Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is an action role playing game that was developed by Tri Ace, published by Square Enix, and was released for the Sony Playstation 2 on August 31, 2004.
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Developer: Tri Ace Publisher: Square Enix Release Date: August 31, 2004 Platforms: PS2 JustRPG Score: 85% Pros: +Anime inspired graphics +Good visuals +Fun combat +Great voice acting Cons: -Some characters are bland -Little replay value -Mediocre story |
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time Overview
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is an action role playing game that was one of the best selling games on the Sony Playstation 2. This game which has beautiful anime inspired graphics for its time, has an easy to learn action oriented gameplay which keeps the player engaged and wanting to get to the next random encounter in order to practice their combat skills “just one more time”. This RPG also has amazing voice acting, which almost makes up for its lack luster story. Overall if you are a fan of the JRPG genre, then Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is the game for you!
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time Screenshots
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time Featured Video
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time Review
After enough delays to make fans wonder if the games subtitle was an omen, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time has found its release at least. And it was worth the wait, because it’s better than most probably dared hope.
The audio presentation of Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is pretty sweet too. Voice acting is top notch, ranking with Xenosaga and even Kingdom Hearts for quality. Of course, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time and Xenosaga use many of the same voice actors, so that’s to be expected. Meanwhile, the most diverse soundtrack you’ll ever find in an RPG is playing. While most of the score is classical with a hint of Star Trek, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time also sports everything from Japanese pop to rap, to one memorable track that I’m pretty sure was Jazz.
While the flaws in the games presentation are so minor that noting them seems like whining, such is the obligation of the reviewer. That said, character animations tend to be stiff, especially in the face. Also, due to some spotty camera angles enemies sometimes have the disturbing habit of jumping from nowhere. Still, the game is bright, the characters look good (if heavily anime influenced) and spell effects add a healthy level of eye candy.
Arguably the game needed that musical diversity, because Star Ocean: Till the End of Time’s plot is best described as ambitious. While our hero, Fayt, is vacationing with his parents, a sudden assault shatters his world. His parents captured and he trapped on an underdeveloped planet, Fayt finds himself increasingly involved in local politics as he struggles to save his parents.
All this is just a foundation, however. Religion, war, divine judgment, genetic experimentation, even the nature of existence, all play a role. Frankly, one could get a headache trying to take it all in. Fortunately, the cast has well defined personalities and there are many lighthearted moments, so it never becomes truly overwhelming. Ultimately, the plot is a bit unwieldy, but the trip is fun enough to make it worthwhile.
Besides, Star Ocean games are more about engaging gameplay than epic plots. And engaging is a good word for Star Ocean: Till the End of Time’s gameplay. Battles are real-time, in which you can free swap control between the three characters you send to the battlefield. From there, what you can do is determined by what the game calls Fury, a meter ranging from 0 to 100%, with all attacks draining a set percentage from this meter. Being at 100% Fury also initiates the Anti-Attack Aura, a shield that deflects minor blows. However, you enemies also have a Fury meter, and can just as easily shield themselves from your minor attacks. Which just means you have to use a stronger attack to break the shield, or wait for the enemy to attack. Coupled with the inherent activities of an action-based combat, there’s definitely plenty to do.
Gameplay isn’t without problems, though. The difficulty of Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is uneven, with disc one being a cakewalk while disc 2 presents life-threatening challenge with every battle. Although, this does at least give one a chance to adapt to the system before the nasty things come out to play. More problems arise in non-combat gameplay. See, the game has a strong tendency to drop you in some town or dungeon with no clear idea of where you should go. Coupled with the fact that enemies respawn whenever you exit a room, and navigating becomes quite the chore. There are also a handful of minigames which are just painful to work through.
For all that, though, I never felt I wasn’t enjoying the game overall. And while I’ve not yet gone beyond the 30 or so hours required to complete the game, there’s a fair bit to do afterward, including an enormous bonus dungeon complete with insanely nasty optional bosses. Definitely a plus for those who enjoy that sort of thing, or just really love Star Ocean: Till the End of Time’s combat. And I somehow imagine that will be a lot of people.
| Final Grade: 85% |
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time Screenshots