Star Ocean fans who’ve already sunk countless hours into last year’s excellent HD-2D-esque remake, Star Ocean: The Second Story R, might have a good excuse to jump back in with Square Enix and Gemdrops releasing a substantial new update for the game that introduces numerous new features.
For those brave enough, the game now has a new, extra-challenging difficulty mode dubbed “Chaos” difficulty, as well as new postgame Raid enemies including Ten Wise Men, which will also become a new Assault Action. New equipment has also been added, along with new NPC illustrations, a “Character Graphics Collection” and “Endings Collection” for players to browse and some extra options to customise subsequent playthroughs after beating the game.
Here’s everything that’s coming in the update:
Star Ocean: The Second Story R Update 1.1 Patch Notes
- Highest difficulty mode added: “Chaos.”
- New raid enemies added: Ten Wise Men.
- Ten Wise Men appear as Assault Actions.
- New equipment added.
- New NPC illustrations added.
- “Character Graphics Collection” added: A feature to enjoy each character’s expressions.
- “Endings Collection” added: Replay the ending scenes you have already reached at any time.
- Customise your subsequent playthroughs after completing the game.
We gave Star Ocean: The Second Story R a huge 9.5/10 in our review last year, with James saying, “Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a tremendous remake. It gives the original game a visual overhaul that is simultaneously modern and nostalgic. But it doesn’t stop there. It breaks open the mechanics to offer much more depth without destroying the spirit of the original. It’s far and away the best way to experience one of the best Star Ocean games and one of the best RPGs ever made. If you’re a fan of the genre, you owe it to yourself to check out The Second Story R. It’s an absolute gem of a game that’s endlessly playable and effortlessly stylish.”
