Star Ocean calling RPG enthusiasts

Star Ocean: Second Evolution is a Play Station Portable port (the transfer of a game to make it compatible with another system) of the 1999 Play Station title Star Ocean: The Second Story.

Second Evolution takes place two decades after the events of Star Ocean: First Departure. The game is in the role playing style (RPG), and chronicles two people from separate worlds that must work together to stop a tyrannical force from destroying the universe.

Unlike many RPGs, Second Evolution allows players to choose which characters to play through the game. Depending on the character chosen, certain story events will play out differently.

Second Evolution features an upgraded interface, in addition to a bonus character that was not available in the original game.

The graphics of Second Evolution are pretty, albeit not ground-breaking, with cute 2D sprites against lush 3D environments. The battle engine features four characters battling enemies on a 3D plane. Characters and foes are free to run around, providing a more action-oriented system than most RPGs.

Innovative features, such as "item creation" and "private actions" provide an entertaining experience.

"Item creation" enables characters to learn a variety of skills by utilizing the skill points they earned by gaining levels in battle. Upon learning enough skills, characters can learn specialties like cooking and alchemy. As long as a character knows a specialty and has the necessary materials, a plethora of items can be made.

"Private actions" allow the player to split up in towns, and then go speak with other team members, and engage in a variety of scenarios and conversations. Depending on the responses that the player receives during these situations, emotional values between characters can change accordingly.

The main reason that all RPG fans should definitely give Second Evolution a try is that it is an updated port of a retro classic.

The original Star Ocean: The Second Story is heralded as an epic space opera with multiple fantasy elements. The game may seem a little bit dated by current RPG standards, but Second Evolution is a blast to play. When it really comes down to it, isn't that the most important thing?