Star Ocean: First Departure R Lands on Consoles

Star Ocean: First Departure R, the remaster of the PlayStation Portable remake of the first Star Ocean game, is now available worldwide for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. The game is available digitally, with a new launch trailer viewable below.

Star Ocean: First Departure R lets players choose between the Japanese and English voicing from the PlayStation Portable version as well as newly recorded audio from the original Super Famicom version’s voice cast. It also includes the option to select original First Departure character illustrations or new illustrations from Katsumi Enami (Star Ocean: The Last Hope), plus a new high-speed movement mode and adjusted difficulty balancing.

Developed by tri-Ace, the first Star Ocean game was originally released for Super Famicom in Japan in 1996. The game was remade by Tose for PlayStation Portable as Star Ocean: First Departure and released in Japan in December 2007, with North American and European releases following in 2008. First Departure follows Roddick, a young man living in the peaceful town of Kratus on the planet Roak before a mysterious disease causes its infected inhabitants to start to turn to stone. Adventuring with his friends Millie and Dorne to find a rumoured healing herb, the trio come across Pangalatic Federation officers Ronyx and Ilia, who appear from a pillar of light.