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RETAILBIZ: STAR OCEAN: THE LAST HOPE: INTERNATIONAL 22 MCV 08/01/10
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Square Enix revamps its popular prequel to the Star Ocean series for PS3 owners and otaku
Square Enix rolls out a new edition of its popular RPG series on PS3, catering for a more diverse audience… by James Batchelor
chance to appreciate the long and winding storyline with localised text FOR EVERY hardcore otaku that subtitles in French, German, Spanish refuses to watch the likes of Ghost In and Italian. The Shell in English, Square Enix is rePlayers take on the role of Edge releasing an Xbox 360 hit that appeals Maverick, a member of the Space to their love of Eastern culture, this Reconnaissance Force, as he aids the time on PS3. search for a new, hospitable planet on Star Ocean: The Last Hope: which humanity can rebuild. He soon SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE International is the upcoming PS3 finds himself caught up in a battle to save The key addition to the PS3 version is edition of last year’s Xbox 360 take on the galaxy from a mysterious alien force. the option to swap between English and the long-running and highly popular sciLike previous Star Ocean games, The fi RPG series. Last Hope is set across a “There’s been a visible variety of beautiful new There’s some incredible titles shortage of quality RPG worlds, and for the first due in Q1 2010, but Star content so far on PS3 but time allows gamers to Ocean stands out with a with the launch of Star explore the darkness of genre all to itself. Ocean, PS3 gamers finally space in the series’ familiar Doug Bone, Square Enix have an adventure that Calnus starship. they can sink their teeth The majority of the Japanese voiceovers on the fly, allowing into,” says UK sales manager Doug Bone. action takes place on the planet surfaces, gamers to tweak the game to suit their “Since confirming that this is coming and throws players in innumerable personal tastes. Likewise, they can to Europe, it’s been great to note how battles with the series’ trademark realcustomise the character icons that many enquiries we’ve received both time combat system. appear at the bottom, choosing from the here in the office and also online via the This time around there are several 3D models seen in the Xbox 360 forums, with gamers clearly excited by new features to give them an advantage version and 2D anime-style portraits. the imminent release.” in combat, while special attacks are The Last Hope: International also Set before the previous games in the rendered with impressive effects, thanks offers more European gamers the franchise, The Last Hope serves as a to the graphical capacities of Blu-ray. prequel that depicts the events that created the Star Ocean universe. The year is 2087, and Earth has been left decimated by the effects of World War III. Recognising that their planet’s environment is deteriorating, humanity launches into space and searches for a new home among the stars.
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RELEASED: FEBRUARY 12 FORMATS: PS3 PUBLISHER: SQUARE ENIX DEVELOPER: TRI-ACE PRICE: £49.99 DISTRIBUTOR: OPEN CONTACT: 01462 476 130
Battles are also enhanced by the new Blindside system, which enables players to confuse and ambush enemies by quickly changing position and moving out of their enemy’s line-of-sight. Up to four characters can battle together and players can switch between these at any point to make use of their unique skills. Finally, the franchise’s hallmark item creation and Private Actions mechanics also make a welcome return, with plenty of upgrades and additions to keep veterans of the series happy while still being intuitive enough for newcomers to enjoy. Bone adds: “There’s some incredible titles due at the start of 2010, but in February, while so many of the other action games all compete for the same market, Star Ocean stands out with a genre all to itself.”