Star Ocean series

[SuperSabin]

I imagine there are many of you who have played the Star Ocean franchise. How many of the Star Ocean games have you played out of the series? Which one is your favorite? What do you like about the series? What is your least favorite aspect about Star Ocean?

I've only played a few of the Star Ocean titles - The first one on Super Famicom (translated), and I have played a little bit of the one on PS2 (Til The End of Time I think it is?) I haven't played enough of the Star Ocean series to really judge which one is my favorite, but if I were to pick one right now, it would most likely be the Super Famicom original.

A few things I really like about the series is how rich the storytelling is and it does a good job giving a sci-fi, futuristic, space odyssey feel. I like the battle system and how experimental your growth system can be allocating points to different skills to develop your party. The soundtrack is pretty good overall, I hardly remember the soundtrack from Til The End of Time because I've only played a little bit into it.

One of my least favorite things about Star Ocean that I've encountered so far is just how unforgiving item acquisition can be. You could be deep into a dungeon, but are running out of revive items, and you could develop the skill for it but it would require some grinding and sacrifice of building up other skills that are important to growth of character, and your only other option is to risk backtracking all the way out of dungeon just to find the towns that sell that item.

Overall I really enjoyed the Star Ocean games and I definitely wouldn't mind playing other entries into the series other than the ones I've already played after I finish the first game. To those reading this thread and haven't played Star Ocean before, I recommend them. Doesn't matter what order you play them in.

[Heartless Angel]

I gt the old ones on PSP, TTEOT for PS2, The Last Hope on PS3, and Integrity and faithlessness on PS4. Only really finished TTEOT and TLH, been meaning to play IAF, but I've been super busy lately. I love the depth of the series, and especially the way it continues into postgame content. Tri-Ace is always really good about that, and they've been involved with virtually all of my favorite JRPGs. Character growth and interaction is a high point in the series, the combat is enjoyable, and the loot farming is addictive. Tri-Ace's focus on post game content actually gives you an incentive to go after all the crazy gear, abilities, etc that other games just don't reward you enough for. I actually enjoy how unforgiving they can be, especially in post game. I really don't ave any major complaints that aren't applicable to the entire genre.

[Zargabaath]

I have beaten the PSP remakes for Star Ocean and Star Ocean 2 and The Last Hope on PS3. I started TTEOT a long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away), put 5 or so hours in it and that was that. I don't know why I stopped playing TTEOT but there was nothing that turned me off from the game. I enjoy the combat and the crafting/skills system in this series though it is not as demanding compared to Tactics Ogre.

I liked the twist toward the end in First Departure incorporating myth into the game and fusing it with science fiction. As for Second Evolution, the story was better but I was left disappointed in the 12 wise men. The Last Hope's English VA was just bad, along with dialogue, and story. I don't harp on needing Japanese VA as I find English VA to be ok to good most of the time, but that game's VA was... special.

I remember after The Last Hope, Tri-Ace said that, The Last Hope would be the last Star Ocean game. I was surprised that they released another one a few years ago. I heard though it was an ok game. I thought about picking Integrity and Faithlessness during the PSN sale for Japanese games but decided against. I got too much to play.