Spacedate 346 – As the galactic war rages on between the Terran Alliance and the malevolent Lezonians, the crew of the Terran starship Calnus beam down to the little-known planet of Roak only to find that the population has been decimated by a mysterious plague. So begins a race against time to save the Roakians and restore peace to the galaxy.

Featuring stunning graphics, exhilarating real-time combat, anime sequences from Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell), and a galaxy-spanning storyline, the opening chapter of the hit STAR OCEAN series comes to Europe for the very first time, re-imagined exclusively for PSP.

EUROPEAN TRAILER OUT NOW!

The European trailer for STAR OCEAN®: First Departure™ is out now! Head over to the MOVIES section and take a look! If you like anime, you won’t be disappointed!

STAR OCEAN: FIRST DEPARTURE RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCEMENT

London (3rd October 2008) – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that STAR OCEAN®: First Departure™ will be released across all PAL territories on 24th October 2008, exclusively on the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system.

Following the exploits of humankind’s journey across the stars, the STAR OCEAN saga begins with the completely remastered STAR OCEAN: First Departure. Featuring a revised game engine, an improved battle system and fully-voiced, all-new animated scenes displayed in 16:9 widescreen. With a newly added layer of character interaction, players can enjoy their journey into the rich STAR OCEAN universe like never before.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “STAR OCEAN has already proved to be a popular series in Japan, we now hope that players around the world can discover why by experiencing the origin of the series. With STAR OCEAN: The Last Hope™ arriving in 2009, there’s never been a better time to enjoy the STAR OCEAN adventure.”