Star Ocean: Till the End of Time

The Good
When an RPG is made by professionals and with some love for the project, it shows.

Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is a fine example of a game that grabs you and doesn't let go before the end credits. The story is pretty uninteresting and the characters so-so, but the things that kept me playing it were simply these:

1. The Music. Oh yeah. This game has one of the best soundtracks of any game ever. It's very well done and is skillfully placed so not once does one think that the music doesnät fit in the scene.

2. The View. When you adventure around in the world, you feel like you're actually in there. All the levels are finely tuned to perfection. Some of the "field"-levels are bit boring but the cities and some of the dungeons are absolutely beautiful.

3. The Battles. Free movement in battles and the absence of random battles. 'nuff said.
   
   The Bad
   One thing that can make or break an RPG is the characters in it. If the characters are one dimensional, player does not care for them and the saving of the world (and the people in it). On the other hand, if the characters are as well made as in Final Fantasy series, you just can't let go of them, even after years have passed. Star Ocean 3 falls neatly right between these two types. The characters are fairly interesting, but sadly, the most interesting people aren't the main characters, but some of the more insignificant ones. So, supporting actor's Oscar? Yes. Lead Role Oscar? Afraid not.

The Bottom Line
Finely crafted RPG with some great music and visuals. It's one of the better games out there and there's plenty to do, even after you complete the game.

Nothing particularly wrong with this one. If youäre a RPG gamer and haven't experienced it yet, get it now. This one will be a rarity.

The Good
This game, like many of the ones I like to play, has a long, winding main quest, with a real-time battle system, and attacks being learned as you level up. The graphic style is quite interesting, and the story line is one that is affected by your choices. Also, this game has migrated to the bargain bins and clearance shelves, so it can be found for less than $20. A real steal.

The Bad
The only thing I don't like about this game is the rapid incline in the difficulty. An hour or two into the second disc, I was fighting things that had a maximum of 25k HP, and there was a boss with 50k HP. As soon as I beat that boss, the new opponents I faced, the COMMON opponents, mind you, had at least 38k HP and were attacking 2 at a time...

The Bottom Line
This game is for hardcore levelers, so the casual gamer should stay away.