Star Ocean: The Second Story R Flooded With More Praise Than Expected, Says Director

Star Ocean: The Second Story R has left its indelible mark on the gaming scene this year despite the remarkable competition. However, not even the devs expected that it would be showered with so much praise and critical reception. The game director Yuichiro Kitao and the producer Megumi Komaki recently appeared in an interview with Famitsu to discuss its unexpected acclaim. The devs claimed that the response of players left them amazed.

It’s not that we didn’t have confidence in making it, but we’re honestly happy to have received more positive feedback than we expected. As a developer, I would like to investigate in detail ‘why it was praised so much’ and ‘where it was popular’ and make use of it for the next experience,” says the game director.

The team wants to explore what stood out so much in Star Ocean: The Second Story R that compelled gamers. The statement also confirms that a future project —perhaps another remake— in the franchise is not off the charts. Regardless, we can also expect the next experience in the series to stand out as much as the remake of the second entry, if not more. The director has a few theories regarding what made fans love the title.

I think the reason why there were so many positive opinions was that everyone who played the PS and PSP versions had vivid memories. It’s not all about promotion and marketing around here, and I think the passion of developers is also in demand, so I would like to value both research as research and passion as passion.”

A blend of nostalgic, wistful marketing and memorable characters reimagined in a 3D landscape with a 2.5D art style appears to have worked harmoniously. The producer has also thanked the players for the plethora of positive reception and fan art created so far. Compiling all the reviews reveals that Star Ocean: The Second Story R stands at an “overwhelmingly positive” rating on Steam, with many gratifying remarks by the players. 

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The rest of the interview focuses on several facets of the game, such as fishing mechanics, story details, and more. Star Ocean: The Second Story R came out on November 2, 2023, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.