When first starting up Star Ocean The Second Story R and beginning a new game, players will be given the option of choosing Claude or Rena as the main character, and the character players will be controlling. This game has a vast amount of endings, with this choice being the first one to set players on the path to one of many unique endings.
Even with so many endings, the character players pick to be the main character will lock off some content of the game, such as companions. With Star Ocean’s huge focus on bonding with your companions, many players will need to play through the game more than once to experience even just some of all this game has to offer.
What Are The Differences & Similarities
No matter which character players pick, the majority of the game will stay the same. The beginning of the game will differ just a bit, as Claude, the son of characters from the first game, comes from a far-off planet. But after Claude and Rena meet up, the major story elements stay the same with a few deviations that mostly just give another point of view or insights into each character’s thoughts and feelings. No matter who you pick, both of these characters are required and will be front and center throughout the game.
Players can control any party member in combat, making the only gameplay change being who leads the party in open-world exploration. The other major difference between these characters is that they each get a unique companion who can join the party. For those who choose Rena, Dias can be a permanent companion, while those who pick Claude get Leon. Dias is a powerful swordsman, while Leon is a powerful spell user.
Who Should Players Pick
While this decision only affects minor details in the story, either option gives a full experience for the game. That being said, Claude is the slightly better pick for a first playthrough of the game. Due to his origins and deeper connections to the universe, his playthrough gives a more full Star Ocean experience. Rena’s playthrough will still see Claude doing these things but from a different perspective, while she also has more insight into her own world and personal connections with more characters throughout the game. Dias and Leon are arguably some of the strongest characters in the game; making the decision for which of them to recruit is also important when deciding on who to play.