Star Ocean: Till the End of Time Preview

From the innocence of a holographic game to the terror of a ‘safe’ world attacked. Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is an amalgam of many different formats, but the game sports enough charm to be able to weave them together in a game and world worth exploring.

Square-Enix recently passed along a preview version of the Director’s Cut of this PS2 title, and GameZone was happy to sit down in front of the console to have a look at it.

The game is slated for release in August.

Four hundred years have passed since the battle of Ten Wise Men in the Star Ocean universe. Fayt Leingod is on vacation with his family and friend, Sophia Esteed, on the resort world of Hyda. After blowing off spending time with Sophia to play holographic battles, Fayt finally decides to spend time with Sophia, and manages to talk her into entering a holographic battlefield of his beloved games. It is at the end of one such battle that real terror strikes. An unknown military force has attacked Hyda.

In the confusion, Fayt is separated from Sophia, and Till the End of Time centers around his attempts to reconnect with them all.

Till the End of Time is an absolute joy to look at, with lush environments the result of fully polygon graphics. The game has some anime-style characters working in it and the animation, at this juncture, is somewhat typical of the PS2 system, but that is not a deterrent in any way. And the game does have the chat boxes that players will have to cycle through in a conversation, with some of the conversation voiced and others relying on the chat boxes. But players are given the opportunity to direct the chat with periodic decisions that you have to make. Make the wrong one and you may find yourself shut out of the main path through the game.

The game also has a wide range of cutscenes to carry the game. These stall the action, but do a nice job in setting up the story.

When players first launch the title, they will have to create a file for their Battle Trophies. The combat is worked out in real time, with players capable of mounting concentrated attacks against one foe. The battles themselves are somewhat like a host of turn-based games, with the exception that this all happens in real time. You are in a confined area and can move, evade, attack with regular or special attacks. As you battle, you will level up your avatar, and during battle, your party can include up to three of the game’s characters. By default, you will play as Fayt.

The combat learned in the holo-game is important because it plays out throughout the game.

The game’s sound is wonderful, with an orchestral musical score. The controls are also quite easy to use and players should be able to jump into this game without a lot of trouble. There are some tutorials at the start to work you through the fundamentals of the game. The game’s interface is not hard to understand, and players will be able to set up tactics, and equip weapons in little time.

The game also sports save spots along the way.

The game takes place in Star Date 772, and while there are some innovations to the world, there is still a lot of commonality with today’s world. If there are any drawbacks to the title, it seems that the thread of the game is somewhat linear, and the game bogs down when you have to advance the cutscenes by cycling the dialogue. However, the latest chapter in the Star Ocean series is enjoyable and challenging. Mark this down as a must-see come the end of August.