Game of Xbox 360...Star Ocean> The Last Hope

Star Ocean: The Last Hope(スターオーシャン4 ,Sutā Ōshan 4) is aconsole role-playing game developed by tri-Ace and published by Square Enix for the Xbox 360, and the fifth installment in the Star Ocean series. Famitsu has revealed that the battle system will now feature four party members, and be more team-oriented. The hero's name is Edge Maverick, while the heroine is named Reimi Saionji. The game will also feature more of a sci-fi emphasis than past titles with the ability to control your own ship. It's been said this ship is quite large, and will be able to land on at least 5 planets or other space-based destinations. One will be able to travel through the "star ocean," jumping across planets. The game will also take place a few centuries before the original Star Ocean (around S.D. 10, or approximately 2097 AD).

Story

A.D 2064...Planet Earth was on the brink of destruction as clashes between the World Republic Federation and the various nations that opposed it sparked the outbreak of World War III. Weapons of mass destruction, deployed with complete impunity razed the land in the blink of an eye. The dire situation forced the two opposing factions to negotiate a cease-fire and an agreement was quickly reached, but although the war may have ended, its effects remained. With the deteriorating environment, Earth's population was drastically reduced and those who survived lived a confined existence trapped in underground cities. Eventually countries joined together to form the Greater United Nations and turned their eyes skyward, to space. With the establishment of the USTA, the Universal Science and Technology Administration, man began to seek new worlds beyond the stars.

AD 2087...The first year of the spacedate (SD) calendar. Thanks to the success of Professor Trillas Bachstein's warp drive experiments, mankind's dream of a spacebourne existence has inched closer to reality and the USTA secretly began to implement its SRF project, the Space Reconnaissance Force. Now it is SD 0010, and the first official SRF mission and your adventure has begun.

Main Characters

Edge Maverick (エッジ　マーベリック ,Ejji Māberikku) Voiced by: Kishio Daisuke (Japanese), Matthew Mercer (English) The main protagonist. An honest young man with a strong sense of justice and responsibility. He has a great ability to assess the current situation, but his personality causes him to act recklessly in his surroundings. Because of this he is often lectured by his childhood friend Reimi.

Reimi Saionji (レイミ　サイオンジ ,Reimi Saionji) Voiced by: Misato Fukuen (Japanese), Laura Bailey (English) A girl born of the distinguished Saionji family. She took up archery at a young age, and now has the ability of a master. She often feels anxious in her surroundings and has a gentle heart, but is very strict, often being crushed by the pressure.

Faize Sheifa Beleth (フェイズ・シッファー・ベレス ,Feizu Shiffā Beresu) Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga (Japanese), Jason Liebrecht (English) A young man that is a member of a planetary research group from the planet Eldar. His personality causes him to honor people with respect, always paying his respects to people he comes in contact with if they possess something he doesn't have.

Lymle Lemuri Phi (リムル・レムリ・ファイ ,Rimuru Remuri Fai) Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese), Hunter MacKenzie Austin (English) She's a spoiled child, with a mischievous and friendly personality. It is heard that her child appearance is caused by a trauma in her life that caused her to stop aging.

Bacchus D-79 (バッカス・D-79 ,Bakkasu D-79) Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto (Japanese), Travis Willingham (English) His real name is Bacchus Dexley. Due to his mechanized form and a core processor for a brain, he has difficulty expressing his emotions to others. He also possesses a strong sense of justice.

Meracle Chamlotte (メリクル・シャムロット ,Merikuru Shamurotto) Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese), Carrie Savage (English) Meracle is always cheerful and will seek to raise people's spirits around her when they are down. Always brimming with energy, Meracle is bright and amiable, though she hates being left alone.

Myuria Tionysus (ミュリア・ティオニセス ,Myuria Teionisesu) Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame (Japanese), Jessica Straus (English) Myuria has a very determined personality and will not give up on what goal she has set her eyes upon. She often shows a calm smiling attitude to others, but will become more serious once the situation gets complicated.

Arumat P. Thanatos (エイルマット・P・タナトス ,Eirumatto P. Tanatosu) Voiced by: Hiroki Tochi (Japanese), Kyle Hebert (English) Having gone through countless battles, Arumat has a strong distrust with individuals other than his own troops. He has a strong responsibility to his men, where they in turn are loyal and place great trust in him and his leadership.

Sarah Jerand (サラ・ジェランド ,Sara Jerando) Voiced by: Noriko Rikimaru (Japanese), Erika Weinstein (English) Sarah's isolation has left her so ignorant of the outside world that even her own people constantly worry about her. Her simple, almost naive kindess is completely guileless.

Supporting Characters

Eleyna Farrence (イレーネ・ファーレンス ,Irēne Fārensu) - A Fellpool tarot card reader from Roak. Her surname is the same as Roddick, the protagonist of the first Star Ocean. She is a distant ancestor to Roddick, the in-game dictionary mentioning that a descendant of hers will become a great hero. If Crowe's ending is viewed, she finds him on the beach near her home where she implies that they will wed, thus making Crowe Roddick's ancestor.

Lias Warren (ライアス・ウォーレン ,Raiasu Vōren) - A Highlander from Roak, he is the captain of the Astral Knights. He has the same name as Lias Warren from the first Star Ocean. Due to the fact that Edge's party arrives on the planet 36 years before Lias met Roddick, it is entirely possible that the characters are the same or closely related.

Gimudt Triom Fai (ギムド・トリオム・ファイ ,Gimudo Toriomu Fai) - Lymle's grandfather, lives in Triom Village on the planet Lemuris. He is the village chief, however he is suffering from Bacculus disease, which turns the infected slowly into stone.

Stephen D. Kenny (スティーブ・D・ケニー ,Sutību D. Kenī) Voiced by: Naomi Kusumi (Japanese), Micheal McConnohie (English) - Commander of the USTA Moon Base. Early in his career, Stephen was one of the voluntary pilots in Professor Trillas's warp ship development program, and was also the first human to enter light-speed, thus earning him the title of "Lightspeed Kenny". After being assigned to USTA, Stephen began to be involved in the developments of the space exploration program. His surname is the same as Claude, the protagonist of Star Ocean: The Second Story, and his father, Ronyx. It is entirely possible he is Claude and Ronyx's ancestor.

Crowe F. Almedio (クロウ・F・アルメディオ ,Kurou F. Arumedeio) Voiced by: Kenji Hamada (Japanese), Kyle Hebert (English) He is a hardworking and determined man who will tackle any obstacles in his way. His quick thinking allows him to remain calm, analyzes and solves the many situations he's put in.

Welch Vineyard (ウェルチ・ビンヤード ,Weruchi Binyado) Voiced by: Tomoe Hanba (Japanese), Laura Bailey (English) Though Welch is incredibly smart, she is also very frank, and a highly energetic person.

Gameplay

Although Edge Maverick is the main character in Star Ocean: The Last Hope, players will of course experience gameplay action in the form of a number of different characters and utilize the signature attacks assigned to each. The game features a real-time combat system which allows for up to four party members to remain active in battle at a time. Improvements to the game's combat system include 'Rush Mode,' where players can switch out active members of their combat groups for reserve members in real-time; 'Sight In/Sight Out' which allows for timed evasive and counter moves against enemies; and the BEAT (Battle Enhancement Attribute Type) system, through which players can change a character's fighting style at will. Other actions players will master through gameplay include piloting of the spaceship Calnus, a first in the Star Ocean series; item creation in the form of weapons, healing items and accessories; and Private Actions (PAs), a cause and effect relationship between character in-game actions and the acquisition of new abilities and scenarios. Through the increased flexibility mastery of all these skills provides, players should be able to more easily increase their team and individual team member's combat experience and status, and so unlock more advanced combat styles and linked combinations.