It's like Star Ocean 2 but prettier and... not as fun?
So when I got Star Ocean 3 I couldnt wait to get started... knowing 2, I was aware of it's slow start. But as soon as you got into the game you were hooked. Star Ocean 3 didnt do that for me. Everything I loved about 2 was gone. SO2 had unique skills that you could use to make various items, whether it be food, weapons, armor, or even counter feit money. :P SO3 had this, but it was "lacking" you can make food, weapons are armor still. But that's to be expected... the "uniqueness" was gone. You couldnt make bounced checks (which decrease money over time) when you messed up. You couldnt pickpocket people anymore. You no longer have a Bunny you could ride to get from place to place. Everything I loved about SO2's skills was gone. The item development is still there, in fact you can actually "improve" already made weapons and armor by adding attack, defence bonus' and ect. But skills and extra's don't make a game. A game could have the worst skills ever and have great gameplay and story.
SO3's battles are announced as "fun" and "engaging" Engaging yes... fun, hardly. I was bored by the battles, the enemies were plenty strong (I've died on occasions) it just wasnt fun to me. You basicly have to attack buttons square and X. one's your regular attack and the other power attacks. Power attacks are stronger andcan break enemy shields (not actual shields their invisible and can cause you to become disoriented when you hit them) but their slower. Regular attacks are quick. Each type of attack can have up to 2 moves on it. Once you learn Side-Kick set it to X (power attack) that's all you need to do for a while... it hits like 4-5 times and does decent damage, and your set. Not only will it break an enemies shield but it'll damage them. The battles soon became boring... and I lost interest I just started to run from enemies and became VERY under-leveled.
SO3's story... is unique I'll give it that. It plays out like SO2 (in a way) their hardly the same story (thank god) but have a similar concept. I wont spoil it for you, but it does go from boring, interesting, to boring and then boring, and then to wft? to boring again. (atleast for me) Like EVERY RPG your sent out for some reason or another to run through various maps (I'll explain the "world map" later) and dungeons to do what you gotta do. In SO3 its so often it seems more like a chore than an objective. When you've got to go to a copper mine to find a piece of copper. That's when I say "Ok, this is ridiculous."
But SO3 has more good things about it then I make it seem like. Its a VERY long RPG something most RPG fans look for in their games. The map is an example of a good idea. Seeing as how your new to an area, you have to make a map yourself. So as you venture more and more of that area's map will be visible your given a percentage of how much you've found (of that particular map) and once you get 99% your rewarded with an item (that can be sold for quite a bit of money) You'll get an item for every map you complete the larger ones can take a LONG time but can be really worth it. So, reading this you must be asking yourself... ok? how many oppertunities do you get for this map completetion?
To be precise there isnt really a world map. Once you leave a town you move on to an area map... which you can make an item off of.
All in all the game is ok. It's a good time eater but I dont find it a "ground-breaking" RPG. It may be considered the best RPG for the PS2 (next DQ VIII) But I dont think so, pick up PS1's SO2 instead. (good luck) In my opinion SO 3 is over hyped. But that's just one little bear's opinion.