Visit Some Different Planets in Star Ocean 4

Okay, here is the promised translation for this week's Famitsu article on Square Enix and tri-Ace's upcoming Xbox 360 RPG, Star Ocean: The Last Hope. It's kind of a long one, but it covers several planets and races that you will be encountering.

Earth

The third planet in the Solar System, Earth is the biggest and most massive of the Solar System’s “Earth-type planets.” The planet was once covered mostly by water, creating a beautiful blue and green world lush in nature, but suffered a swift and thorough deterioration due to the aftermath of World War III. Due to the destruction of nature and the eco system, the human population was drastically reduced. The survivors were forced into underground cities and left with a constrained way of life.

Notable Earthlings:
Edge Maverick (Captain of the SRF ship Calnus), Reimi Saionji (Navigator of the SRF ship Calnus), Crowe F. Almedio, Welch Vineyard

Roak

A planet in Sector Theta, Roak is a lush, beautifully green world very comparable to Earth. It has three continents known as Astral, Moore, and Silvarant. Its civilization level is similar to that of Earth’s Middle Ages. There are various races inhabiting this world, but none are yet aware of the concept of other planets. Below are the three main races that inhabit Roak:

Fellpools
A race descended from cat-like animals, Fellpools are distinguishable by their feline-esque ears and tails. Though all are known as Fellpools, depending on what creature each Fellpool descends from affects their physical appearance.

Notable Fellpools:
Mericle Chamlotte (a girl with abnormally low animal-like inherited features known as a Lesser Fellpool), Irene Farrence (a Fellpool Shaman)

Highlanders
A sub-race of Fellpools, Highlanders are descended from a type of tiger animal. They are more aggressive and war-minded than other Fellpools, and are physically built for war.

Notable Highlanders:
Lias Warren (General of the Royal Astral Knights)

Featherfolk
A race descended from birds, Featherfolk have light builds and large wings growing out of their backs, and begin to fly at a very young age. Generally, they are naturally gifted with Symbology.

Notable Featherfolk:
Sara Jerand (a flightless Featherfolk)

EnII

An artificial mobile planet created using 3.7 billion year old technology gleaned from a certain planet, EnII boasts the most advanced civilization in the Galaxy, and has even perfected the technology to teleport living matter through space. The planet’s production, consumption, and analysis are performed and preserved by the Perfect Environment.

Mophis
EnII is inhabited by the Mophis, a people possessing highly advanced technology, but also loving of nature and their old rites and traditions. They are somewhat reclusive in that they choose not to get involved in many of the politics of the Galaxy, but perform various other measures in an effort to preserve Galactic balance.
The word “Mophis” reportedly means “The Enlightened.”

Notable Mophis:
Bacchus D-79 (a mechanics researcher who has received cyborg modifications), Myuria Tionysus (an off-world investigator for EnII)

As an interesting note, EnII appears to have connections with some of the other games. In one screen on page 3, a Mophis is talking to Edge about a Synard chick that he is to take care of. Similarly, there is a battle shot of the party fighting a Synard. Is EnII somehow related to SO2’s Nede?

Lemrick

A mountainous planet in the Eldar System, Lemrick is rich in ores and mining, and has a climate similar to Earth’s Northern Europe. It’s civilization is comparable to 12th Century Earth.

Lemrickians
Similar in appearance to Earthlings, Lemrickians are a simple and gentle people that dislike fighting. They are not particularly technically minded – such as referring to spaceships as Star Boats – but instead make use of Symbology to facilitate their livelihoods.
It is unknown if there are other races besides Lemrickians living on Lemrick.

Notable Lemrickians:
Lymle Lemuri Phi (a young girl from Trilliom village who has shut her heart out since an incident), Gimdt (Lymle’s grandfather)

In addition to the four planets introduced in this article, there are various other planets that the party can visit and explore, including Faize and Eirmat’s homeworld Eldar, the planet Aeos, and the planet Caldianon.

Some further interesting notes:
-The original Star Ocean mostly takes place on the planet Roak
-The Fellpool Shaman, Irene Farrence, bears the same last name as Roddick (Ratix) Farrence, the protagonist of the original Star Ocean
-Sara Jerand shares the same last name as the Featherfolk Erys and Ioshua Jerand of the original Star Ocean
-The Highlander general Lias Warren has the same name as a Highlander from the original Star Ocean

Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope will be available on Xbox 360 in Japan on February 19, 2009 in Japan, February 24, 2009 in North America, and April 24, 2009 in Europe.