STAR OCEAN: FIRST DEPARTURE RELEASE DATE (PSP)

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.”

About STAR OCEAN: First Departure

Story
Spacedate 346 – As a galactic war rages on, the crew of the 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.

Features

• The game that launched the STAR OCEAN series – available in Europe for the first time
• Completely rebuilt for the PSP system, with real-time battles that keep players immersed in the action
• Brand-new, fully-voiced animated cut-scenes provided by anime powerhouse Production I.G
• The private action system adds depth to the story, introducing riveting subplots between characters