Review by: Brendon Lindsey

I really wanted to love Star Ocean: The Last Hope. I've loved the series ever since playing the unofficial translation of Star Ocean. Unfortunately, after two weeks of playing the game, I can honestly say that it didn't live up to the series name.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the game is the thing I consider the most important for any RPG: the writing. In terms of plot, The Last Hope actually isn't that bad. Compared to many other JRPGs, it offers more depth, and some nice twists. Despite a fairly solid outline, though, the execution of the story itself is lacking. If you're one of those who hates RPGs with excruciatingly long cutscenes, then this isn't the game for you. We're talking cutscenes longer than an episode of The Office. Now, long cutscenes don't really bother me; what bothers me is the way they unfold. A good portion of them seem to go on too long, hammering plot points until they're covered so many times you'll find yourself groaning.

The pacing in general could have used more polish. At times, the story drags on and on -- then it suddenly gets up to speed, only to come to a screeching halt again. There are stretches where you'll play for a few hours, and have no actual advancement to the plot— just re-hashing. Then, suddenly, the story will take off, throw in several twists and go right back to recapping.

It's unfortunate, really. The idea of the story in The Last Hope is a good one, and would have been fantastic, but the writing staff seemingly bit off more than they could chew, and the result is an idea that's good on paper, but sub-par in execution.

That also serves as an explanation for the characters. In the main playable group, you'll find most of the cliché characters from a space opera (or sci-fi) anime. These clichés almost overpower the characters themselves at times. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some genuinely entertaining (and some downright awesome) characters, but on average, they're cookie cutter prototypes that do little to stand out once they get going.