It’s been almost three years (already?!) since Square Enix and Gemdrops, Inc. delivered Star Ocean: The Second Story R, an HD-2D remaster of one of the PlayStation’s most overlooked gems, and normally, I would say that I can’t recommend it enough.
So at first, the idea of it receiving a native upgrade to the Nintendo Switch 2 sounded like fantastic news. The system is already an RPG powerhouse, and this game deserves a little further glow-up and the chance to catch new audiences. Having checked out the reality, there are a couple small, unfortunate caveats, however.
Let’s just get those unfortunate realities out of the way off the hop. Much like the Switch 2 Edition of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster released this month, Star Ocean: The Second Story R‘s new port is not the kindest gesture Square Enix could have made to existing owners of the original Switch version. In a world where upgrade paths were becoming the norm, this is yet another Switch 2 port where an entirely separate purchase is required, and the save files between versions are not compatible.
“This upgrade boils down to a ‘Gift of the Magi’ scenario: the Switch 2 version’s shinier visuals are prime for a Star Ocean: Second Story R New Game+ playthrough, but you can’t hop straight into your Switch 1 save file from this version.”
I voiced frustration with this while reviewing the FFX port, and the same issues ring true here too—Star Ocean: The Second Story R deserves a more nuanced update. If you’re going to go to the effort of updating and re-releasing it, but require another full purchase to access that version, it should be a little more worthwhile. There’s no new content; there are no new features; there are no quality-of-life adjustments outside of improved visuals.
Thus, unfortunately, I have to warn existing owners of the Nintendo Switch 1 version that your mileage here may vary. I wish this was a simple case of dropping $5-10 to hop back into the game where you left off on the previous hardware, or that there was a new physical edition that would sweeten the pot with some artistic bonuses or something. But given the state of everything these days, a full-priced but slight upgrade is a tough sell, no matter how good the game itself may be.
Now that the grim reality has been addressed, I’m happy to say that yes, the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a nice visual upgrade to the Switch 1 version.
The HD-2D style that Square Enix has adopted is clever, in that it’s visually impactful without demanding the highest level of technical effects. It benefits from advanced modern lighting without requiring high-end processing power. Thus, the Switch 1 version of this game looked absolutely charming in its own right; the backgrounds weren’t the crispest, but it didn’t matter, because there was an artistic statement being made.
It certainly does pop all the more on better hardware like this, though. Right away, booting Star Ocean: The Second Story R up in handheld mode felt like a different experience. From the title screen and “attract mode” cinematics, the Switch 2’s larger screen brought new life to this vast tale.
As someone who doesn’t care as much about having the absolute best resolution and frame rate, I was impressed by seeing the game’s charming environments rendered in 1080p and 60fps in both docked and handheld modes (up from 864p docked and 576p handheld, and 30fps). Textures are enhanced, details are sharper, and there’s a better draw rate. HD-2D doesn’t need these things, but they don’t hurt to have.
Like many other Switch 2 upgrades, the bigger difference is in the loading times. This department is the true area where I think the current generation of hardware has expanded over its predecessors, and while we aren’t dealing with SSD-grade speeds here, it’s still nice to see Star Ocean: The Second Story R‘s load times get virtually halved.
It’s a very nice sprinkling of sugar on top of an already delectable dish, and at the same time, this edition puts Nintendo players roughly on par with the version that PlayStation and PC players got in 2023. Depending on your perspective, that’s either a nothingburger or novel. For my money, I don’t expect a Nintendo version to have the absolute cutting edge of technical presentation, but I won’t turn it down either.
Ultimately, this upgrade boils down to a “Gift of the Magi” scenario: the Switch 2 version’s shinier visuals are prime for a Star Ocean: Second Story R New Game+ playthrough, but you can’t hop straight into your Switch 1 save file from this version. And that’s such a damn shame with a game like this, where it’s so fulfilling to play a second time and see the other protagonist’s story and journey with new characters.
However, there is one circumstance in which I can unequivocally recommend this game: if you’re a JRPG fan who hasn’t yet had the pleasure of experiencing Star Ocean: The Second Story R, the Switch 2 is once again a terrific opportunity to get caught up. There’s so much to enjoy in its cast of characters and unique tone, as a title with one foot planted in both science fiction and fantasy, and the HD-2D style was a beautiful way to reinvigorate its robust gameplay systems. This is a substantial and rewarding quest that deserves another chance at the spotlight.
