Star Ocean : Second Evolution

Star Ocean: Second Evolution for PSP is a science-fantasy action role-playing game released in North America by Square Enix in January 2009. Developed by tri-Ace and adapted for the handheld by Tose, it is the enhanced PSP version of Star Ocean: The Second Story, the second main entry in the Star Ocean series. Its story takes place twenty years after the first game and mixes a far-future interstellar setting with the swords, towns, monsters, and legends of a world that has not reached spaceflight.

Players begin by choosing one of two protagonists, Federation ensign Claude C. Kenny or Expel native Rena Lanford. Claude is separated from his survey team after investigating an unfamiliar device on the planet Milokeenia and arrives on Expel, where Rena believes his equipment and appearance mark him as the prophesied Hero of Light. The pair set out to investigate the Sorcery Globe, a meteorite linked to increasingly dangerous monsters and disasters. Their journey eventually reaches beyond Expel, with the fate of the planet and the threat posed by the Ten Wise Men driving the larger adventure.

Exploration moves between an overworld, towns, and dungeons, while fights shift to real-time battle arenas. The player directly controls one party member, choosing attacks and special arts while up to three companions follow AI tactics that can be adjusted for different approaches. Physical fighters and spellcasters use different abilities, and character growth comes from battles, equipment, learned skills, and the way the party is prepared between encounters. The PSP controls keep menus, map movement, combat actions, and shortcuts close at hand for play on the system's portable format.

A defining part of Star Ocean: Second Evolution is its flexible party and relationship system. There are more potential allies than a single playthrough can recruit, so choices about who joins can shape the group. In towns, Private Actions let the party temporarily split up, allowing Claude or Rena to seek out companions and witness optional scenes. These interactions affect relationship values, which in turn help determine character-focused ending scenes. The two lead characters, optional recruitment choices, and a large number of possible endings give repeat playthroughs reasons to follow a different route.

The game also makes character development broader than simple level gains. Skill points can be invested in abilities that improve statistics, combat options, and practical specialties. Party members can use item-creation systems such as cooking, alchemy, writing, composing, and smithing, producing useful equipment or consumables when the right skills and materials are available. Cooperative super specialties extend that idea by letting the group contribute to larger crafts. These systems make towns and menus an important part of preparing for the next dungeon rather than a pause between battles.

Second Evolution updates the earlier PlayStation game specifically for PSP. It uses new character artwork and newly animated scenes from Production I.G, includes extensive voiced dialogue, and presents a re-recorded soundtrack. The enhanced edition also refines elements of combat, adds content including an additional playable character, and expands the selection of endings. It first launched in Japan in April 2008 before the 2009 North American release, with European and Australian releases following. The result preserves the original game's branching character focus and real-time RPG structure while giving this Star Ocean adventure a distinct handheld presentation.