Evolution of the Action RPG
My first introduction to the Star Ocean series was the remake of the first game on the PSP. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was inspired to play Second Evolution. And I wasn't disappointed -- Second Evolution takes what I liked form the first one and just gives me more. It should be noted though, that I had never played the originals, so I may not be able to give a full perspective on this game.
One thing I really liked about the first game was the battle system. I love the pacing of the battles in this game. It's an action RPG, and reminded me very much of the Tales series. While at times it may feel simpler than some of the other action RPGS, everything still feels intense. Sure, button-mashing may work to some degree, but making tactical decisions pays off much more. That's one appeal of this game. Gameplay-wise, when I played it, I knew in my head it was built off an older game, but the "feel" of the battles slowly made me forget about it's age.
Graphically, though, it's much more obvious. The game can be both pretty and not so pretty. I saw some pretty forest backgrounds, but in strong contrast to those were some of the most unattractive towns. The ground was a boring, brownish color and the buildings did not mesh well. Also, the sprites are very simple (and small) and their animation is is not very lively. Some people may like that aesthetic, but when I think about to certain games on the SNES (like Chrono Trigger) that had beautifully animated sprites, I sort of wish more detail could have been added. Regardless, it is a very small complaint and didn't really distract from the overall quality of the game. And during dialogue scenes, there are full-body drawings of the characters, so it helps paint pictures of the characters that are otherwise just simple sprites.
The music is quality of course. If you like Sakuraba Motoi (also from Tales), there is much to be enjoyed here. I admit, the battle themes weren't my favorite of his, but even then, they are still really good.
To me, the game was very worthwhile. I enjoyed it a lot, and while I can't make comparisons to the original, I would imagine the general consensus on this game would be positive. This game is definitely suited for action-RPG fans.
