Star Ocean IV : The Last Hope Review

Though Square-Enix isn't ready to show a live demo of Star Ocean: The Last Hope, the famed RPG publisher is ready to at least provide a few details. The latest in the beloved Star Ocean series -- and first on a Microsoft console -- is actually a prequel. The story takes place before the first Star Ocean and is an origin story for the entire series. Earth has been decimated by World War III and has become uninhabitable. Humanity's last hope is to find a new home among the stars.

For those who played the previous Star Ocean titles (remakes of I & II are coming later this year to PSP), there will be allusions to the past stories. Though this is an origin tale, it does take place in the same game universe, so there will be connections to future events.

Developer tri-Ace promises a more "authentic" sci-fi experience, even though the trailer shows plenty of (welcome) flights of fancy. The "realism" is a product of the story taking place closely to modern times. And for those who played Star Ocean III, tri-Ace recognizes the distaste some had for the big twist. While we can't say there won't be an equally big twist in The Last Hope, we were assured that the closer ties to reality will prevent any sort of virtual reality cop-out as in the past. Star Ocean IV's story will be "easier to understand" than its predecessor, according to tri-Ace.



In Star Ocean IV you'll visit multiple planets, rather than being stuck on a single world. No details on how greatly those planets will vary or the purpose for visiting each. We'd assume that one of the overarching quests is finding a hospitable planet for human relocation.

As for gameplay, Star Ocean IV will be very similar to Star Ocean III. For those who didn't play the previous Star Ocean, that means real-time combat that takes place in arenas separate from the travel field of the game world. The combat will be "flashier and speedier" with new too-be-announced features. But at its core, it will be Star Ocean III. That's a very good thing. And yes, you can expect some form of item creation as well.

Further details on Star Ocean IV will have to wait. Coming first to Xbox 360 spring 2009,Ps3 Still have wait.Square-Enix is keeping a tight wrap on the game for the time being. But if it's going to play like Star Ocean III and lack the what-the-eff plot twist, then it's going to be an RPG worth the wait.