Star Ocean: The Last Hope gets earlier release date

by Andrew Yoon { Jan 9th 2009 at 7:59PM }

Star Ocean: The Last Hope dares to go against almost every Square Enix convention. The game is supposedly the last of the franchise, a final fantasy in the Star Ocean universe. The game is being exclusively developed for Xbox 360 and is aiming for an almost-simultaneous worldwide release.

And now, Square Enix is throwing away yet another long-running tradition: delays. Fans have become so accustomed to waiting, and Square Enix has the gall to release this game earlier than expected? Star Ocean: The Last Hope will now appear in the US on February 24th, a full week earlier than previously announced.

Square Enix, we're warning you -- we don't trust your new ways. You stop making ambiguously gendered buckle-wearing heroes, and we won't know you anymore!

Tags: square-enix, star-ocean, star-ocean-4, star-ocean-the-last-hope

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Trickob @ Jan 9th 2009 8:06PM

whelp, there goes most of MY free time...

sweet!

Xero @ Jan 9th 2009 9:49PM

i wonder how long it will be... here i am trying to cut back on gaming and SE has to come out with another Star Ocean.

For those who haven't played a Star Ocean game, i will say that the PS2 release had one of the best battle systems out there. The story was great, though it did have a twist that some may not like, but i still loved it. i played through it multiple times and bought a copy for my brother to play as well. needless to say, this game will pull me back into gaming for at least another month solid... and then resident evil 5... damn it...

Misha @ Jan 9th 2009 8:07PM

arg microsoft... damn you... ripping ppl off when EVERYONE knows that you already have a blu ray prototype.... oh wait, not everyone knows this...

Hyams @ Jan 9th 2009 8:10PM

I dunno. Is Star Ocean a big selling franchise?

Anyways, I wouldn't rule out a PS3 port later on. SE have never actually confirmed it as an exclusive, and the lack of a 'Only on Xbox 360!' tag is also a little suspiscious. I honestly would not be surprised if this turned out to be a timed exclusive.

Wiinterfang @ Jan 9th 2009 8:11PM

Good news everyone!

Wiinterfang @ Jan 9th 2009 8:12PM

Someone's Jealous =P.

J.Goodwin @ Jan 9th 2009 8:14PM

Dammit, this new date is way too close to Street Fighter IV.

The Espiritu (Somebody get me a tie! And it sure as hell better be red!) @ Jan 9th 2009 8:22PM

Easy, rent one buy the other

ryan @ Jan 9th 2009 8:56PM

That boxart is pretty epic. Will most definitely consider this during the slow summer.

WiredKnight @ Jan 10th 2009 2:10AM

This title is too close to Star Wars: A New Hope

GundamWingEW @ Jan 9th 2009 8:15PM

I honestly don't know how well previous games have sold. I think they did fairly well on the ps2. I mean they obviously did okay since they warranted a sequel right?

Anyways I want the 360 sales to meet and hopefully exceed SE's expectations.

And for now it's an exclusive. Just like Bioshock. Bioshock came to the ps3 what over a YEAR later. By then most people who truly cared had played it and moved on. The ps3 got leftovers and a few random

I'd prefer that the ps3 not get this game but if it does it definitely will not be for a LONG time and that's great for the 360.

Julian @ Jan 9th 2009 8:16PM

Well Tri Ace's last game was only mediocre at best, not having high hopes for this one

Hyams @ Jan 9th 2009 8:18PM

I want more JRPGs on my PS3. =( It doesn't help that WKS doesn't really interest me.

The best JRPG this gen so far has been Lost Odyssey, which I absolutely loved, which is a 360 exclusive. So far, the PS3 hasn't gotten anything even remotely comparable. =(

GundamWingEW @ Jan 9th 2009 8:24PM

Lost Odyssey was amazing. I hope they (mistwaker I believe) are working on a sequel for that.

Tales was really good too.

And I have a feeling this one will be great as well. And hopefully make the wait for FFXIII a little bit more bearable.

sumtone @ Jan 9th 2009 8:26PM

come on SQUARE release this to the PS3 so i can play it too =(

PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 9th 2009 8:45PM

Patience.......it will come.......

John Z @ Jan 9th 2009 8:27PM

Hyams, you didn't care for Eternal Sonata or Valkyria Chronicles?

Anyway, yeah, Star Ocean looks good, but this just means I get to see the reviews sooner and decide from there. (It's also still largely a non-issue since it's after I'll be laid off anyway.)

finaldarklord @ Jan 9th 2009 8:32PM

I don't get your beef with PS3 and its owners, Gundam. I really don't.

Hyams @ Jan 9th 2009 8:38PM

GundamWingEW:

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Mistwalker were making it a trilogy. I still need to finish the first one though (I got up to the point where that new chick joins you after you kick the crap out of her whilst she's all crazy-like).

John Z:

I tried the VC demo, and it's just not for me. Whilst I can appreciate the art direction and the origionality of the title, I'm just not a SRPG fan.

I haven't tried Eternal Sonata, so I can't comment on that. I'll see if I can't rent it, to give it a go.

eNrique @ Jan 9th 2009 8:40PM

I'm sorry hyams as much as I love my Ps3,
but
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/943/943574p1.html

And yeah, I really hate it but the 360 has the best JRPG out there, Tales of Eternia.
btw LO sucks.

PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 9th 2009 8:43PM

yea dude its a TIMED Exclusive........else it would have "ONLY For XBOX 360" Plastered on it......

Charlie_Six @ Jan 9th 2009 8:45PM

@ Hyams

The PS2 Star Ocean sold 1.3 million copies + according to VGChartz.com. And that's not even accounting European sales.

I've never played a Star Ocean but I will try a demo if one comes out. I'm really tired of story-less action and shooter games. It's like I don't fit in any of the Focus Test Approved (tm) video game demographics anymore. sigh.

BigD145 @ Jan 9th 2009 8:49PM

FU SE. That is all.

Hyams @ Jan 9th 2009 8:57PM

Fuse? What fuse? I see no fuse.

PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 9th 2009 9:12PM

I think he meant F.U. S.E.....

"Fuck You Square Enix"

lol

Hyams @ Jan 9th 2009 9:20PM

I know. I was being ironic.

J @ Jan 9th 2009 9:39PM

It's just to take attention away from KZ2 release, i think.

Nothing wrong with that. Just smart, i guess, since KZ2 will kick so much ass.

Has anyone seen any preview of star ocean 4, anyway? I've only seen the cgi trailer, which was breath-taking.

Asylum Night @ Jan 10th 2009 3:25AM

@Hyams

That's not ironic.

That's just stupid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT1TVSTkAXg

Hyams @ Jan 10th 2009 7:47AM

Haha, I love Ed Byrne. ^_^

But no, what I did was indeed a form of irony (a gap in understanding between what is said and what is known).

Hyams @ Jan 9th 2009 8:51PM

eNrique:

Yeah, they've been saying that for a while. But whenever SE list the game on a 'these games will be appearing at X convention thing, they always list the platform as simply '360', whereas Infinte Undiscovery was always listed as being a '360 exclusive'.

Linky: http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/06/10/square-enix-formalises-euro-360-jrpg-details/

So though there are no plans at current, I wouldn't rule out a PS3 port, especially given the strong WKS sales.

Also, how can you say LO sucks? =(

Hyams @ Jan 9th 2009 8:53PM

Charlie_Six:

Oh, that's pretty good for a JRPG. No where near FF or DQ level sales, but still pretty strong.

myabsolution @ Jan 9th 2009 8:54PM

eNrique:

LO sucked? Hells no, I disagree 100%.

Quite an excellent story, gameplay, graphics, soundtrack. Probably the best JRPG this generation imo.

Only reason it didn't score higher was because it wasnt called Final Fantasy 13.

colinbell @ Jan 9th 2009 9:26PM

I wonder whats more incredible - the complete dominance of XBOX360 in the JRPG market this gen (in terms of titles available), or the total failure of those titles in terms of sales.
Maybe someone should tell SE, White knight touched close to 300,000 just in Japan in only 2 weeks, while COMBINED sales of "FF killer" Lost Odyssey, Tales of vesperia, Blue Dragon, Last Remnant and Infinite Undiscovery is still around a pathetic 2.5-3 million WORLDWIDE. I wouldnt be surprised if White Knight by itself beat those sales figures eventually.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 9th 2009 10:26PM

games are hit or miss.
look at mirrors edge.
too human.
etc. etc.

its a gamble thats life.

and btw selling a jrpg on a sony console in japan is like trying to sell halo on the xbox in america.

u really think white knight will take off across the world?
and btw sony is known for japan only exclusives because they do not sell in other parts of the world.
hence the term JAPANESErolePLAYINGgame.

Little Big PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Jan 9th 2009 11:06PM

WKC is going to be huge world wide. PS3 fans are starved for some RPG goodness and this game seems to have it all. From the looks of it it's a monster hunter type of grandiose adventure that's got a focus on online co-op.

Hw anyone can doubt the brilliance of Level-5 on any platform is beyond me. They pretty much have this video game thing on lock down.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 9th 2009 11:31PM

that would be crazy if 1 ps3 rpg passes the sales of all 360 exclusive rpgs... lol

i think square would call sony back up...

ryan @ Jan 9th 2009 11:50PM

People didn't doubt the brilliance of Free Radical and look what Haze dug up.

Little Big PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Jan 9th 2009 11:59PM

Ryan,

PlayStation 2

Dark Cloud (2000)
Dark Chronicle (Dark Cloud 2) (2002)
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (2004)
Rogue Galaxy (2005)
Rogue Galaxy: Director's Cut (2007)

PlayStation Portable

Jeanne d'Arc (2006)
Ushiro (TBA)
Cardboard War Machine (TBA)

]Nintendo DS

Professor Layton and the Curious Village (2007)
Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (2007)
Inazuma Eleven (2008)
Professor Layton and The Last Time Travel (2008)
Dragon Quest IX: Hoshizora no Mamoribito (2009)
Sloan to Michael: Nazo no Monogatari (2009)
Tago Akira no Atama no Taisou Dai-1-Shuu: Nazotoki Sekaiisshuu Tabi (2009)
Inazuma Eleven 2: Kyoui no Shinryokusha (TBA)
Ni no Kuni: The Another World (TBA)

]PlayStation 3

White Knight Chronicles (2008)

Wii

Inazuma Eleven Break! (TBA)

TBA (console)
Ni no Kuni: The Another World (TBA)

Kindly STFU ... I loved Time Splitters as much as the next guy but it's all FR ever really got right since it split from Rare. Level 5 is a more well rounded developer.

ryan @ Jan 10th 2009 11:28AM

I'm just saying a developer is bound to screw up every now and then for unexpected and unknown reasons. Even the most well rounded with a history of greatness.

chris @ Jan 9th 2009 10:07PM

Square stop shooting your self in the foot, JRPG dont sell on the 360, I'm hating Microsoft more and more everyday. They still wont have the success of ps1 or 2.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 9th 2009 10:23PM

only final fantasy series rpg games really sold well on ps1 or ps2 consoles.
and that was with up to a 150 million unit install base.

ps3 RPG's arent selling well so whats your explanation...

chris @ Jan 9th 2009 11:27PM

Ps3 hasn't had much in the way of jrpg, MS has been paying for all of them, White night sold 300 in japan alone, thats more than 4 of the 360's combined world wide. VC really should have sold more, I still need to pick it up.

Arnon @ Jan 10th 2009 2:15PM

I'm not sure what you're smoking, but 300,000 for 1 game's sales in Japan is not more than 2.5-4million total.

chris @ Jan 10th 2009 11:51PM

I said four, not all jackass.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 9th 2009 10:21PM

LO may be the best RPG in a while.
mistwalker has 2 more 360 exclusive games in the works.
1 is supposed to release in 09 and 1 in 2010.

1 thing we know if it is a timed exclusive its not going to the ps3 anytime soon. no development yet or anything. at least 1 year away. by that time we will be playing new 360 exclusive RPG's anyway.

remember fanboys bioshock would NOT have come to the ps3 if it was not for the high success of the 360 version.
you can thank the millions of 360 fans who bought bioshock that you are now able to play the game.
so you might want to cross your fingers on this 1 too.

i feel they are leaving it open, but i wouldnt say its coming to the ps3 yet.

Julian @ Jan 9th 2009 10:41PM

Last time i checked it was also released on the PC at the sametime, maybe YOU should thank all the PC fans who bought it

XkawsX @ Jan 9th 2009 11:09PM

@sk8monroe81

Your a perfect example of why I say Xbox fanboys are the worst fanboys. Bioshock only sold between 2.2 million and 2.5 million on the 360 even though it won GOTY awards and was toted as the best 360 game. The reason it was brought to the PS3 is because it didn't sell more on the 360, the exact opposite of what your saying. It seems to me that you only love games that's exclusive to the 360 because you can't afford a PS3.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 9th 2009 10:58PM

well considering the 360 version sold 2.25 million copies....

and pc version sold?
I never heard 1 article state over 1 million sold..
probably 300,000 sold on PC..

sorry no PC was not a big help... lol.

it would be mostly because of the 360 version..