Star Ocean: The Second R dev details the challenge of reviving the RPG classic
A rework 2 decades in the making
Star Ocean: The Second R came to Switch recently, and it’s been praised top to bottom for being a title that respects the original and what makes it important, all while reworking visuals, audio and more to lift the experience to new heights. It seems that critics and fans agree that Star Ocean: The Second R is exactly how developers should breathe new life into a classic for modern-day audiences to enjoy.
Of course, crafting such an expertly-handled remake is no easy task, especially when you’re dealing with source material from over 2 decades ago. In an interview with Siliconera, Yuichiro Kitao of developer Gemdrops shed some light on what the team had to go through to bring Star Ocean The Second Story back from the past.
Since the materials that we had for the past title was from 25 years ago, they were not in a complete state and only contained fragments of information. Because of this, we had to compile the relevant documents and materials as we played through the original PS1 release and the PSP release. At the same time, we also analyzed the materials from the original release and repurposed contents. There were few existing designs and concept art to begin with, so a considerable amount was newly created or made upon referencing information digested from our playthroughs of the Star Ocean titles.
Comments (0)