Star Ocean: The Last Hope International

Genre: Role Playing Game
Platform: Sony Playstation 3
CREDITS: 2010 Square Enix. Screenshots courtesy of Amazon.com.

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Amazon.com Product Description:
The year is A.D. 2087. In the aftermath of World War III, Earth has been ravaged and the population decimated by a deteriorating environment. The countries that survived have joined together to form the Greater Unified Nations and turned their eyes skyward…to space. Edge Maverick and his childhood friend Reimi Saionji are chosen as pioneer members of the Space Reconnaissance Force, which was created to seek out new worlds beyond the stars. Their ship, the Calnus, takes its place on the lunar launch pad along with four other starships of the first reconnaissance fleet. These ships – humanity’s last hope – blast off one-by-one and sail into the awaiting wormhole that leads to the vast star ocean. And so, Edge and his crew begin their voyage in search of a new haven for humanity...and a second chance.

PREVIEW >>> by skysenshi (02.10.2010)
Wow, this is super late. I got so engrossed with watching out for the next Ace Attorney and Lunar installations that I nearly forgot about writing a preview for one of the best franchises ever released for the Playstation 2. That is, Star Ocean. It would have been a grave injustice if I had missed out on it. Star Ocean: The Last Hope International just came out for the PS3 and XBox 360 so I haven't got the chance to go through the gameplay and battle systems just yet.

Truth be told, the moment I saw the full motion video sequences, I thought I was looking at Xenosaga. The character designs, and most especially the costumes, are very similar. I was thoroughly entertained by Star Ocean 2, both the PSX and the PSP versions, having had numerous endings plus a highly enjoyable real-time battle system. The Last Hope, however, boasts of the ability to switch party members in the middle of the battle. That makes a whole lot of sense, since I don't see the logic of bringing, say, 8 party members, and only being able to play 4.

That being said, I do hope that this would be a worthwhile gaming experience, as it has huge shoes to fill. I have problems with new video games being all beauty with zero substance. I'm crossing my fingers that this isn't one of those.


The following features are listed in Amazon.com:

• Combines sci-fi and fantasy elements, spanning multiple planets and the vastness of space itself to recount the origins of the STAR OCEAN universe
• Item creation and Private Actions, two hallmarks of the STAR OCEAN franchise, also make their return, allowing for players to enjoy upgraded versions of both systems
• Exhilarating combat expands upon the franchise's dynamic real-time battle system, now featuring amazing graphics through Blu-ray Disc
• Up to four characters can take part in battles simultaneously and party members can be switched mid-battle
• New Blindside battle system fuses evasion and offense, enabling players to confuse and ambush enemies by quickly moving out of their line of sight when targeted

Star Ocean: The Last Hope International has just become available in Amazon on February 9, 2010. You can read more of this game's features here.