History VideoGame / StarOceanTheSecondStory

* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: If you pickpocket people while the party is assembled, (ie. you aren't in Private Action mode) your relationship values with everyone will decrease. In ''Second Evolution'', this happens even if you are in Private Action mode.

** Item Creation is now streamlined. The success rate and the different results are now indicated, and the player can input how many materials can be consumed.

* ReimaginingTheArtifact: The guilds in the original game became irrelevant early on, as you could buy every possible IC and combat skill little more than a third of the way through. In the remake all IC skills are unlocked from the start, while additional combat skills are unlocked elsewhere. To compensate, guilds now offer missions that encourage experimenting with Item Creation, learning new specialties, or trying out the fishing minigame.

** Upon receiving Combo Link, all fighter characters are immediately allowed to use two additional special moves. In the original game, you are given two (one from Leon, another from Mayor Narl), but because the change renders a second Combo Link moot, Narl instead gives you a fixed Phase Gun.

* BigDamnHeroes: The very first battle of the game is this. Claude saving Rena from an attacking moster.

* ArbitraryGunPower: Precis's normal attacks use a mechanical hand that appears out of her backpack, but the damage is still based on her strength stat. Strangely, most of Opera’s killer moves do the same, even though her weapons are all guns.

* BabiesEverAfter: Sort of; one of the endings Claude has with [[spoiler:Rena state that he's going to be a father in 6 months.]]

** You saved [[spoiler:the entire universe from destruction, ''and'' brought Expel back from destruction]]. Congratulations! Unfortunately, [[spoiler:Energy Nede is destroyed completely. This would have been a good thing if not for the fact that they are all very nice people...and the fact that ''millions of innocent people are dead''. Additionally, it appears that The Calnus (including Claude's father) was not restored, though the game's director has said it's up to the player to decide if they came back or not.]]
*** Although in ''Second Story R'', [[spoiler:the credits show The Calnus and the Psynard flying atop of Expel]].

-->'''Claude:''' There's something odd about [[DialogueTree this menu]]...none of the choices let me say no! I've never been asked to make a decision that didn't have two real choices before...

* CallingYourAttacks: Subverted when Claude uses Helmetbreak in ''Second Evolution'': he just lets out a "Haaaaah!" {{kiai}} while using it. In the original version, he also shouts "Teeaaar into pieces!!" instead of "Ripper Burst." But basically every other attack in the whole game plays this straight.

In addition to being the first ''Star Ocean'' title to be localized into English, ''The Second Story'' is the TropeCodifier for the franchise as a whole. There are ten recruitable party members, but only six can be acquired in one playthrough, and a few are MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers. Claude and Rena have intertwined but distinct stories, and while every scene in the game canonically happens, a Rena player will not ''see'' the scenes that only involve Claude, and vice versa. In any town, the player may dismiss the party, turning them into {{NPC}}s wandering around who can be talked to via "Private Actions" -- and, therefore, have their {{Relationship Level}}s with other characters modified. A comprehensive SkillScore system couples with a gigantic ItemCrafting mechanic, allowing players to obtain reagents and then produce anything from MedicinalCuisine to new equipment to encyclopedias. And the game features a truly mutable ending, with the game choosing from around 100 different scenes depending on the Relationship Values between any given pair of characters.

In addition to being the first ''Star Ocean'' title to be localized into English, ''The Second Story'' is the TropeCodifier for the franchise as a whole. There are ten recruitable party members, but only six can be acquired in one playthrough, and a few are {{Mutually Exclusive Party Member}}s. Claude and Rena have intertwined but distinct stories, and while every scene in the game canonically happens, a Rena player will not ''see'' the scenes that only involve Claude, and vice versa. In any town, the player may dismiss the party, turning them into {{NPC}}s wandering around who can be talked to via "Private Actions" -- and, therefore, have their RelationshipLevels with other characters modified. A comprehensive SkillScore system couples with a gigantic ItemCrafting mechanic, allowing players to obtain reagents and then produce anything from MedicinalCuisine to new equipment to encyclopedias. And the game features a truly mutable ending, with the game choosing from around 100 different scenes depending on the Relationship Values between any given pair of characters.

''Star Ocean: The Second Story'' is the second game in the ''VideoGame/StarOcean'' series. It was first released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, and unlike [[VideoGame/StarOcean1 the first game]], ''did'' get a Western release. An UpdatedRerelease for the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable, titled ''Star Ocean: Second Evolution'', was released in early 2009. It was ported to UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, and UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita in 2015, but only in Japan.

Claude C. Kenny, son of Ronyx from the first game, is a new ensign in [[TheFederation the Pangalactic Federation]] struggling to remove himself from his famous father's shadow. His first mission, exploring Milokeenia, is directly under Admiral Ronyx's command. He activates a {{precursor}} teleporter and ends up stranded on the primitive planet of Expel, where he saves the other main character Rena Lanford from a rampaging monster. Hailed as a prophesied savior, Claude sets off on a quest to find out why things have gotten so bad on Expel recently. But there's more at stake here than one primitive planet....

There was a UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor sequel to ''The Second Story'' entitled ''VideoGame/StarOceanBlueSphere'', [[NoExportForYou that was not released outside of Japan.]] This was remade for cell phones in 2009.

There were also manga and an anime, called ''Star Ocean EX'', which documented the adventures of the cast up until the end of the first half of the game. It was cancelled before it could go any further; the story was later completed with the second half released as a series of five drama [=CDs=]. There were quite a few changes to the plot, but the characters and overall structure remained the same. Most of the art direction changes were retained for the PSP version.

A full VideoGameRemake entitled ''Star Ocean: The Second Story R'' was released on November 2, 2023 for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/PlayStation5, and PC via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}. As with ''[[VideoGame/StarOcean1 Star Ocean: First Departure R]]'', the game allows the player to switch between the original Japanese voice cast from the [=PlayStation=] version and the cast from ''Second Evolution''.

** Certain items that require Claude/Rena to equip them to be used in the field (like Mud Boots) don't need to be worn anymore.

*** Although in ''Second Story R'',[[spoiler:the credits show The Calnus and the Psynard flying atop of Expel]].

* BootstrappedLeitmotif: The now company-wide theme "Incarnation of Devil" first played during the battle against Lucifer/Cyril, which fits his character seeing that he's named after [[{{Satan}} the bibilical devil/fallen angel]]. However, the song eventually becomes more associated with "hyper-powerful OptionalBoss" like Gabriel Celeste, who has since become a recurring OptionalBoss throughout the franchise and Tri-Ace's other franchises such as ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile''. Gabriel Celeste pretty much yanked the {{Leitmotif}} out from Lucifer.

** And speaking of Private Actions, players can now initiate this on the fly inside the town. No more going out to press the a button!

* AntiFrustrationFeatures: ''Second Story R'' gives a visible relationship meter, allowing players to plan their endings in advance.

A full VideoGameRemake entitled ''Star Ocean: The Second Story R'' is set to release on November 2, 2023 for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/PlayStation5, and PC via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}. As with ''[[VideoGame/StarOcean1 Star Ocean: First Departure R]]'', the game will allow the player to switch between the original Japanese voice cast from the [=PlayStation=] version and the cast from ''Second Evolution''.

* {{Bowdlerized}}: The [=PlayStation=] version of the game came with a fair amount of censorship. All alcoholic beverages that could be brewed and consumed became tea drinks, and any scenes that (intentionally) invoked HoYay were clumsily altered. The remake keeps the former but seems to go out of its way to purposefully exaggerate it to FrothyMugsOfWater level by calling a pint of beer a "cola" despite the obvious color difference and still having plenty of obviously drunk [[=NPCs=]] inside bars which are still called that.

* {{Bowdlerized}}: The [=PlayStation=] version of the game came with a fair amount of censorship. All alcoholic beverages that could be brewed and consumed became tea drinks, and any scenes that (intentionally) invoked HoYay were clumsily altered.

''Star Ocean: The Second Story'' is the second game in the ''VideoGame/StarOcean'' series. It was first released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, and unlike [[VideoGame/StarOcean1 the first game]], ''did'' get a Western release. An UpdatedRerelease for the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable, titled ''Star Ocean: Second Evolution'', was released in early 2009.

There was a UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor sequel to ''The Second Story'' entitled ''Star Ocean: Blue Sphere'', [[NoExportForYou that was not released outside of Japan.]] This was remade for cell phones in 2009.

* TheProtagonist: The Player can choose either Claude or Rena as their protagonist. The story then shifts for the other to become the Deuteragonist of the story, each with unique scenes. However, one could argue that Claude is the defacto canon Protagonist given his [[relatable LeadYouCanRelateTo]] FishOutOfWater perspective provides a good AudienceSurrogate, a common feature for Protagonists.

* TheProtagonist: The Player can choose either Claude or Rena as their protagonist. The story then shifts for the other to become the Deuteragonist of the story, each with unique scenes. However, one could argue that Claude is the defacto canon Protagonist given his relatable FishOutOfWater perspective provides a good AudienceSurrogate, a common feature for Protagonists.

* TheProtagonist: The Player can choose either Claude or Rena as their protagonist. The story then shifts for the other to become the Deuteragonist of the story, each with unique scenes. However, one could argue that Claude is the defacto canon Protagonist given his special perspective provides a good AudienceSurrogate, a common feature for Protagonists.

* TheRival: Dias to Claude. Claude is immediately a little jealous of how close Dias is to Rena, and they come to blows in the Lacour Tournament, in which Dias promptly wipes the floor with him.