Star Ocean: First Departure R has a release date on PlayStation 4. This is a remaster of the PSP remake of the first Star Ocean, and it comes equipped with crisper visuals, newly recorded voice work, rebalanced difficulty, and an all new "speed mode".

Here's a more in-depth breakdown of the remaster's new features, taken from the press release:

  • Full Voiceover – Players can choose between the original full voice cast from the PSP system version of the game in either Japanese or English, or the newly recorded version, featuring the voice cast from the original Super Famicom version in Japanese, which was previously released in Japan only.
  • New Character Illustrations – Players can opt for the original character illustrations utilised in Star Ocean First Departure, or brand-new versions drawn by the famous illustrator Katsumi Enami (Star Ocean: The Last Hope).
  • Speed Mode – Players can speed up movement to traverse the world more quickly.
  • Adjusted Game Balance – Adjusted battle difficulty enabling players to enjoy more challenge in combat, a signature quality of the Star Ocean series.

Star Ocean: First Departure R is out on the 5th December in both Japan and here in the West. Will you be doing some retro JRPG adventuring? Explore the stars in the comments section below.