Star Ocean The Second Story R Guide - How to Recruit Each Character in the Game
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Star Ocean The Second Story R may be a remake of the 1999 classic JRPG but the means to acquire characters in the game hasn’t changed much since the original. Here’s a quick guide on how you can give the option to recruit each character in your playthrough.
There are certain conditions each character needs in order to be given the option to join. Some are missable if you go beyond a certain point in the main story while some cannot be recruited once you recruit a specific character. This means it’s impossible to recruit everyone in one playthrough, so if you’re considering getting all the achievements or at least trying each character, expect yourself to do multiple playthroughs.
How to recruit a character
You’ll know you are now able to recruit the character if you are given the join choice to either accept their interest in joining your group or suggest you go with them. Naturally, if you say no, you pretty much remove them from your playthrough, so choose wisely.
Star Ocean The Second Story R Party Cap
The process of recruiting characters in Star Ocean The Second Story R is a bit tricky as in one playthrough, as you are only allowed up to eight characters in one playthrough. This means that if you’ve filled up all eight slots in your party, you’ve effectively removed your chance of recruiting other characters in the future.
Hitting the party cap is possible even before the start of the second act of the game, which is why even recruitable characters along the main story can be turned down to allow players to save space in their party for future characters.
How to Recruit Celine
Recruit requirements:
None, part of the main story
Just go through the main story and you’ll come across Celine in Krosse City, right after your audience with the king in Krosse Castle.
She will bring up a treasure map that points to treasure hidden in Krosse Cave. It’s one of your first dungeons and is pretty straightforward and Celine joins as a guest in your party.
Once you’re done, Claude will suggest that Celine join them on their journey. At this point, you’ll be given a choice to recruit her or say no to her joining fully.
How to Recruit Ashton
Recruit requirements:
Have not recruited Opera
When you first visit the Harley, be sure to visit the sailor and the old man near the entrance. They will inform you that the Silva Mines is facing a Dragon problem. You can find the pair in the minimap with a yellow exclamation mark as a side quest.
After talking to them, head to Salva and go down to the mines. A new section of the mines will be available so expect decent enemies to fight in this area.
You’ll soon meet Ashton towards the end of the mines fighting the Dragon. Thanks to you distracting him in his one-on-one battle against the monster, he was distracted and a blinding light erupts. Soon after you see Ashton is fused with the dragon and is asking Claude and company to take responsibility for distracting him.
To recruit him, you simply need to accept the responsibility and he’ll join your party. From here, you can do his side quest of helping Ashton in removing the dragon from his body but it’s not necessarily needed, but a decent side quest for experience and gear.
How to Recruit Opera
Recruit requirements:
Have not recruited Ashton
In the city of Krosse, after leaving Krosse Castle for the first time, switch to Private Action to come across a man with three eyes. This cutscene will occur before the Lacuer Armory Contest.
When you’re done with the Lacuer Armory Contest head to the Hilton bar to meet Opera as you and your group will discuss the three-eyed man you saw earlier in the game.
Soon after, head back to Krosse Castle and talk to the King to get information about the three-eyed woman. You then need to go to the dungeon The Mountain Palace and within the area, you’ll find Opera, which after a brief discussion you’ll be given the chance to allow her join your group.
How to Recruit Precis
Recruit requirements:
Have not recruited Bowman
To recruit Precis, you’ll first encounter her running after a robot the moment you enter the city of Linga for the first time. Once the first cutscene with her ends, switch to Private Action and you’ll see her again beside the potion shop (Bowman’s shop) on the east side of town.
She’ll bring you to her house, and weirdly enough Rena will be there with Precis’ father. Another conversation begins that eventually leads to Precis finding out about the party’s journey. She’ll insist she joins the party, giving you the chance to recruit her if you don’t have Bowman.
Simply say yes when you are allowed to do so and you’ll have her in your party. Once you say no you’ve permanently missed your chance to recruit Precis, but she’ll be in town mad about your decision.
How to Recruit Bowman
Recruit requirements:
Have not recruited Precis
Bowman is easy to recruit as he will be along the main quest line. When Claude and company search for clues to get in contact with the Linguist in town, you’ll come across Bowman in his potion shop.
Just go through the story, which will require you to go through the Sacred Grounds of Linga, and he’ll eventually ask if he can join the party if you don’t have Precis recruited.
How to Recruit Ernest
Recruit requirements:
Recruited Opera
You can work your way to picking up Ernest soon after picking up Opera. Once you clear the Mountain Palace, you’ll go through a cutscene that gives you a hint of the character Ernest.
Right after, quickly travel back to the Sacred Forest, the area where Rena and Claude first met. You’ll come across a unique cutscene involving Ernest.
From here, you’ll need to advance the main story until you find yourself clearing the dungeon called the Hoffman Ruins as that’s when you are given the chance to recruit Ernest.
How to Recruit Welch
Recruit requirements:
Trigger a Public Action
have at least four characters in your group
Recruitment will only happen before meeting Bowman
Right after the Armory contest in Lacuer City, once the party plans to head out, head back to the city and switch to Private Action. You’ll notice one is by the bride of the Lacuer Castle. Once you go near the bridge a cutscene will trigger as Claude will meet Welch dive-bombing him from the sky.
Once the conversation between them ends, she’ll ask you if you want her to join her in your journey. Simply say yes and she’ll be part of your party. Switch out of Private Action and you’ll go through a cutscene where Claude introduces Welch to the rest of the group.
How to Recruit Dias
Recruit requirements:
Start the playthrough as Rena
Dias is only recruitable if you picked Rena as your main character at the beginning of your playthrough. The chance to recruit him will occur during a story sequence in the Lacuer Front Line base.
Again, Dias is only recruitable during a Rena playthrough, meaning you picked Rena’s perspective in the story instead of Claude's.
How to Recruit Leon
Recruit requirements:
Start the playthrough as Claude
When you head back to Lacuer City to meet the king after visiting Linga for the first time, you’ll be informed to take refuge in the castle as an attack from monsters is imminent. This part of the story will eventually lead you to meet Leon for the first time as your group will be tasked to escort him through some ruins. Without spoiling much of the story, going through the main story will eventually allow you to recruit him permanently as you can either leave him behind or bring him with you.
How to Recruit Noel
Recruit requirements:
None, just part of the main story
You’ll come across Noel during the second act of the game. I won’t spoil much but you don’t have to do anything unique to recruit Noel as he will simply as to join your party naturally through the main story. Just be sure to accept him when given the chance.
How to Recruit Chisato
Recruit requirements:
Trigger a specific cutscene
Chisato is found in the second act of the game when you reach the Centropolis of Nede. Once you’re done talking to the mayor, leave city hall and instantly go left, you’ll have your first encounter with Chisato who quickly runs away as if she’s in a hurry.
As you progress through the story, you’ll meet another recruitable character Noel. When your group goes with him to the dungeon called ‘Cave of Crimson Crystals’ you’ll again see Chisato from afar running and tripping, resulting in her dropping her ID card.
Go to where she dropped her ID to pick it up. Once you finish the dungeon, head back to the newsroom located on the third floor of City Hall in The Centropolis of Nede. You’ll find Chisato there and after a brief discussion, you’ll be given the chance to allow Chisato to join the group.
Warning: It’s possible to miss your chance to recruit Chisato if you do not first see her when you first exit City Hall for the first time. You must trigger your first sighting of the character to have Chisato show up at the Cave of Crimson Crystals. So, you must go left the moment you leave City Hall for the first time. To be safe, be sure to make a save point before this point.
That’s about it.
Again, be sure to take note of how many characters you have recruited as the eight-character cap will instantly prevent you from recruiting other characters further down the line. The characters that can be accidentally skipped thanks to this system are Noel or Chisato as they only show up during the second half of the game,
Metaphor: ReFantazio is now my favorite title from the Persona team by far. It’s one of those rare games where its main pillars work harmoniously, and you get lost in its charm. It’s a pristine JRPG, with enough style and substance to satisfy hardcore JRPG fans, Persona fans, and even those who rarely touch JRPGs.