitive new mechanics, whilst the countless other additions such as fishing, quest markers, and voice acting go a long way in making Star Ocean: The Second Story R stand out as a VERY impressive release that deserves the attention of all RPG fans.