Once, I mentioned how developers at Wolf Team had a falling out in the distant past, leading to the creation of two distinctJRPGseries: the character-driven, fantasy-themedTales ofand the intergalactic, space-opera-styleStar Ocean.
While theTales ofseriesis more successful, as reflected in its numerous mainline entries and ongoing production under Bandai Namco,Star Oceaninitially wasn’t far behind, offering games in which sci-fi characters clashed with entirely medieval worlds and vice versa.
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Developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix (later Square Enix),Star Oceanconsists of six mainline titles, a few spin-offs, remasters, remakes, and even mobile games. I’ll rank everymainlineStar Ocean Game—with one exception due to a port release. All games are, technically, canon and share the same universe.
DespiteStar Ocean: The Second Story Rbeing one of thebest JRPGs remakeof 2023, I won’t factor it in because it received the second chance its siblings didn’t, which would make the ranking unfair.
Note: There’s a term in the series called the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact. Its purpose is to maintain galactic balance by preventing inhabitants of advanced planets from interfering with the natural development of underdeveloped ones. Evidently, every game breaks this pact, leading to entertaining interactions among party members.
6Star Ocean: First Departure
The Intergalactic Firstborn
Star Ocean
The exception I mentioned earlier is the first title. The originalStar Ocean, released in 1996 for theSNES, was only available in Japan. It wasn’t until 2007, whenStar Ocean: First Departurewas released for the PSP, that Western players got to experience it.
I know it might seem unfair to rank the first game at the bottom since it was still finding its footing, but that doesn’t mean the originalStar Oceanis bad. It laid a strong foundation for its successors, but many of its features were still developing. It walked so the sequels could soar across the galaxy.
Here, you play as Roddick, a member of the feline-like Fellpool race from the underdeveloped planet Roak. The planet is plagued by a disease turning its inhabitants to stone. While searching for a cure in the mountains, Roddick and his friends encounter Ronyx Kenny (a familiar surname in the series) and Illia.
Star Ocean: First Departuretakes place in the equivalent of Earth’s year 2432. Ronyx and Illia are earthlings and part of the Terran Alliance, later known as the Pangalactic Federation, a UN-like organization on a universal scale. Their meeting with Roddick already constitutes a breach of the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact.
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Regarding gameplay, the firstStar Oceanintroduced many franchise staples, such as real-time 3D action combat and theItem Creationsystem, one of thebest progression mechanics in JRPGs. Players invested SP into various skills, learning different crafts like Cooking, Writing, and Alchemy.
There’s also a subtle affection system. When arriving in towns, party members scatter, allowing Roddick to interact with them through Private Actions, further fleshing out their backstories.
These interactions and affinities influence numerous ending variations, presenting a level of depth unmatched at the time.
Depending on quests and choices, your party members can change from one playthrough to another. Some characters only join if specific others are present, while some won’t join if you decline their conditions. This promoted replayability, though some characters were practically a reskinned version of others.
5Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness
The Outcast
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness, the fifth mainline entry, is often regarded as the series' black sheep. Still, despite its flaws, I appreciate how it streamlined various systems from its predecessors.
In this entry, you play Fidel, a swordsman from the underdeveloped planet Faykreed. His village is part of the Resulia kingdom, embroiled in a war with the Trei’kur kingdom, mysteriously equipped with technological weapons that give them an edge.
One day, while Fidel fends off bandits, he encounters a mysterious girl named Relia. As is tradition in the series, this soon sparks a story of fantasy meeting sci-fi.
The fifthStar Oceanretains familiar features while expanding or refining them. You can have up to seven party members, all participating in battles seamlessly activated while exploring. I enjoy constantly swappingparty members in JRPGsduring my playthrough, but using everyone at once is even better—albeit chaotic.
The Item Creation system returns and remains delightfully quirky. Players collect materials worldwide to craft items using dedicated recipes or the Synthesis feature, which allows for creative experimentation. There’s also an Augmentation mechanic for enhancing equipment through material combinations.
Private Actions are present, signaled by prompts when Fidel can interact with party members in towns. Choices influence the narrative and endings, as is customary.
The biggest critique ofStar Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessnessis its low budget. Cutscenes play out using in-game cameras rather than dedicated cinematics. Many events happen off-screen, narrated through dialogue.
Several assets are reused from previous games, which isn’t inherently bad but highlights the lack of funding. All in all, it’s aStar Oceanentry with great gameplay but a lackluster story.
4Star Ocean: The Last Hope
Introducing Edge Maverick
Star Ocean: The Last Hope
Star Ocean: The Last Hopeis the fourth game in the series, and in it, we control Edge Maverick, a character whose name has garnered a legion of fans and haters in equal measure. It’s possibly the most ambitious entry in the series, but it didn’t live up to the hype.
Edge Maverick is a member of the Space Reconnaissance Force, an initiative searching for a new home for earthlings after World War III nearly wiped out the planet. Because of this premise,Star Ocean: The Last Hopespans four distinct planets, showcasing the greatest planetary variety among all the titles.
The Last Hopefeatures interplanetary travel, time travel, and even dimension-hopping. It’s a mix of everything, all at once. It’s one of the JRPGs with some of the longest cutscenes in the industry—one lasting about 45 minutes—and also among thehardest platinum trophiesacross all games.
The game’s combat is action-based in a 3D field with four party members, and you can swap reserves at any moment. New mechanics like Blindside favor perfect dodges, while Rush Mode, which allows characters to unleash special attacks, also improves combat.
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The beautiful Item Creation system makes its return and can only be performed aboard the Calnus, the group’s spaceship. This is where tri-Ace introduced the system that allows players to create new recipes by mixing materials, though you can stick to preset if preferred.
Item Creation in this game is unique because it involves allocating different party members, each with their own creation levels, to spend time inventing items. Each second consumes SP, and the members chat among themselves, brainstorming new creations. There’s also the Synthesis option to enhance weapon attributes.
On the ship, you can pair party members in bedrooms, which builds intimacy between them and unlocks new Private Actions. These interactions result in additional cutscenes and distinct endings based on their affinity.
3Star Ocean: The Divine Force
Franchise’s Swan Song
Star Ocean: The Divine Force
I was ecstatic whenStar Ocean: The Divine Forcewas announced in 2021. I was certain the series had already been laid to rest, but both Tri-Ace and Square Enix proved me wrong. I dove into the game headfirst and loved the time I invested, but I recognize that, like its predecessor, it was a low-budget project.
Star Ocean: The Divine Forcetries to emulate several novelties introduced in the second installment of the series. It allows us to choose between two protagonists: the intergalactic merchant Raymond, with his sci-fi perspective, or Laeticia, the medieval princess. The two cross paths early in the game, creating constant cultural clashes.
The plot thickens when they encounter D.U.M.A., an intelligent mechanical form. D.U.M.A. isn’t just pivotal to the narrative; it’s intrinsically tied to the gameplay ofStar Ocean: The Divine Force. The sixth mainline entry focuses heavily on exploration, and D.U.M.A. enhances this by allowing short bursts of flight across the map.
Battles, seamlessly transitioning from exploration, also employ D.U.M.A., letting you close the distance with a flying strike. Overall, combat is similar to otherStar Oceangames, functioning in 3D, with physical attackers focusing on Arts and mages on Symbology.
By exploring and collecting materials, you can use them in Item Creation, which features a system very similar to the first and secondStar Ocean. By investing your hard-earned SP, you can level up the characters' skills and expertise in specific crafting fields. After choosing a specialty, a random item in that crafting area is created based on the material’s rarity.
Private Actions make a comeback and work just like in previous games, adding depth to the characters' backstories.Star Ocean: The Divine Forcealso introduced a creative and highly addictive tabletop minigame called Es’owa.
2Star Ocean: The Second Story
Winner of the Player’s Voice
Star Ocean: The Second Story
Star Ocean: The Second Storyis considered the best entry by the fanbase and also the most commercially successful. Unsurprisingly, it’s the only game to receive a full-fledged remake withStar Ocean: The Second Story R. However, I’ll focus on the original game, excluding the additions in the new version.
We’re introduced to dual protagonists inStar Ocean: The Second Story. you’re able to play as space ensign Claude C. Kenny, son of Ronnyx from the first game, or as Rena, a humble village girl from the underdeveloped planet Expel.
At the start of the game, Claude is transported by a machine to Expel, where he protects Rena with his phase gun. The girl then mistakes him for the Hero of Light, destined to save the planet. Because of this, Rena involves Claude in numerous adventures while he searches for a way back home.
Star Ocean: The Second Storyexpanded on everything introduced in the first game. The 3D combat returns, but it’s more fluid and offers greater character variety. Some party members are exclusive to one protagonist or the other, and in-game choices affect recruitment. This time, each party member is authentically unique.
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As characters level up, they earn SP, which can be spent on individual skills tolearn Specialties, used in Item Creation. Characters can craft various items with the right materials, just like in the first and sixthStar Ocean. As I’ve repeatedly mentioned, it’s one of the best crafting systems in JRPGs.
Private Actions are present inStar Ocean: The Second Storybut way too discrete. Players never know if a new PA has unlocked in a town, so they must revisit locations repeatedly after certain events to see everything. Luckily, the remake added several quality-of-life improvements, including an interface that indicates when a Private Action is available.
Overall,Star Ocean: The Second Storyis the most well-rounded title in the franchise. It has a great story, captivating characters, a battle system that’s excellent most of the time (though some difficulty spikes and stunlocking can be frustrating), and an Item Creation system that can be exploited to its fullest to break the game early on if you have the know-how.
1Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
Controversially Amazing
Star Ocean: Till the End of time
I’ve always said thatStar Ocean: Till the End of Time, the third mainline entry, is my favorite. However, I’ve only played it once on the PS2 and don’t quite remember why I like it so much, despite knowing I do. It could be the characters, the battle system, or the jump from a 2D game with pre-rendered backgrounds to a fully 3D perspective.
Star Ocean: Till the End of Timeplaces us in the role of Fayt, who is enjoying a well-deserved vacation with his family on Hyda IV. The planet is attacked by the Vendeeni Galactic Federation, and when Fayt and his parents board the Helre to escape, the ship is also ambushed. In an escape pod, Fayt crash-lands on the underdeveloped planet Vanguard III, kickstarting his journey.
Plenty of mysteries surround Fayt, and why so many individuals are interested in him, all answers revealed as the game progresses. The third game is set in the most distant future of the series' timeline. However, the ending ofTill the End of Timeis quite controversial, with many fans believing it botched the entire series' canonicity.
The generational leap made byStar Ocean: Till the End of Timeallowed the game to introduce various gameplay innovations while retaining its essence. Battles are now fully 3D and only feature three participants: one controlled by the player and two by the AI, though you may switch control at any time.
One of the early turnoffs in thisStar Ocean: Till the End of Timeis that an ally is KO’ed in battle if their HP or MP hits zero. To even the playfield, some physical battle skills consume HP, while Symbology costs MP. Sometimes, after defeating a group of enemies, the party will recover both meters equally.
The Item Creation system inStar Ocean: Till the End of Timeis probably the most confusing in the series but also the most rewarding. you may start using the feature after joining the Inventor’s Guild. Eventually, the game occasionally notifies you that new inventors can join your ranks to create items based on their talents.
You then choose three members to create an item from scratch or upgrade an existing one. When you begin the process, a gauge continuously fills, draining your money and affecting the item’s quality as you tinker in hopes of achieving a great result. The best part is that you may patent a novelty creation, earning lifetime royalties.
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