Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Star Ocean: First Departure’s gameplay revolves around fast-paced, real-time combat that blends strategy with action. Players engage enemies on the battlefield with commands for melee attacks, ranged strikes, and special techniques, all while characters move and dodge in a 3D environment. This system keeps battles dynamic, encouraging you to experiment with different formations and character roles as you progress through the story.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

The game retains the iconic skill and crafting system from the original, where every enemy defeated contributes to your characters’ proficiency in weapon types, cooking, alchemy, and other professions. This “learn by doing” approach means that if you wield swords frequently, you’ll become more adept with them, unlocking powerful sword techniques. Meanwhile, crafting any item—whether it’s a healing potion or a high-end piece of equipment—ranks up your crafting specialties, giving you more recipes and boosting your survival odds in tougher battles.

First Departure also introduces new playable characters and story events that seamlessly integrate with existing mechanics. Unique private actions deepen character relationships, allowing you to unlock hidden scenes and alternate endings. These one-on-one interactions give you more agency over your party’s bonds and can yield additional combat bonuses or narrative content, making each playthrough personalized and rewarding.

Graphics

Visually, First Departure is a significant leap from the Super Famicom original. Character sprites have been redrawn with meticulous detail, capturing facial expressions and attire nuances that enrich the RPG experience. Meanwhile, vast 3D landscapes replace static screens, lending environments a sense of depth and scale you’d expect on PSP. The transition feels natural and gives exploration a fresh, immersive quality.

One of the standout features is the series of anime cutscenes produced specifically for this remake. These animated sequences are gorgeously rendered, with fluid motion and vibrant colors that accentuate key story moments. After you’ve viewed a cutscene in-game, you can replay it from the title screen’s gallery—an excellent way to revisit favorite moments without slogging through dialogues or battles.

The updated voice acting complements the visuals, breathing new life into mainstays like Claude and Rena while giving newcomers distinct personalities. Combined with an official English translation that feels polished and natural, the audiovisual presentation is both nostalgic for longtime fans and accessible for first-timers. All of this impressive content—detailed sprites, 3D locales, anime cinematics, and voiceover—still fits on a single UMD disc, a testament to smart compression and optimization.

Story

The narrative of Star Ocean: First Departure follows a team of interstellar explorers from the Micro-Technology Research Center who crash-land on the medieval world of Roak. From the outset, you’re thrust into a tale of first contact between advanced and primitive civilizations, exploring themes of cultural exchange, responsibility, and the ethics of technology. The storyline unfolds at a deliberate pace, balancing globe-trotting adventure with intimate character moments.

Character development is one of the remake’s crowning achievements. Through private actions, you witness personal dilemmas and branching dialogue that reveal backstories and motivations. Whether it’s Faize’s internal conflict over his past or Rena’s curiosity about scientific wonders, these interactions elevate the core plot and make each party member feel essential rather than ornamental.

While the overarching story remains faithful to the original Super Famicom release, the new anime cinematics and added event scenes deepen emotional beats. The English localization captures both humor and drama effectively, ensuring that plot twists resonate as strongly for Western audiences as they did for Japanese fans in the ’90s. As a result, the narrative feels both timeless and refreshed, bridging two decades of RPG evolution.

Overall Experience

Star Ocean: First Departure strikes a rare balance between nostalgia and modernity. Longtime devotees of the series will appreciate the faithful recreation of the original mechanics, while newcomers will find the gameplay intuitive and rewarding. The myriad systems—combat, skills, crafting, exploration—interlock smoothly, providing continuous incentives to grind for better weapons, learn new techniques, or unearth hidden treasures.

On the technical side, performance on the PSP is smooth, with quick load times and minimal frame drops, even in larger, more detailed environments. The decision to fit extensive voice files and animated sequences onto a single UMD disc showcases the developers’ efficiency without compromising quality. Portability is another major plus, making this a perfect title for RPG fans on the go.

Whether you’re seeking a deep, character-driven saga or a robust action RPG to sink dozens of hours into, First Departure delivers on all fronts. The enhanced visuals and audio, combined with the depth of its systems, make it a standout remake. For anyone building a PSP library, Star Ocean: First Departure is an indispensable adventure that honors its roots while embracing new possibilities.

Retro Replay Score

7.3/10