Tag Archives: Star Ocean The Last Hope

Square Enix has finally dropped the official announcement that Star Ocean: The Last Hope is PS3-bound.

Releasing worldwide on February 9, 2010, the game’s an “international” affair. It gives the PS3′s Blu-Ray drive plenty to chew on with English and Japanese voices and English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Japanese options for everything aside from spoken word.

Also, after a cursory glance at the game’s fact sheet, Shacknews discovered its shocking (but mostly hilarious) secret. Click through the link for a quick chuckle. Which, we guess, still counts as “more.”

Square just detailed the PAL collector’s edition of Star Ocean: The Last Hope, releasing next Friday.

Here’s what you get, according to the press release after the break:

• Limited edition STAR OCEAN: The Last Hope Box:
  Unique ‘digistack’ packaging with dual gatefold, inside a special collector’s sleeve.
• STAR OCEAN Soundtrack Compilation CD:
  The STAR OCEAN Sound Best Collection showcases key themes from across the series specially chosen by the game creators and series fans.
• Five STAR OCEAN: The Last Hope Character Cards:
  Collectable prints of lead characters from the game, using rare artwork not officially released in Europe and other PAL countries.
• Brady Games Official Miniguide:
  32 page game guide printed in full-colour, with extra character artwork, descriptions and walkthrough information – to help you on your journey through the universe.
• Three STAR OCEAN: The Last Hope Game Discs
  Expansive galactic adventuring goes across three game discs, accompanied by full-colour play manual.

Hit the link for an image.

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Star Ocean: The Last Hope will release in PAL territories on June 5, Square said today.

The RPG’s a 360-only thing at the moment. Just don’t lose heart, PS3 people.

Press release after the break.

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Square’s Star Ocean producer Yoshinori Yamagishi was keen on making erotic games at one time.

Yamagishi explained to Videogamer:

“This is actually a quotation from a conversation I had when I was still talking with Enix before the company merged with top management people,” he said. “I said yes, maybe one day I would like to try something more adult content. That’s true!

“But that’s not to say that we wanted to create something erotic and ended up with Star Ocean: the Last Hope. That’s not the case.”

Right then.

Yamagishi mentioned that the Star Ocean engine makes it possible to do a DS, PSP, or a PS3 version–but that’s just not as interesting.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope producer Yoshinori Yamagishi has told CVG that games as storytelling media are still far from their full potential.

“As opposed to films, books and TV, as a medium it is more of a challenge to produce a game in order to tell a story,” he said.

“In TV, film and theatre, the creator has control over how he gives the story to the viewer – it’s easier to control the emotions and feelings expected from the viewer.

“But in [a game developer's] case we always have to think about how players might react to each depiction of a character or storyline, and that’s the part we can’t predict. Nevertheless we have to make these predictions to a certain degree, and incorporate this into our work. So it’s more of a challenge.

“But if we manage to get over this hurdle, then I regard videogames as a greater medium to provide people with deep emotional and exciting experiences.”

There’s a full interview here.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope’s now-confirmed June PAL date does not mean the game’s been delayed, Square said this morning, despite a CVG story yesterday to the contrary.

“The game has not been delayed,” a rep told VG247.

“We announced Star Ocean: The Last Hope would be released during spring in January of this year. We use the summer solstice on June 21st as the official start of summer, so by announcing the game will be released in June, it is still on schedule to technically be released in our interpretation of spring.”

The original story said the game had moved out of a previously confirmed spring time-frame.

The 360 RPG has already released in Japan and the US.

CVG has learned from Square Enix that Star Ocean: The Last Hope will be delayed until June in the UK.

Game was expected early this spring, and the US and Japan already have it.

No reason was given for the delay, but we’ve contacted Square Enix to see if we can get to the bottom of it.

According to Famitsu, Star Ocean 4 sold 166,027 units in its first four days on sale in Japan.

This apparently makes it the third fastest selling Japanese 360 game of all time, next to:

1. Blue Dragon – 203,740 copies
2. Tales of Vesperia – 170, 024 copies
3. Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope – 166,027 copies

Spot the RPG theme? The Square game’s out in Europe this “spring”.

Thanks, Kotaku and Blerk.

Update – It’s been pointed out that these are actually lifetime sales figures, meaning The Last Hope will almost certainly go on to be the biggest-selling 360 game in Japan so far.

Don’t know how long this will last, but if you want to sit around watching someone play Square Enix’s Star Ocean: The Last Hope then you can here.

Picture quality isn’t great, and it’s of course all in Japanese, but there’s more than enough there to give you an idea of how the RPG will play.

You may also notice that fighting as a female always gives you a celebratory up-skirt shot when you win. Or so we’re told, anyway…

In an apparent effort to cater to western tastes, Square Enix has produced two HUD designs for Star Ocean: The Last Hope, one for Japan and one for the US and Europe.

As you can see on Siliconera, the western release features CG models for characters in the fight scenes, whereas the Japanese version’s gone for an anime look.

The menus are different, too.

Push yourself back from the edge of your seat and hit the link for more detail.

Square Enix has updated the official Star Ocean: The Last Hope Japanese site to reveal some rather tasty screenshots and a brand new five minute movie.

Don’t even bother saying you’ve got something better to do than to check them out.

Images are over at Gamersyde, and the trailer’s through here.

Now go.

JRPG Star Ocean: The Last Hope will release this “spring” on PAL 360′s, Square’s confirmed.

There’s no mention of any PS3 version in today’s PR, despite an extra SKU being heavily tipped.

“Star Ocean has already proved to be a popular series in Japan, we now hope that players around the world can discover why,” said Square Enix boss John Yamamoto.

“Star Ocean: The Last Hope is a stunning new adventure in the series that is sure to delight both fans and newcomers alike.”

Press release and 18 new screens after the drop.

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The latest issue of Famitsu 360 has awarded Square Enix’s über-RPG Star Ocean IV: The Last Hope a highly respectable 34/40.

Capcom’s Strret Fighter IV scored the same whilst Ninja Gaiden-alike Ninja Blade also scored highly, receiving 33/40.

Star Ocean IV is set be released in Japan on February 19.

Full scores below:

• Ninja Blade 8997
• Midnight Club 8888
• Street Fighter IV 9988
• Skate 2 7887
• Shooting Love 7767
• Star Ocean 4 9988
• Sonic 8889
• Chaos Head Noah 8879

Thanks, Gaf.

Microsoft recently posted what appears to be the first English Star Ocean: The Last Hope trailer, and we’re pretty stoked.

Prepare your feeble, un-blown mind for — among other things — earth-engulfing nukes, madcap battles, and some guy who kind of looks kind of like Darth Vader. Or, if Mass Effect isn’t your thing, just fast-forward to 1:05, where the game becomes Quake III.

So yeah, now you can probably understand why we’re counting down the days until Star Ocean: The Last Hope hits shelves. April – or February if you live in the US – can’t come soon enough.

Direct feed trailer through the link or see it after the break.

Thanks, jnms.

By Nathan Grayson

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Square Enix has launched the official site for Star Ocean IV, dubbed The Last Hope, in America.

Lots of features are still labelled “coming soon” but you can meet the characters from the tri-Ace RPG.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope is rumoured to be released in Europe in April whilst the US and Japan get it next month.

Check it out.

By Mike Bowden

French site Xboxygen claims Square Enix has announced that RPG Star Ocean: The Last Hope will release in Europe on April 24.

There are also some new screenshots and some brand new footage for you to look at after the break.

We’ll check with Square Enix on Monday.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope releases for Xbox 360 in Japan and the US next month.

By Mike Bowden

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Some new pics of Square Enix’s space RPG Star Ocean: The Last Hope have surfaced and the whole thing’s looking very bright and colourful.

The fourth iteration in the Star Ocean series is currently pencilled in for an Xbox 360 release later this year.

Check them all out after the break.

By Mike Bowden

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Famitsu has them. As per headline, they show an item creation screen with a purple haired waif in a skin-tight PVC costume showing you how to make stuff.

‘Nuff said.

Star Ocean IV is out exclusively for Xbox 360 later this year.

More images through the link.

By Mike Bowden

Following on from the earlier story that the Star Ocean IV US release date moved forward a week, Sqaure Enix has told IGN that there are currently “no plans” for a PlayStation 3 release.

“…there are currently no plans for a PlayStation 3 version,” said the development team when asked.

Square Enix issued the exact same statement back in June last year.

Full interview with the Star Ocean devs through the IGN link.

By Mike Bowden

Square Enix RPG Star Ocean: The Last Hope is officially hitting the streets one week early – at least, if you live in North America.

According to an email received by GameCyte, Square Enix has decided to give the Xbox 360-exclusive’s release date a slight tummy-tuck, resulting in a February 24 release date.

Other territories’ dates, however, remain unchanged, with Japan joining Edge Maverick and co. on February 19, and Europe on April 24.

We intend to slay this three DVD-ed beast as soon as humanly possible. How about you?

By Nathan Grayson