If there’s one single thing that Star Ocean: Second Evolution has in spades, it’s outstanding replayability. While some RPG’s may give you a few different paths to follow (or perhaps a “New Game +” feature to experiment with), Second Evolution forces you to pick your main character (Rena or Claude) at the start; dictating whose personal tale you’ll delve deeper into during the journey. In all honesty, you really need to play through this game at least twice to get the full story - with two main character choices and a host of optional party members, it’s literally impossible to see it all in one go.

As such, Second Evolution is the kind of game that practically begs to be played with a strategy guide at your side. For some that’s ideal, but for most it’s both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, there’s a genuine sense of discovery as you’re meandering about from place to place in search of the next area. On the other hand, you’re oftentimes told to go in so many directions at once that you’ll end up somewhere you’re absolutely unprepared for. While this problem is obviated midway through the game, there are still a few too many unclear “now what?” moments that should have been fixed up, in my opinion.

With a cast of characters that are as unique as they are fun, it’s a shame that Square-Enix couldn’t recapture the magic of First Departure’s voice acting the second time around. I’m not sure what made it so great, but the first title’s VA cast fit their personalities just perfectly. In comparison, Second Evolution’s party members are hit or miss - generally wavering between “okay” (Rena, Celine) and “tolerable” (Ashton, Claude). It’s neither laughably bad nor outstanding, but ultimately nowhere near as stellar as the first time around.

While Square-Enix had a lot of playroom when remaking First Departure, it’s clear that they wanted to keep this “remake” as close to its roots as possible. As such, those worried that Square might have tainted their childhood classic should promptly toss their fears out the window, as the game is a nearly identical port of the PS1 classic. Aside from the new, mildly fuzzy widescreen format and a few name changes, the majority of Second Evolution plays out scene-for-scene like its inspiration. While this is a bonus for those like myself who never played the game the first time around, those looking for a host of added features and bonuses will likely be disappointed.

Thankfully, Second Evolution is a solid enough of a game that it doesn’t need a bevy of useless bonuses to be a worthwhile purchase. With a story that’s worth replaying, a cast of characters that are both fun and unique, and a skill/battle system that just begs to be used and abused, it’s easy to see why the original PS1 version is still heralded to this day. Whether it’s your personal favorite or your first foray into the series, Star Ocean: Second Evolution is an extremely solid and well-told RPG that deserves a slot on any gamer’s shelf.

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