STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE
STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE
Game
Game2023
STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R
Developer Square Enix, Gemdrops, Inc.
In this science fantasy RPG, choose between Claude or Rena, play through their perspectives, and unlock various endings. Recruit allies and defeat foes in fast paced real-time battles. From the Steam store page
431 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
91
LovedLoved
191 positive · 19 negative
95% range 86–94%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 191 | 19 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 64 | 6 | 122 |
| Mastodon * | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Lemmy * | 4 | 0 | 6 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Overwhelmingly Positive
2,420 of 2,542 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
91% recommend · 185 yes, 18 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 203 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (3,760 of 4,040 positive).
Many find the combat too easy or repetitive, with some calling it unenjoyable. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note the game has a complex crafting system that can feel like menu management. [4][5]
Liked
Representative posts
- [3]
B- — Great conveniences helped me finish a journey I stopped enjoying Completed the main game, but skipped much of the late story and ending. Star Ocean's strongest attraction was what I could do with the party between battles. Item creation, specialities, equipment and skill investment gave me useful ways to make the team stronger. Configuring allies and seeing preparation turn into power was more satisfying than …
- [6]
They took my favorite game from my childhood, remade it from the ground up, and now I'm excited that I can recommend this game without looking crazy. Most of the people whining are just people who have nostalgia bias and hate that the games feels more arcade-y instead of being a slog, or they just simply don't know the tropes of the 90s and aren't willing to accept that tropes change over time. The slog was boring …
- [1]
This is an amazing remake of the original PS1 game. As a huge fan of the original, I really appreciated the QOL additions and thought the playthrough experience was on the whole very good. That said, there are a few criticisms that I would raise: -Item limit of 20 max quantity does get annoying, though in endgame it hardly matters. -I beat the game on Galaxy difficulty, which became truly trivial by about mid- disc …
- [12]
The way Square Enix remakes and re-releases their old games is really bizarre and inconsistent: sometimes you get functional but really barebones ports, other times full 3D remakes that may as well be a whole new game. Among the remakes, some of them, like the Front Mission games, seem really slapdash and low effort. Others, like Secret of Mana, use a weird chibi-ish 3D style that really doesn't appeal to me at all. …
- [2]
Overall I enjoyed this game. The art style is beautiful, the music is brilliant, the voice acting is good and the story is interesting. My only criticism of it is that I think the combat looks more fun that it actually is. Most fights are so easy they are over instantly after pressing one button and then every once in a while there is a big difficulty spike and you will have to think. I think I would've preferred …
Summarised from 34 of the 391 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R talk about great quality-of-life improvements over the original; those who didn't talk about combat is too easy and repetitive. Which matters more to you?
Reactions
60 of 431 · most liked firstI hope RPGs keep implementing fishing into their games because after a long hard day of completing quests & saving the world ain’t nothing better than settling down to a great calming fishing session. 🎣 Games are FF15, Harvestella, Star Ocean The Second Story R & The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. 👍🏻❤️🔥😎🤝🏻
neutral · AI labelView post →My favorite Square Enix games of all time! 🤡 Final Fantasy VI 🕰️ Chrono Trigger 🤖 Front Mission 3 🤺 Vagrant Story 🌳 Visions of Mana 🗺️ Octopath Traveler 2 🐉 Dragon Quest VIII 👥 Final Fantasy XIV 👩🦳 NieR Automata 🪐 Star Ocean: The Second Story R 👑 Romancing SaGa 2: ROTS 🎵 Theatrhythm FF Curtain Call
positive · AI labelView post →For the 2nd anniversary of Star Ocean: The Second Story R, Square Enix shared a new illustration drawn by Yukihiro Kajimoto! This is the best Star Ocean game.
positive · AI labelView post →Star Ocean The Second Story R is a game that every JRPG fan should pick up and play immediately.✨🌊
positive · AI labelView post →Star Ocean The Second Story R 3rd anniversary illustration by Yukihiro Kajimoto:
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy two years to Star Ocean The Second Story R 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 @square-enix-games.com
positive · AI labelView post →Star Ocean The Second Story R | Now Available On Nintendo Switch 2 (digitally) www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GZU...
neutral · AI labelView post →Christmas voucher got me my final HD-2D adventure. Let's dive headfirst into Star Ocean The Second Story R! The hype for this is unreal, but I remember not liking the PSP version too much. 😅
neutral · AI labelView post →GemDrops worked as a support studio on Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. They also developed Star Ocean: The Second Story R for Square Enix which was very positively received. They are a studio building a very strong JRPG resume.
neutral · AI labelView post →I will always sing the highest of praises for this game #StarOceanTheSecondStoryR @square-enix-games.com
positive · AI labelView post →Star Ocean The Second Story R celebrates 1st anniversary with an illustration by Yukihiro Kajimoto:
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean: The Second Story R (PS5) is $19.99 on Amazon buff.ly/40VIYsY Switch $29.99 buff.ly/4fB3QKp Best Buy buff.ly/3ZgPp8K #ad
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean The Second Story R is a must play JRPG if you like your JRPGs to blend the line between fantasy and Sci-Fi. Also if you like flashy combat and big numbers. 👀
positive · AI labelView post →Star Ocean The Second Story R (PS4/PS5) is $18 US Dollars at PNP Games buff.ly/49cMFMT PS5/Switch $19.99/$29.99 Amazon buff.ly/40VIYsY Best Buy Switch buff.ly/3B1cp2e #ad $32.49 Steam buff.ly/4fK3T6N
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean: The Second Story R (Switch) is $29.99 on Amazon buff.ly/4glJR2T GameStop PS5/Switch $24.99/$29.99 buff.ly/3ZG3oDY #ad
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean The Second Story R (PS5/Switch) is $21.51/$28.68 US Dollars at VGP buff.ly/kH7JSf4 PS5 $19.99 for Best Buy Plus/Total members buff.ly/kWfglBQ All VGP deals buff.ly/B2wm2B6 #ad
neutral · AI labelView post →Square Enix announced Star Ocean: The Second Story R is now out on Switch 2. It will be $49.99 with no upgrade path or compatible Switch save data. Still, Square Enix is porting games to Switch 2 like crazy.
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean: The Second Story R (Steam) is $24.59 on GMG XP Offer buff.ly/jYWnTNL $29.99 US eShop buff.ly/riyQWAU $29.99 US PSN buff.ly/6zpQKHT Switch $29.99 GameStop buff.ly/cUFbiLy Deck verified
neutral · AI labelView post →🏆PLAT GET! #128🏆 Star Ocean The Second Story R I'm 100% going to replay this in the future which is major for me cuz I only replay childhood classics. What an incredibly fun game - two routes were unnecessary tho. That's it for HD-2D titles till The Adventures of Elliot releases. 🥀
positive · AI labelView post →Star Ocean The Second Story R for Nintendo Switch 2 is a great port so far, but Square Enix is punishing Switch owners with no upgrade path or save transfer. Our impressions with comparisons and more: www.rpgsite.net/feature/2092...
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean the Second Story R (Switch / PS4 / PS5) physical and digital is 40% off: bit.ly/3XkyZto $29.99
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean: The Second Story R (Steam) is $20.50 on GMG XP Offer buff.ly/LRrpHJl $24.99 US eShop buff.ly/8ukmxKw US PSN buff.ly/GKxFkCg Deck verified
neutral · AI labelView post →In Star Ocean: The Second Story R, you can pickpocket any NPC in the game as well as your own teammates if you have the skill This also includes animals like this dog in the third town, who for some reason is holding an Orichalcum, one of the best crafting materials in the game
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean: The Second Story R (Steam) is $20.75 on GMG XP Offer buff.ly/LRrpHJl #ad
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean: The Second Story R (PS5/Switch) is $29.60 on Amazon buff.ly/zqj5G9N #ad $24.99 US PSN buff.ly/GKxFkCg
neutral · AI labelView post →They took my favorite game from my childhood, remade it from the ground up, and now I'm excited that I can recommend this game without looking crazy. Most of the people whining are just people who have nostalgia bias and hate that the games feels more arcade-y instead of being a slog, or they just simply don't know the tropes of the 90s and aren't willing to accept that tropes change over time. The slog was boring and annoying (it's my favorite game of all time, to remind you). This version is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Star Ocean The Second Story R is available now on Switch 2 www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GZU... - $49.99 (full price) - No SW -> SW2 upgrade path - Save data doesn't transfer
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean the Second Story R (Switch) physical release is 40% off on Amazon and GameStop: bit.ly/3XkyZto $29.99
neutral · AI labelView post →✅ Star Ocean: The Second Story R (side Rena) beaten Horrendous story, wonderful gameplay, lovely little soundtrack. It's a really fun game if you treat its narrative like a slice of life anime for the first 80% of its runtime. Man, I'd love Tales of Phantasia/Destiny to get a remake like this. 😭
neutral · AI labelView post →'STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE' and 'STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R' are now available on GoG. www.gog.com/en/game/star...
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a classic, underrated RPG that delivers greatness in every aspect +An incredible story — full of twists, emotions, drama and revenge +Party System: You can have up to 8 active members, but there are more than 8 available characters, so choose carefully. +Relationship party member: Pick whoever you want — Claude × Rena, Claude × Celine, Ashton × Celine, or even Rena × Claude if you choose Rena as the protagonist. +Dual Protagonists: You can play as either…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Since we finished Okami earlier this week, it's time to begin something new!! We're starting Star Ocean: The Second Story R today, a game that has come highly recommended but that I know very little about! Starting in 10 minutes at twitch.tv/purrcelaindoll!
positive · AI labelView post →Happy 1st Anniversary of Star Ocean The Second Story R. What a nice remake!
positive · AI labelView post →Monday, MONday, MONDAY! Compete in Trivia Tower to win codes for Wax Heads, Star Ocean The Second Story R, and Denshattack! Support MinnMax at even the $2 tier to compete in game trivia, give yourself a fun evening with @intothecast.bsky.social. Learn more here - www.patreon.com/minnmax/post...
neutral · AI labelView post →Vertical Key Art - Star Ocean The Second Story R
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy 2nd Anniversary of Star Ocean The Second Story R! What an incredible remake of the original. I really like this game! Give this JRPG classic a try!
positive · AI labelView post →Star Ocean the Second Story R (Switch) physical release is 25% off on Amazon and Best Buy: bit.ly/45ZqIOr $29.99
neutral · AI labelView post →Stab the sword of justice – Star Ocean: The Second Story R (2023, PC/NSW/PS4/PS5) Composer & Arranger : Motoi Sakuraba Original: Star Ocean: The Second Story (1998, PS1)
neutral · AI labelView post →STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R (S/PS5) $29.99 via Best Buy. ow.ly/R4J750QVi5L
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean: The Second Story R also has this. I hope more publishers follow in their footsteps. It makes sense for marketing reasons as well. How do you make your game stand out in a bookshelf? Make it different, and it’s memorable. It’s a win-win for consumers and game makers/studios.
positive · AI labelView post →'Star Ocean The Second Story R' now available on Nintendo Switch 2. youtu.be/8GZUo2iibTk
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy 3rd Anniversary of Star Ocean The Second Story R! Anniversary illustration by key visual illustrator Yukihiro Kajimoto!
neutral · AI labelView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☑ Beautiful ☐ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☑ Teens ☐ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☑ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Four RPGs to get to know me: 🔮Suikoden II (samesies!) 👹Shin Megami Tensei IV ♦️Final Fantasy VI ☄️Star Ocean: The Second Story R
neutral · AI labelView post →This #RandomGameSaturday the RNG picked Star Ocean the Second Story R A gorgeous HD-2D remake of a great game! Fun combat, an interesting story, and more romance than expected 💕 It's my favorite Star Ocean game, in my albeit limited experience, and I'd recommend it!
positive · AI labelView post →Star Ocean The Second Story R is a game I regret not having played the original of 26 years ago, the release on the PlayStation and subsequent rereleases went under my radar completely. I've been playing JRPGs for a long time, new and old, and this one really stands out; this is truly something special and has quickly risen the ranks for me as one of my favourites. When you think of JRPGs from the 90s you probably don't think of a hybrid action combat system, and while I've played a few JRPGs…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Continuing our look at recently-launched Nintendo Switch 2 ports, @quinton.bsky.social goes hands-on with Star Ocean The Second Story R:
neutral · AI labelView post →Every game I've reviewed on RPGreats.com in 2025: Star Ocean: the Second Story R ⭐⭐⭐ Mirai Shinwa Jarvas ✩ Bahamut Lagoon ⭐⭐ Treasure of the Rudras ⭐⭐✩ Jeanne D'Arc ⭐⭐ Into the Breach ⭐⭐✩ Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale ⭐⭐✩ Shadowrun: Hong Kong ⭐⭐⭐ Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven ⭐⭐✩
neutral · AI labelView post →Star Ocean The Second Story R (S) $29.99 via Amazon (Prime Eligible). ow.ly/3ovm50WCoH9 Best Buy. ow.ly/pBjk50WCoHa
neutral · AI labelView post →Surprise! Square Enix Has Released A Switch 2 Version Of Star Ocean: The Second Story R.
neutral · AI labelView post →This regarded by a lot of people as the best Star Ocean to play if starting out. This was indeed my first game and I loved almost every part of it. I definitely see why many regard this as one (if not the best) Star Ocean games in the series. Excellent gameplay (really makes you think in the harder difficulties), a nice story but takes a while to build up, and a fun variety of characters to fight and interact with, the soundtrack really shines at certain points, and some nice replayability.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I definitely wouldn't call myself a fan of the series, but the second game's insane progression system is legendary. The remake loads it with so many QoL features that it almost feels more modern than actual modern rpgs. The increased tutorialization actually makes the various crafting systems digestible for the average rpg gamer, and for a returning player it did a great job of reminding me of all the various tricks for getting buff. It can often feel like you're playing Menus: The Game and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Star Ocean: The Second Story R (S) $29.99 via Amazon (Prime Eligible). ow.ly/ArM850UrkEv GameStop. ow.ly/T19C50UrkEw
neutral · AI labelView post →Did yall know that Star Ocean the Second Story got a remake called Star Ocean the Second Story R and it’s one of if not the best HD-2D games ever and did the action combat before adventures of Elliot and features a sci-fi fantasy story and is really good
positive · AI labelView post →This is an amazing remake of the original PS1 game. As a huge fan of the original, I really appreciated the QOL additions and thought the playthrough experience was on the whole very good. That said, there are a few criticisms that I would raise: -Item limit of 20 max quantity does get annoying, though in endgame it hardly matters. -I beat the game on Galaxy difficulty, which became truly trivial by about mid- disc 2 (the Fields). Eventually, fights were incredibly easy and I stopped…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had not played this game before and found it to be really fun. The story have its moments and chars are charming and unique. Im very keen the play the other games from this series :) Played on the Steam Deck.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An extremely good remake of the original! This game has it all: story, diverse and interesting characters, an awesome item creation system, tons of secrets (including a MASSIVE bonus dungeon and a hidden character), challenging bosses, arenas, cooking contests, a new fishing minigame, bunny races, so many optional skills it will blow your mind... I can't really think of anything this game doesn't have. They just don't make games like this anymore, the worst part is when the game finally…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't know what it is about Final Fantasy but I've never been able to finish, or really even start more than the first hour or two, despite how much I enjoy JRPGs. So far, Dragon Quest has been the only series that I'm able to play all the way through, something about the more charming setting and more straightforward combat just works for me. Well now I can happily say that Star Ocean also fills that JRPG niche for me. I had a great time with it, completed almost everything (besides catching…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Star Ocean The Second Story R (PS5) $19.99 (S) $29.99 via Best Buy. ow.ly/N0ss50UbwpB
neutral · AI labelView post →Game 27 - Star Ocean The Second Story R! What a masterpiece of a remake! I'll admit, I had 0 expectations for this, considering it'd be my first game in the series. It exceeded all of 'em! Stellar visuals, gameplay is immaculate, story's great for newcomers and pickpocketing people is fun!
positive · AI labelView post →
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