All series / Star Ocean
Series guide · 1996–2023
Six numbered RPGs on one space-date calendar. The fourth game released is the earliest story.
Which version should I play today?
You can start at Star Ocean: The Second Story R. It is the best current version of the second game, and the series does not require the later games first. If you want the fiction from the earliest expedition, start at The Last Hope, then jump back to First Departure R.
Play First Departure R for the first game and The Second Story R for the second. The Last Hope's current version is the 4K and Full HD remaster. Till the End of Time's current home version is the PlayStation 4 Director's Cut.
Numbered entries in the order they first shipped. Remakes and the Game Boy Color side story are noted, not treated as new sagas.
Play The Second Story R.
Earliest point on the calendar.
The series counts years in Space Date (S.D.). Famitsu's series recap and the games' own dating put The Last Hope first and Till the End of Time last. The first game also visits S.D. 46 through time travel. Its main setting is S.D. 346.
S.D. 10.
Main setting S.D. 346.
S.D. 366.
S.D. 368. Optional, and not in English.
S.D. 537.
S.D. 583.
S.D. 772. End of the released timeline.
Years are the first release. The play-today column is the version to look for now. Store listings change, so treat the Amazon link as a search, not a stock promise.
Affiliate disclosure. Where to buy opens an Amazon search. The affiliate tag in the site config is empty, so these are ordinary search links and do not pay a commission yet. Full disclosure.
| Game | Year | First platforms | Play today | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Ocean The first Star Ocean, now played as First Departure R. Its present-day story is S.D. 346. | 1996 | Super Famicom | Star Ocean: First Departure R (2019) on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. | Where to buy |
| Star Ocean: The Second Story The second story, set in S.D. 366. The Second Story R is the version to play. | 1998 | PlayStation | Star Ocean: The Second Story R (November 2023) on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. | Where to buy |
| Star Ocean: Blue Sphere A Japan-only Game Boy Color side story set two years after The Second Story. | 2001 | Game Boy Color | No official English release confirmed. It is a short Japan-only follow-up and is safe to skip. | Where to buy |
| Star Ocean: Till the End of Time The third released game, and the latest story on the Space Date calendar. | 2003 | PlayStation 2 | The Director's Cut on PlayStation 4 (2017). The PlayStation 2 original still exists. | Where to buy |
| Star Ocean: The Last Hope The fourth released game, set at S.D. 10, before every other Star Ocean story. | 2009 | Xbox 360 | Star Ocean: The Last Hope 4K & Full HD Remaster on PlayStation 4 and PC. | Where to buy |
| Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness The fifth game, set in S.D. 537, after The Second Story and before The Divine Force. | 2016 | PlayStation 4 | PlayStation 4. A PlayStation 3 version also shipped in 2016. No later remaster was confirmed. | Where to buy |
| Star Ocean: The Divine Force The sixth game, set in S.D. 583, still before Till the End of Time. | 2022 | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC. | Where to buy |
No. Each numbered game introduces its own cast. Timeline order is for people who want the Pangalactic Federation's history from the first warp voyage to the latest dated story. Release order, or simply starting at The Second Story R, is fine.
First Departure R for the original, and The Second Story R for the sequel. They replace the Super Famicom and PlayStation originals, and they replace the older PSP remakes for a new player.
No. It is a Game Boy Color follow-up set in S.D. 368, and no official English release was confirmed for this guide. Skip it unless you are collecting Japan-only side stories.
It is set in S.D. 772. The Last Hope, Integrity and Faithlessness, and The Divine Force were all released later and are set earlier. Playing Till the End of Time first does not ruin their plots, but it is the far end of the calendar.
Star Ocean: Anamnesis was a mobile spin-off around S.D. 539. Its live-service status was not re-checked for this guide, so it is not listed as something to buy or start with.
Last verified: October 29, 2026