I am going to start off with the game play. If there is anything that has been a consistent mixed bag in the Star Ocean series, it is the game play. The verdict? It is exactly what you would expect from Star Ocean. You spend your time wandering overhead maps, waiting for random battles on your quest to go from one flashing red dot to another flashing red dot. Pretty typical thoroughfare.

The battle system is much the same as it has always been, an open field action battle where players control only one character at a time. That has always been one of the largest draws to this title for me, the fact that battles are so terribly frantic. There is a certain sense of panic as you are playing and you realize that your healer has all but burned through her MP playing doctor with your over zealous fighter. All the while you are yelling at the screen, hoping desperately that they will wise up and play smart.

Okay, so the A.I. isn't terribly intelligent. I can live with this. Often you'll find yourself simply setting the strategy to "go all out" on your fighters and taking the role of support. If there is one thing computers are good for, it is playing the narrow minded tank. Ultimately, though, this is really just more reason for you to level up your characters.

Now, on to the presentation. Why am I lumping the aural / visual elements into one super-catagory? Because the game is extremely cinematic, and they are so tightly intertwined it is scary. The game features a wide set of extremely high quality cel-shaded animations that really do improve the game. They don't break up the game play at all, in fact, they seem to only make sense that they are there. I'm not sure how the game existed without them. This is also the impression I get having played a million FMV driven titles in the last 10 years or so.

The game has been completely overhauled in the both categories. The original voice overs (yes, the original game did have limited voice overs) have been rerecorded, the music all remastered and the environments? Simply gorgeous environments. No more SNES tile driven zones folks, now they are hand painted landscapes and full 3d battles. My only complaint is that the sprites used for the characters and monsters seem a little low detail in comparison to the rest of the game, making them look a little bit like fuzzy cut outs slapped in an otherwise gorgeous game.

Now, I'm going to admit right out that this is a 90s RPG. This means that the plot line, while I love it, is a little shallow and predictable. Tri-ace was a brilliant company, but they didn't have the kind of writers that we do today. You see the plot twists coming a mile away. A lot of character decisions seem a little less than reasonable. Well, you get the picture. It's still a solid story, but don't expect to see the stage production winning a Tony.

So, should you buy Star Ocean: First Departure? That's a tough question. I would have bought this game is a second, especially having played it. But I loved the original. It's kinda like playing with toys from your childhood. It's got some dints and dings, and your younger relatives don't really "get" it, but it still warms the corners of your (my) black, barely beating, jaded, gamer heart. If you can move past the semi-predictable kinda corny sci-fi medieval plot, yes, it is a good buy. My advice would be to rent it. If you make it to space and you keep playing, you're in it for the long haul.

Score: 8.5 of 10