There are two playable characters in this game: Claude C. Kenny and Rena Lanford. Don't worry, you will meet others along the way that will join your party. Up to eight characters can be in your party at a time, but only four can be used in battle.
Claude is 19 years old and is the new Lieutenant Commander of the Earth Federation. His father was a military hero, which makes young Claude fight for his own identity. Early in the game, while on his first mission, Claude has an accident which sends him to the planet Expel (which was the name of a spell in the Dragon Warrior series).
Rena is seventeen years old and is from a village on Expel called Arlia. She has the unique ability to heal. Her past is full of many questions, and she desires to learn who her biological mother is and why she has the unique ability to heal.
There are three battle modes in Star Ocean: Standard Mode, which is urn-based; Semi-Active Mode, which is real-time and allows some freedom of movement; and Full-Active Mode, which is real-time and allows complete freedom of movement.
Star Ocean also has Private Actions, which are the side quests you will come across in the duration of your quest. These will allow the characters to build relationships and emotional levels.
Every character will have their own emotional level in relation to the other characters. For example, if two characters have a strong bond and one is killed in combat, the survivor will attack with rage and inflict extra damage. These bonds can also change throughout the game.
If a character does not have any magic powers, he/she can use their magic points on Specialties or Killer Moves. Killer Moves can also be combined with one another to form a Link Combo to inflict even greater damage. However, the Link Combo item that is hidden on the planet must be found. On top of this, there are Super Specialties that are created cooperatively by the party in which certain conditions and skills are necessary.
Some items will also need to be created in Star Ocean. To do this, you need to become proficient at some skill (e.g., cooking, compounding, alchemy, metalwork, etc.). After that, you need to acquire certain raw materials (i.e., seafood, grains, gold, crystal, etc.). Something will be created, but the result is totally unexpected. The specialty level, skill level, and talents of the character will affect the created item.
This game looks good. I am partial to it, for I loved the Dragon Warrior series. I long for Dragon Quest VII, but I suppose this will suffice for now.
