Star Ocean: The Second Story
LumiScore?Our 0–100 score for how developmentally beneficial and low-risk this game is for children. Higher is better.
Growth
60/100
Growth Value
- Problem Solving
- Strategic Thinking
- Memory & Attention
Risk
LOW
Engagement Patterns
Minimal pressure to spend or play excessively.
Heads up
Parent Pro-Tip
Use the game's frequent save points to establish natural stopping times — for example, agreeing to stop after completing a town visit or finishing a dungeon. Ask your child to explain the story and their party-building choices to you.
Top Skills Developed
Development Areas
Representation?How diverse the game's characters are in gender and ethnicity. Higher = more authentic representation. Display only — does not affect time recommendation.
Bechdel Test?The Bechdel Test checks whether a game has at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man. A simple measure of representation.— Passes the test
The game features multiple named female characters (e.g., Rena, Celine, Precis) who interact with each other about topics beyond their relationships with male characters.
Parent Pro-Tip
Discussing story decisions and party strategies reinforces reading comprehension, critical thinking, and verbal communication skills, while turning a solo gaming session into a shared bonding experience.
What your child develops
Star Ocean: The Second Story is a rich, story-driven action RPG that offers substantial cognitive benefits for players. The deep narrative demands sustained reading comprehension and vocabulary engagement, while the real-time battle system challenges reaction time, spatial awareness, and tactical thinking. Party management, skill crafting (the "Customization" and "Item Creation" systems), and equipment decisions require meaningful strategic and mathematical reasoning. The branching "Private Action" relationship system encourages empathy and ethical reasoning, as players consider how their choices affect character relationships and story outcomes. The game's multi-ending structure and dual protagonist choice reward curiosity and replay, supporting learning transfer across playthroughs.
Regulatory Compliance
Tap a badge for details. Grey = not yet assessed.
About this game
Star Ocean: The Second Story is an action role-playing video game developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix for the PlayStation. It is the second game in the Star Ocean series and the first game in the series to be released outside Japan, arriving in North America in May 1999 and Europe in April 2000, courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment.