Star Ocean: Till The End of Time Review
By DragonSLAYER45
Star Ocean Till the End of Time is perhaps one of my favorite RPGs ever and a underrated RPG at that. As such, I decided to make this review highlighting my complete thoughts about it. In my opinion, it's a must own for gamers who want to play a game with tons to do.
Star Ocean Till the End of Time was originally released in 2003 and met with negative reception in Japan, critics alleging it to be full of bugs and glitches. This was possibly due to Enix's merger with Square, and the bug testing was overlooked or rushed. Square Enix however went back to the drawing board, and released a Director's Cut version with extra content, giving the game a bug free bill of health. After the Director's Cut version was released, Till the End of Time received the praise it deserved.
Gameplay is really where Till the End of Time shines. To anyone who has played a Star Ocean game before should know the complete basics of battle. However, unlike previous Star Ocean games; the number of people in a party is now decreased from 4 to 3. This is the only change to the battle system as far as I know.
The battle system is the biggest asset to the game, and probably one of the best RPG fighting systems I have ever seen. You can link up 4 skills at once, dependent on your CP Points and such. You can link up skills together to increase damage, and everything you do in battle decreases your Fury points; which is sort of the character's adrenaline. Never have I seen (until FFXIII and The Last Hope) a battle system so tactical and fast paced that will keep you sucked into the game hours upon hours even after the story is over.
To explain Fury further, it is sort of like your characters' adrenaline as I stated. At 100% fury, your character can guard from weak attacks. But only weak attacks, if a enemy uses a strong attack; the characters fury is halved. Same goes with monsters and such as they have fury too. Everything you do, whether it be using magic or using a special attack, depends on your Fury points. If you don't have any left, you can't do nothing. But just have the character stand still and they will recover Fury in a blink of an eye. Also in battle, you have the Bonus Battle Gauge. Which increases depending on the rate right next to it, the stronger the enemy compared to your party; the higher the rate and the bigger the chance to fill up the gauge fully. Once filled, you can either get Double EXP, Triple FOL, and Double the chance of getting items and more HP/MP restored at the end of battle. You only get one of these chances at the start, and you get even more every 5 battles. However, you must keep the Bonus Battle gauge safe. It can be breaked by a critical attack or the character being K.Oed. Battles are not easy. It may seem weird, but you can die also if your MP is depleted. Don't ask me why because I don't know, but you can also MP kill your enemies; which is a much quicker strategy to do. Overall, I love this battle system and just cannot find any flaws with it.
In the game, there is also the series staple Item Creation. Through Item Creation, you can invent new items and increase your rank in an effort to become one of the best inventors in the world. (Something I have yet to accomplish -_-) With items that you find in the game, you can even sign on inventors to join your cause and it's definitely worth it. However, the higher the inventors skill level in their particular field, whether it be Alchemy or Smithery, the more harder it will be to get them to join. Item Creation could also be user friendly, seriously; I want to create this or that, but will have to press X so many times in order to get it in the price field to invent said item.
There are many mini games that you can discover such as Bunny Races, Runic Chess or Battle Area, but about 2 out of the 3 do not seem as fun. =/
The story is neither good or bad, it just starts out very slow. There are a total of two discs and each disc I feel has a different story. In Disc 1, you are thrown into a conflict on Elicoor II while in Disc 2 is where you try to save the universe from the Executioners and the 4D being, Luther.
It generally starts out with Fayt Leingod: your normal, typical Earthling boy who is vacationing on Hyda IV with his parents and his best friend: Sophia Esteed. As we should expect, Hyda IV is attacked by a war-bent race known as the Vendeeni and Fayt is separated from his parents. That is where our story begins... or sort of begins.
In general, I feel as though the story takes a long time to pick up; and probably won't pick up until about 20 hours into the game or until you begin Disc 2 at least. It's just not up to standards with The Second Story's... story but is overall good in the satisfactory level.
The characters are amusing and nice enough for RPG standards, each possessing their own individual backstories (well... except for Roger at least) Most characters in the game are particularly interesting, except for probably Adray. He's good in battle, but overall does not have any involvement in the story due to being introduced in the Director's Cut. The characters and interaction between them starts very well, although once the optional characters become available it deteriorates a few notches...
Music is composed by the series own Motoi Sakuraba, who has composed every single Star Ocean title to date. He returns by giving the game epic battles themes to the slow, peaceful and somehow sad themes. Most fans who have played The Second Story who enter the Maze of Tribulations will have a smile on their face to hear Mission to the Empty Space. As far as I know and have heard, this is the only track from previous Star Ocean games. Till the End of Time's soundtrack is good, but it's not one of the series best to be sure.
Voiceovers... while they may suit them well, some of the voiceovers just make you want to rip your ears out and sew them back up inside out. Some are just plain unnecessary and annoying, did they really have to give those Nobleman such annoying dialouge and voices? "I HATE YOU!!!" Well, Nobleman; I hope you hate Tri-Ace and Square Enix for giving you such a god-awful voice. At least it inspires me to kill you quicker.
Star Ocean games have been known well for their extra content; and Till the End of Time is no exception. Once you finish the main story, it gives you the clear data file. With this, you can access the Urssa Lava Temple in the Urssa Lava Caves, 3 parts consisting of... interesting battles. And you can enter the Maze of Tribulations, 8 floors of puzzles, tough battles and confusing exploration. Once completing the Maze, you come face to face with Gabriel Celeste; who proves a worthy foe to fell. If the brave player was able to defeat him, 111 floors on Sphere 211 will be unlocked. A true challenge for hardcore gamers to accomplish. Thankfully, it's not like The Last Hope's Wandering Dungeon, you are able to go back and save any time you wish and head back to the previous floor you were on. Tough battles await you, including a cameo by Valkyrie Profile's Lenneth and the Ethereal Queen awaits you on the top floor. Once you defeat her, take the Orb she gives you and go, with caution, to the Urssa Lava Caves. Put the orb in the area where the dragon Crosell once was; and you will come face to face with Freya, another character from the Valkyrie Profile who proves herself to be one of the hardest superbosses ever.
Oh wait, say you haven't completed the main story yet; there is also an area called Aquatic Gardens of Surferio. A puzzling place with not-so-strong enemies depending on your level, but it proves to be worth the trip... and the time. After facing the end boss of the dungeon, you will obtain a item that will allow you to be able to play 1-on-1 or 1-on-1-on-1 competition once you take the item to Welch. You can also play with a friend, and this only applies to Versus Mode. There is no way for 2-Player CO-OP on the main story. But it is definitely a nice time waster. There is so much to do in the game, where do we start?
If you want a game with tons to do after the main quest is over, you will not be disappointed with Till the End of Time. Finishing the game completely could take 100 hours or over, and the insanely challenging battle trophies to unlock; completing and unlocking everything the game has to offer could take hours upon hours of gameplay. With 4 difficulty modes, 300 battle trophies to unlock, various character endings and tons of extras; you will love what this game have to offer.
It's probably not one for the fainthearted of RPG players who consider the story to be the most important factor of a game. Although if you like an RPG which is long and offers continuously challenging battles & tonnes of other challenges to tackle this is an absolute must. Looks fantastic, runs smoothly and tastefully in battle, offers top class challenges and replay value. While Till the End of Time may lack in story, it makes up for it in just about every other field. Star Ocean Till the End of Time, in my opinion, is a must have for a gamer's RPG collection.
+ Extras just add up the things you have to love about the game
+ Battle System is the main source of fun and addiction in this game
+ Multiplayer Versus Mode is a definite time waster
+ Characters are equally interesting
- Item Creation needs to be more user friendly
- Story is not all too good
- Most of the Voice-Over work could have been better (Nobleman ._.)
Go Back
By DragonSLAYER45
Star Ocean Till the End of Time
Star Ocean Till the End of Time is perhaps one of my favorite RPGs ever and a underrated RPG at that. As such, I decided to make this review highlighting my complete thoughts about it. In my opinion, it's a must own for gamers who want to play a game with tons to do.
Star Ocean Till the End of Time was originally released in 2003 and met with negative reception in Japan, critics alleging it to be full of bugs and glitches. This was possibly due to Enix's merger with Square, and the bug testing was overlooked or rushed. Square Enix however went back to the drawing board, and released a Director's Cut version with extra content, giving the game a bug free bill of health. After the Director's Cut version was released, Till the End of Time received the praise it deserved.
Gameplay
Gameplay is really where Till the End of Time shines. To anyone who has played a Star Ocean game before should know the complete basics of battle. However, unlike previous Star Ocean games; the number of people in a party is now decreased from 4 to 3. This is the only change to the battle system as far as I know.
The battle system is the biggest asset to the game, and probably one of the best RPG fighting systems I have ever seen. You can link up 4 skills at once, dependent on your CP Points and such. You can link up skills together to increase damage, and everything you do in battle decreases your Fury points; which is sort of the character's adrenaline. Never have I seen (until FFXIII and The Last Hope) a battle system so tactical and fast paced that will keep you sucked into the game hours upon hours even after the story is over.
To explain Fury further, it is sort of like your characters' adrenaline as I stated. At 100% fury, your character can guard from weak attacks. But only weak attacks, if a enemy uses a strong attack; the characters fury is halved. Same goes with monsters and such as they have fury too. Everything you do, whether it be using magic or using a special attack, depends on your Fury points. If you don't have any left, you can't do nothing. But just have the character stand still and they will recover Fury in a blink of an eye. Also in battle, you have the Bonus Battle Gauge. Which increases depending on the rate right next to it, the stronger the enemy compared to your party; the higher the rate and the bigger the chance to fill up the gauge fully. Once filled, you can either get Double EXP, Triple FOL, and Double the chance of getting items and more HP/MP restored at the end of battle. You only get one of these chances at the start, and you get even more every 5 battles. However, you must keep the Bonus Battle gauge safe. It can be breaked by a critical attack or the character being K.Oed. Battles are not easy. It may seem weird, but you can die also if your MP is depleted. Don't ask me why because I don't know, but you can also MP kill your enemies; which is a much quicker strategy to do. Overall, I love this battle system and just cannot find any flaws with it.
In the game, there is also the series staple Item Creation. Through Item Creation, you can invent new items and increase your rank in an effort to become one of the best inventors in the world. (Something I have yet to accomplish -_-) With items that you find in the game, you can even sign on inventors to join your cause and it's definitely worth it. However, the higher the inventors skill level in their particular field, whether it be Alchemy or Smithery, the more harder it will be to get them to join. Item Creation could also be user friendly, seriously; I want to create this or that, but will have to press X so many times in order to get it in the price field to invent said item.
There are many mini games that you can discover such as Bunny Races, Runic Chess or Battle Area, but about 2 out of the 3 do not seem as fun. =/
Story/Characters
The story is neither good or bad, it just starts out very slow. There are a total of two discs and each disc I feel has a different story. In Disc 1, you are thrown into a conflict on Elicoor II while in Disc 2 is where you try to save the universe from the Executioners and the 4D being, Luther.
It generally starts out with Fayt Leingod: your normal, typical Earthling boy who is vacationing on Hyda IV with his parents and his best friend: Sophia Esteed. As we should expect, Hyda IV is attacked by a war-bent race known as the Vendeeni and Fayt is separated from his parents. That is where our story begins... or sort of begins.
In general, I feel as though the story takes a long time to pick up; and probably won't pick up until about 20 hours into the game or until you begin Disc 2 at least. It's just not up to standards with The Second Story's... story but is overall good in the satisfactory level.
The characters are amusing and nice enough for RPG standards, each possessing their own individual backstories (well... except for Roger at least) Most characters in the game are particularly interesting, except for probably Adray. He's good in battle, but overall does not have any involvement in the story due to being introduced in the Director's Cut. The characters and interaction between them starts very well, although once the optional characters become available it deteriorates a few notches...
Sound
Music is composed by the series own Motoi Sakuraba, who has composed every single Star Ocean title to date. He returns by giving the game epic battles themes to the slow, peaceful and somehow sad themes. Most fans who have played The Second Story who enter the Maze of Tribulations will have a smile on their face to hear Mission to the Empty Space. As far as I know and have heard, this is the only track from previous Star Ocean games. Till the End of Time's soundtrack is good, but it's not one of the series best to be sure.
Voiceovers... while they may suit them well, some of the voiceovers just make you want to rip your ears out and sew them back up inside out. Some are just plain unnecessary and annoying, did they really have to give those Nobleman such annoying dialouge and voices? "I HATE YOU!!!" Well, Nobleman; I hope you hate Tri-Ace and Square Enix for giving you such a god-awful voice. At least it inspires me to kill you quicker.
Extras
Star Ocean games have been known well for their extra content; and Till the End of Time is no exception. Once you finish the main story, it gives you the clear data file. With this, you can access the Urssa Lava Temple in the Urssa Lava Caves, 3 parts consisting of... interesting battles. And you can enter the Maze of Tribulations, 8 floors of puzzles, tough battles and confusing exploration. Once completing the Maze, you come face to face with Gabriel Celeste; who proves a worthy foe to fell. If the brave player was able to defeat him, 111 floors on Sphere 211 will be unlocked. A true challenge for hardcore gamers to accomplish. Thankfully, it's not like The Last Hope's Wandering Dungeon, you are able to go back and save any time you wish and head back to the previous floor you were on. Tough battles await you, including a cameo by Valkyrie Profile's Lenneth and the Ethereal Queen awaits you on the top floor. Once you defeat her, take the Orb she gives you and go, with caution, to the Urssa Lava Caves. Put the orb in the area where the dragon Crosell once was; and you will come face to face with Freya, another character from the Valkyrie Profile who proves herself to be one of the hardest superbosses ever.
Oh wait, say you haven't completed the main story yet; there is also an area called Aquatic Gardens of Surferio. A puzzling place with not-so-strong enemies depending on your level, but it proves to be worth the trip... and the time. After facing the end boss of the dungeon, you will obtain a item that will allow you to be able to play 1-on-1 or 1-on-1-on-1 competition once you take the item to Welch. You can also play with a friend, and this only applies to Versus Mode. There is no way for 2-Player CO-OP on the main story. But it is definitely a nice time waster. There is so much to do in the game, where do we start?
Replay Factor: HIGH
If you want a game with tons to do after the main quest is over, you will not be disappointed with Till the End of Time. Finishing the game completely could take 100 hours or over, and the insanely challenging battle trophies to unlock; completing and unlocking everything the game has to offer could take hours upon hours of gameplay. With 4 difficulty modes, 300 battle trophies to unlock, various character endings and tons of extras; you will love what this game have to offer.
Final Thoughts
It's probably not one for the fainthearted of RPG players who consider the story to be the most important factor of a game. Although if you like an RPG which is long and offers continuously challenging battles & tonnes of other challenges to tackle this is an absolute must. Looks fantastic, runs smoothly and tastefully in battle, offers top class challenges and replay value. While Till the End of Time may lack in story, it makes up for it in just about every other field. Star Ocean Till the End of Time, in my opinion, is a must have for a gamer's RPG collection.
Pros and Cons
+ Extras just add up the things you have to love about the game
+ Battle System is the main source of fun and addiction in this game
+ Multiplayer Versus Mode is a definite time waster
+ Characters are equally interesting
- Item Creation needs to be more user friendly
- Story is not all too good
- Most of the Voice-Over work could have been better (Nobleman ._.)
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