Pre-orders are now open for the remaster of the classic Star Ocean RPG.
Star Ocean First Departure R

Square Enix announced today that Star Ocean First Departure R will arrive on December 5 for the Nintendo Switch and the PlayStation 4. This is an HD remaster of the original Star Ocean RPG. Pre-orders, which are available now, include a PS4 Theme and digital mini soundtrack if you pre-order on the PlayStation 4. The soundtrack is actually from the Star Ocean Live 2019 concert. It does not look as though there are any pre-order bonuses for the Nintendo Switch version.

Star Ocean was originally released on the PSP in the West. This game tells the story of Roddick and his friends. Together, they set off on a journey to find a cure to a deadly disease. Naturally, as it tends to happen in these games, it doesn't go quite as planned. You and your companions will go on an adventure that stretches across a number of different star systems.

Like other HD remasters from Square Enix, there are some nice bonuses to the core gameplay experience. These include full voiceover work, new character illustrations, a speed mode, and adjusted game balance.

The PlayStation 4 pre-order will run you $20.99 from the PlayStation Network.


Originally released in the west on the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, STAR OCEAN First Departure R tells the story of a young swordsman, Roddick, and his companions who at first set off on a journey to find the cure to a deadly disease, which then spirals into an adventure that spans across the sea of stars. This HD remaster version includes the following features and boosts to enhance the experience:
  • Full Voiceover – Players can choose between the original full voice cast from the PSP® system version of the game in either Japanese or English, or the newly recorded version, featuring the voice cast from the original Super Famicom version in Japanese, which was previously released in Japan only.
  • New Character Illustrations – Players can opt for the original character illustrations utilized in STAR OCEAN First Departure, or brand-new versions drawn by the famous illustrator Katsumi Enami (STAR OCEAN: THE LAST HOPEâ„¢).
  • Speed Mode – Players can speed up movement to traverse the world more quickly.
  • Adjusted Game Balance – Adjusted battle difficulty enabling players to enjoy more challenge in combat, a signature quality of the STAR OCEAN series.