... I find it quite astonishing that, in all of these years I have owned Star Ocean: The Second Story, I never even attempted to challenge its harder levels of difficulty (i.e. "Galaxy" and "Universe" mode). ... With all of the hideous monstrosities of evil - Indalecio, Cyril, Gabrie Celesta, those *blasted* disappearing wizard enemies, etc. - that exist in SO2 as it is, you would normally think that I, having played through the game entirely at least ten or eleven times and become a long-time veteran of the Cave of Trials, would have been through galaxy or universe mode at least once. .... Well, I suppose that perhaps I could see the option to choose either mode available to me when I was starting a new game a time or two over the years, but perhaps I never quite had the courage, and it took me forever to figure out how these harder modes of play would even be made open to me.

..... Well, now, Sarah's Knight has gathered the courage to take on the awesome evil power that our old haunts from the Star Ocean 2 adventure will wield against me in Universe mode. Probably the lot of you (especially insultabot, I am sure ^_^) have already long accomplished such a feat, yet still, I feel obligated to announce that I am making my own venture through SO2 with enemies twice as powerful for the first time ever.

From here on, Sarah's Knight, the Protector of Angels, walks forward alone into the world of SO2, to go forth against what is in my eyes the deadliest forces that Hell has yet to send. (*obvious melodrama lays heavy on the thread at this moment*)




... A dramatization of the character I play as in Universe mode, gazing off across the waters with a sense of dread at the Cave of Trials island that lies just a mile or two distant, thinking of the epic battles that surely await him there. (It's kind of creepy to me that a dungeon where a boss with 1 million HP awaits you at the very end can almost be visible to you the very first time you ever leave Arlia in the game.)




.... Please wish me luck.

Heh Yeah I played on galaxy most the time but never universe. I started on universe once a few years ago but then some new game came out and I forgot to finish.

I am sure that once the PSP version hits in Jan, that I will be joining you in your quest on universe. I just don't want to play now on the PS1 version and then be all SO2'ed out when SO:SE arrives.

I was with SK when he started this file... and I gave him quite a bit of a hard time telling him how bad hes going to get raped. Though coming from me, that's probably more encouragement as proving me wrong would be just another bit of joy to drive from beating it.

You guys should try Dante Must Die mode sometime. It's pretty scary too... O_o

... 'Thought I would bring an update on where I am at, now. I was doing just fine all the way up until reaching the boss of the Mountain Palace on a quest to exorcise the dragons away from Ashton, but, considering I was still below level 20, naturally the boss stopped me dead in my tracks, and I have been stuck there ever since just trying to level up. I am thinking that I will at least have to be at level thirty in order to have any chance at taking on Nightmare, if not at a much greater number, so I will try to do so again at that time.

I love Star Ocean 2 so, so much. The depth and the battle system and the skill system are top-notch.

lol, SK's first real set-back. Though I was expecting it sooner, so props for that. You know, they should have called "universe mode", "Dragon Quest" mode what with all the grinding that is apparently required of you to just tackle the current boss. I can just imagine what you'll have to do for that fight with Vesper and that Ghost Rider rip-off, Decus.

Either way, good job with as far as you gotten and good luck with the rest.

... Just beat the Hoffman Ruins, so now my journey through Expel before discovering a much greater evil force behind the Sorcery Globe is nearly drawing to a close.


Somehow, amazingly it only took me one try to beat the boss of the ruins (the two Harfainx monsters), even though it is normally a very difficult fight and - considering this is universe mode we're talking about - I did not think I was nearly as prepared as would be necessary with my average levels on everyone being only around 41 or 42. It turns out, amazingly, that I pretty much owned this fight, .... and the best thing is that I have it all on tape as proof. ^_-

Glad to hear things are going more easily for you than expected. But don't think it's over yet... three words, bro: Cave Of Trials.

Yeah the CoT will be brutal. I wonder how long the fight with a certain music loving boss will take in Universe...

Godspeed, fellow JRPG player!

... Thanks, if you were speaking to me and not insultabot.

I have managed to make it to the beginning of the four Fields in Nede, now, ... barely breathing after such an arduous quest so far but still alive. I am thinking of staying around at the entrance to the Field of Power and leveling up to at least 55 before proceeding, and I also have this (most likely) crazy idea that my mind is toying around with a bit to try to pass the Fields out of order for once in my life, if there ever was an implied order of difficulty at all, which I took to be Intelligence -> Power -> Courage -> and finally, Love. Luckily, the only section of the game I had excessive trouble with (i.e. witnessed the game over screen a lot) since entering the Hoffman Ruins was the boss fight in Noel's wildlife sanctuary.

I was speaking to you, since clearly what you're attempting is something hard.

If it somehow inspires you, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQk3HehllVs">here</a> is a video of someone beating FF1 Garland using one level-1 white mage. =3

... Indeed, it does do well to inspire me.


I have just managed to complete the four Fields, so now I am trying to make it through the last storyline dungeon that comes before Fienal where I meet with the Ten Wise Men - the Mihne Cavern. Unfortunately, the boss has proven able to take down all of my party members instantly with one casting of his blasted Lost Patience spell, even after Rena has cast her Anti spell to lessen the damage incurred by magic, so I guess it is time to go back to the Field of Power and level up a bit again.

... The things a humble knight must do to prove that he can stand proudly among the other awesome gamers throughout history, huh?

Oh man I forgot all about the Lost Patience spell. That thing always pissed me off.