Star Ocean First Departure - PSP Game (Retro Fam)

I haveto applaud that they FINALLY brought this game over from Japan. Ever since Star Ocean 2 I have been waiting and waiting for the first one to come out over here. It took more than a decade,but when it finally arrived,I played and beat it three times within a week and a half. That's how much I played it,because it is NOT a short game. The first time,without a strategy guide,the other two,with one. My only complaint is about the strategy guide,which I corrected SEVERAL times,including paths in the Cave of Seven Stars! (the bonus dungeon) The game itself is VERY playable,amusing,and has the same endearing qualities and Star Ocean 2 which I loved so much and missed in Till the End of Time. THANK YOU.

I bought a PSP mostly because I was looking forward to playing Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core. I found that game to be a bit of a let down since it was way too linear, i.e. it didn't really play like an RPG (I found it to be as much an RPG as God of War). First Departure on the other hand may not have the spectacular graphics found in Crisis Core but this is a great game in every other way. I've spent 40 hours playing so far and what I like most about this game are the battle system and the item creation ability (not to give anything away but, for example, you can create a secret item that reduces the amount of experience required to level up to one experience point so you can level your characters up at a faster rate, which was pretty cool).First Departure was reminiscent of the SNES Final Fantasy games; the story wasn't quite as rich as Final Fantasy 6 but the look was spot on. So, if you've played those games you have an idea of what to expect.Like others have mentioned, the story could be slow at times (towards the last quarter things pick up and get pretty exciting) and there was a bit of level grinding, which is something I almost expect in an RPG.Anyway, if you're looking for a great RPG on the PSP, you'll love this.

This has always been in my top 5 games of all time. One of the most unique leveling systems, the absolutely unique Private Action system, the BEAUTIFUL graphics and the wonderful story are all wonderful.

if your used to going into battle FF style, this is the game for you. for all those people who get tired of the first few encounters being so static, don't buy. Sure, this game does feature a more entuitive battle system than FF, but after leveling up after several encounters makes you tolerant of the enemies attacks. The game is only one player, so don't go trying the Mlan switch, but do expect to want to play the game over again, or want to have the strategy guide. this game has a built in Personal Action system that basically takes your response and either help you or go against your will, and what you say earlier on can effect later Personal Actions.The story itself doesn't exactly fit the title, but still, nonetheless, is a great story: this was a game that seemed like a way better star wars for video games; however, it definitely didn't expand the industry like star wars did for movies.lastly, if you do not like anime stylized art or cut scenes, you should buy this. At least I laugh each time I see the second opening cutscene because it sounds like the girl that is running is doing something else.

All told I logged a lot of hours into this game. I sincerely enjoyed it! I always give my perspective which is a 42 year old Mom who just got into gaming about 2 years ago. This is the first RPG I bought for my new PSP.This game is outstanding at easing you into gameplay and "tutoring" you in how to play. You won't be lost and it is not difficult to figure out where to go and what to do. I thougth the graphics were great and the characters well done. The music was good--perhaps a bit understated but it did work with the game.I loved the story--I found it very well paced with some twists I didn't see coming as well as a bit of romance. That was a nice surprise for me and actually made my enjoyment a bit higher. I play a lot of rated E RPG that don't have any form of romance or character relations so this was a nice change. It is not major (this is not an M rated title) but its presence, for me, was quite fun.I liked the battle system and the skill points and specialties you could develop. Unlike in some other RPG making the effort to learn these and do things like customization or cooking can actually make a HUGE difference. I spent hours doing the blacksmithing to get good armor and customizing my weapons. It added quite a bit to the game.The only tedious thing is backtracking and random battles. However they are par for the course in most of the RPG's I play and I'm used to them now. I think the level of difficulty was light to moderate. I found the Second Evolution game a b.