PLAYSTATION Action Rpg Jrpg 1999

Star Ocean: The Second Story

Reviewed by Marcus Webb & Elena Castillo · Updated June 2025

tri-Ace's science fantasy action-RPG with dual protagonists, 87 possible endings, and real-time combo-based combat. Star Ocean: The Second Story on PS1 blends science fiction and fantasy across Expel and Energy Nede with a depth of optional content that rewards exploration far beyond the main story.

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💡 Star Ocean: The Second Story — Key Facts

→ Star Ocean: The Second Story was developed by tri-Ace and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
→ Released in 1999 on PLAYSTATION
→ Genre: Action Rpg, Jrpg
→ We rate it 9.1/10 — an absolute classic
→ Part of the Star Ocean franchise
→ tri-Ace's science fantasy action-RPG with dual protagonists, 87 possible endings, and real-time combo-based combat. Star Ocean: The Second Story on PS1 blends science fiction and fantasy across Expel and Energy Nede with a depth of optional content that rewards exploration far beyond the main story.

Overview

Star Ocean: The Second Story arrived in North America in 1999, after Final Fantasy VII and VIII had established what JRPG production could look like. It made different choices in nearly every direction and produced a game with a depth that those more famous games didn’t match.

The 87 possible endings are the most-cited statistic. This number sounds like marketing — surely it just means 87 minor variations on a couple of routes — but it reflects genuine structural choices. The relationship system tracking friendship and romance between protagonist and party members across dozens of optional interactions produces a branching network that different players actually experienced differently, not just at the ending screen but throughout.

Real-Time Combat That Develops

The combat system uses real-time movement and attacks with collision detection. Characters have attack patterns, combo strings, and movement mechanics that improve through use. The Killer Moves — special attacks unlocked through combat — appear on screen as visible rewards for developing combat competence. Fighting the same enemies at hour 5 and hour 30 produces meaningfully different results because the party has genuinely grown.

This is distinct from turn-based JRPGs where growth is statistical. In Star Ocean 2, growth is also mechanical: the moves you can execute at late game, the combos you understand how to chain, the party formations you know how to maintain — these are things you learned, not just numbers that increased.

Item Creation

The Item Creation system is optional and eventually overpowered. Players who ignore it play a harder, more standard JRPG. Players who learn it discover that the game contains a second, deeper progression loop that runs alongside the combat — recipes to discover, skills to level, rare item combinations to unlock. A master of IC by endgame has access to equipment that trivializes the main story’s challenges, which creates a choice: engage with IC for the satisfaction of the system, or set aside the system to keep the combat meaningful.

Most players who engage with Star Ocean 2 deeply end up on their third or fourth playthrough before they feel like they’ve seen what the game contains. That’s the measure of a game with real depth.

Our Review

9.1

Outstanding / 10

🎮

Gameplay

★★★★★

🎨

Graphics

★★★★★

🎵

Audio

★★★★★

🔄

Replay

★★★★★

Gameplay

Star Ocean: The Second Story features real-time combat with up to four active party members, each with individual attack patterns, combo strings, and battlefield positioning. The Killer Moves system — unlockable special attacks triggered during combat — creates visible progression in combat capability. The dual protagonist structure (Claude or Rena selectable at the start) creates different story perspectives on the same events. The Item Creation system allows crafting equipment, accessories, and consumables using skills developed throughout the game. 87 Private Actions — optional character story moments triggered in towns — contribute to relationship points that affect endings. Approximately 40–60 hours for main story; completionist runs significantly longer.

Graphics

Star Ocean: The Second Story uses sprite-based characters on pre-rendered backgrounds, a visual approach that gives the characters animation flexibility while providing detailed environments. The combat arenas are 3D spaces with collision detection appropriate for the real-time system.

Audio

Motoi Sakuraba's soundtrack is one of the PS1 era's most extensive and technically demanding game soundtracks — over two hours of original composition with arrangements spanning multiple musical genres. Battle themes, area music, and character themes are uniformly excellent.

Replayability

87 possible endings based on relationship points, protagonist choice, and optional content completion. The 13 playable characters (not all available in a single run) create meaningful party composition differences. Item Creation mastery and the optional Maze of Tribulations dungeon reward dedicated players. Dual protagonist structure encourages at least two playthroughs for complete story perspective.

Historical Significance

Star Ocean: The Second Story is one of the PS1 library's most underappreciated major RPGs — overshadowed commercially by Final Fantasy VII-IX but comparable in depth and content. The game's Item Creation system and Private Action relationship mechanics were years ahead of contemporary RPG design and influenced subsequent action-RPGs. The 2023 Star Ocean: The Second Story R remake (PS4/5, Switch, PC) introduced the game to modern players with updated presentation.

✅ Pros

+ Real-time combat with genuine depth and visible progression
+ 87 endings provide extraordinary replay motivation
+ 13 playable characters with distinct combat roles
+ Item Creation system rewards experimentation
+ Motoi Sakuraba's exceptional soundtrack

❌ Cons

- Dual protagonist structure means missing story content in any single run
- Some Private Actions are missable without guidance
- Item Creation can become overpowered with mastery, trivializing combat
- Translation quality is inconsistent in the original Western release

Also Known As

Star Ocean 2Star Ocean Second Evolutionスターオーシャンセカンドストーリー

Star Ocean: The Second Story FAQ

Should I play as Claude or Rena in Star Ocean The Second Story?

Claude C. Kenny and Rena Lanford offer different story perspectives on the same events. Claude is the science fiction protagonist — a Federation officer accidentally transported to Expel — and his story is the more action-focused perspective. Rena is the fantasy protagonist — a native Expelian healer — with a more intimate view of events from an Expelian perspective. Claude is generally recommended for first playthroughs because his combat role (physical attacker) is more straightforward. Rena's healing abilities make party management easier in certain situations. Playing both routes to see different perspectives on the main story's events is the intended complete experience.

What are Private Actions in Star Ocean The Second Story?

Private Actions are optional character story moments triggered when the protagonist enters a town alone (without the party). Each Private Action reveals character backstory, relationships, and personal moments that aren't part of the main story. There are 87 Private Actions affecting friendship/love points between the protagonist and party members, and these points determine which of the 87 possible endings the player receives. Missing Private Actions — which require the protagonist to enter specific towns at specific story moments — means missing ending possibilities. A detailed Private Action guide is recommended for players pursuing specific endings.

What is the Item Creation system in Star Ocean The Second Story?

Item Creation (IC) in Star Ocean The Second Story allows characters to use developed skills — Cooking, Alchemy, Machinery, Crafting, Art, Customization, and others — to create equipment, accessories, consumables, and rare items. Characters level their IC skills through use, and higher skill levels unlock better recipes. The system can become extremely powerful: skilled Item Creation can produce equipment significantly better than anything found in the game, potentially making late-game content trivial. IC is optional but provides a secondary progression system that rewards players who invest time in understanding it.

Is there a remake of Star Ocean The Second Story?

Star Ocean: The Second Story R was released in 2023 for PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam). The remake features 2.5D visuals — 2D pixel art characters on 3D environments, similar to the Octopath Traveler aesthetic — updated voice acting in both English and Japanese, rearranged music with the original as an option, and quality-of-life improvements including a fast forward option and improved Private Action system clarity. The remake is the recommended modern entry point for new players, while the original PS1 version remains playable through emulation for players who prefer the original presentation.