Star Ocean, the flagship franchise of developer Tri-Ace, has grown a dedicated fan base since the release of the original Star Ocean title back in 1996. Faced with fierce competition in the RPGs category by big names, including fellow Square Enix products such as Final Fantasy, Star Ocean became something of a niche for players to explore, never quite gaining enough traction to challenge the giants of the business. Despite this, Star Ocean has consistently released high-quality JRPGs for fans to enjoy, although as with any franchise, it has had some rough titles in its history. The important thing for gaming franchises is to give players more good deliveries than bad ones, and most can say that Star Ocean has found the right balance through the years.
Since the release of the original Star Ocean in 1996, the franchise has churned out 11 titles for gamers to explore the world of the Eternal Sphere. A few of these titles are spinoff entries and mobile versions, as there have only been six major installments in the series. The latest installment, Star Ocean: The Divine Force, has received some criticism in the short period since its release, but overall, fans seem to love some of the new features introduced in this title, like the revamped battle mechanics. The Divine Force will be added to this tier list later as debate settles, but in the meantime, the past games present a clearer hierarchy.
S-Tier
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (2003): Widely considered one of the best games in the Star Ocean franchise, Till the End of Time gave gamers arguably the most comprehensive gameplay in series' history. Filled with great combat scenes and revamped content like cooking and crafting, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time engages gamers fully in its world. The game featured an immersive plot where the writers built the characters with great attention to detail and surprised players with a mindbending plot twist midway into the game. As a result, it is one of the most loved games in the entire series.
Star Ocean: The Second Story (1998): The follow-up installment to a debut game can make or break a franchise. Sometimes, developers can change too many elements in a bid to improve the original and abandon their game's identity as a result. Star Ocean: The Second Story had no such issues in finding the right balance, expanding on the features of the original while maintaining a sense of identity. The storyline had far more depth and better narration through the two protagonists of Star Ocean: The Second Story - Claude and Rena. Giving players two playable characters opened up two different playthroughs, ensuring the game had good replay value. Additionally, the combat system was designed to be faster in pace and more competitive than its predecessor. With high marks from a variety of critics, Star Ocean: The Second Story is undoubtedly one of the best games in the Star Ocean franchise.
A-Tier
Star Ocean: First Departure (2007): This was the first entry of the Star Ocean franchise that made its way to Western markets, taking the series beyond the shores of Japan. Star Ocean: First Departure was intended as a remake of the original Star Ocean combined with the combat mechanics of Star Ocean: Second Story, which wasn't a bad idea. While the game added new characters, artwork, and cutscenes, it lacked a sense of originality. Unfortunately, the visuals saw little improvement to the original Star Ocean, resulting in inferior graphics when compared to contemporary titles in the RPG category like Final Fantasy 12. There's still a lot for players to enjoy, and with decent critic ratings, it seals its place among the top games ever produced in the franchise.
B-Tier
Star Ocean (1996): The game that kickstarted the franchise may have been improved upon by its successor, Star Ocean: Second Story, but Star Ocean from Square Enix was notably funny and it was a fantastic RPG for its time among its peers. Though the game was hindered by a few issues with its combat system, it proved a solid foundation for the rest of the franchise.
C-Tier
Star Ocean: The Last Hope (2009): This game split fans of the franchise with little middle ground; RPG players either loved or hated Star Ocean: The Last Hope. After the major plot twists of Till the End of Time, The Last Hope went conservative with its storyline, and some fans felt let down by the narration and character development. The game still has a few positives, however, like the post-game, regarded as one of the best featured in the series.
D-Tier
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness (2016): Chaos can be a good thing, but when combined with poor storytelling and a lack of pacing, it is a recipe for disaster for even the most popular franchises. Reviews of Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness showed the game abandoned a key element of Star Ocean's identity - its gameplay. Party selection was no longer strategic, and players were thrust into a disordered world where battles no longer had a designated location, which fans had become accustomed to. The lack of a properly developed plot was accentuated by the fast-paced gameplay, and some fans speculated that Star Ocean would have been better off taking a break to reinvent after the release of The Last Hope.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
