E3 2002: Star Ocean preshow report

Enix will debut the third entry in its Star Ocean RPG series, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, at this year's E3. First appearing on the Super Nintendo, the series has since seen installments appear on the PlayStation and the Japanese Game Boy Color. The latest installment continues the story of Fate Linegod and Sofia Esteed. Fate travels to a protected planet under the control of the Galaxy Federation with his family and Sofia in tow in the hopes of finding a little peace. Unfortunately, the respite is brief, as the planet is attacked and destroyed by an unknown alien force. After the first alien attack, the survivors regroup and head for a refugee camp. While they're on their way, the aliens attack again, killing Fate's parents, who were in the group. The game follows Fate as he heads out to uncover the identity and motivations of the mysterious aliens.

The game will mark a significant change in the series which, to date, has offered 2D gameplay and graphics. The PlayStation 2 version will feature detailed real-time 3D environments that can be viewed in 360 degrees. Fans of the series will be pleased to find that the PS2 game will retain many of the gameplay elements seen in previous entries in the series. The most significant element that will be retained is the game's real-time battle system, which offers players a great deal of flexibility during combat. Physical attacks will be supplemented by a variety of magic attacks that characters will learn as they gain experience in the game. In addition to complete freedom of movement during battle, you'll have the choice of manually controlling the characters in your party during a fight or allowing the game's customizable AI to take over for some or all of the characters in your party.

Be sure to check back for detailed hands-on impressions of the game from the E3 show floor.