Funny Bits in Star Ocean 2 (247)

Claude: Rena, why are you grinning?

In Armlock they have a huge variety of weapons in store, but... I don't know, I can't help but feel puzzled when the most advanced civilization in the whole universe still has to worry about hand-to-hand combat. They actually sell these weapons, they're not just for display. Claude even started the adventure with a Phase Gun! Sure, its power was drained quickly and it still hasn't recharged, but Nede's got to have more efficient generators. Now Claude seems to be happy swinging his star-spitting sword, and occasionally using his flashy Killer Moves learned from nowhere, instead of safely incinerating his enemies from a distance... It's not cowardice, it's common sense!

Funny Bits in Star Ocean 2 (246)

A granny that says it's 'QUITE an unusual place'? It could mean anything...

After yet another vision (well, Rena said she only heard a voice), our heroes get their hands on the Jewel of Courage. Once out of the cavern, they realize they need a break from all that battling, so they decide to streer their Synard towards one of the towns they haven't visited yet.

There's this large piece of land near the barrier, in the southeastern part of Energy Nede, where you can find a large amusement park called Fun City: the name and the music you can hear from outside sound promising, but our friends realize it wouldn't be right to play around while there's an emergency like that (plus, the entrance fee isn't cheap). Therefore the group opts for the town nearby, Armlock.

Armlock is a small town, with an old-fashioned look (it reminds Celine of Cross Town); like the name suggests, their specialty is making weapons, although the Nedians haven't used them at all for a long time. However, it's also a nice tranquil place to relax: Opera immediately finds herself a seat at the tavern, with Ernest joining her this time. Claude is also there, having a chat with other people, and he learns of a strange place named 'Fake Gallery': this place is located on an island near Giveaway, and it seels some unique items (at rather hefty prices), among which is the Magical Rasp (with it you can get better equipment from the Blacksmith Super Specialty).

Funny Bits in Star Ocean 2 (245)

I don't understand. Ronixis should have worried about Claude if he thought he was reckless, not brave; and our Commodore certainly knows his son IS kinda reckless, especially after that incident on Millocinia. By the way, Claude wasn't being brave when he decided to go back on Expel, and it certainly was less for bravery and more for sheer luck that he and his friends were spared the fate of the other Expellians. This stuff about courage sure is important (if a bit cliché), but in this context it just sound dumb.

Of course our heroes cannot be intimidated by an enemy they've already beaten before, so they easily beat it, yet they once again face the empty altar (where did the Warrior Statue go?). But suddenly a bright light engulfs the group: these visions wouldn't take them by surprise anymore if they didn't start with a different special effect each time. Claude now sees the bridge of Calnus, his father's spaceship, where Ronixis is talking about him and how brave he was. We don't know if our Warrior of Light realizes that what he's watching is the present, not the past like for the other visions; but the player certainly understands that.

Funny Bits in Star Ocean 2 (244)

Read: we couldn't think of a new enemy for you to face, so here's a rehash of the guardian of the Field of Power.

So our heroes find the Warrior Statue (after countless battles against vicious monsters), bet back to the.... hmmm... elevator/teleporter thing, place the statue on the empty altar of some sort, and wait. Suddenly, a robotic guardian, not unlike the one they fought in the previous Field, comes crashing down breaking the ceiling. After Leon has recovered from the panic attack, the android briefly explains why they must fight, and then the battle begins. This guardian is exactly identical to the previous one too: same power, same attacks, same weaknesses. The only thing that may change your strategy a bit is the fact that you aren't fighting on a semi-broken bridge anymore, which could mean running around is now easier, both for you and for the enemy.

Funny Bits in Star Ocean 2 (243)

It's not really funny, but there's this spell that shows a scene in outer space every time you cast it: down there is Energy Nede, but if you cast it while on Expel, there's that planet instead (and maybe some other small differences). Nice touch.

Once Celine reaches Level 49, she can cast the powerful spell Southern Cross: it looks like the famous constellation is attracted to the ground, resulting in a rainbow-coloured shower of destruction. If Celine's proficiency with the spell is high enough, the number of 'stars' falling to the ground doubles (where do they get them from?). It's a handy spell but it has a couple of downsides:

• its casting animation is really long: pan to space, each of the five stars twinkle in sequence, then they start falling down; back on the ground, some dramatic camera angles, then the explosions (I think the only spell that takes longer to hit is Meteor Swarm, or maybe also Gremlin Lair when there are many targets)
• it seems to be one of Celine's favorite spells, because she tends to cast it very frequently (it may be because there are few enemies with resistance to Star-elemental Heraldry)

If you're annoyed by that, I suggest you to disable the spell; Celine will probably fall back to casting Lunar Light, which is almost as powerful but takes less to cast.

Funny Bits in Star Ocean 2 (242)

When there are obstacles in the way, the camera turns to weird angles: in this case Claude and Precis are behind the fallen pillar, but here they look like they're lying on the ground.

Watch out when you cast destructive spells, you might damage the battlefield! Like, ancient, long-standing pillars may come crashing down (I don't think they can harm anyone though, which is strange). This isn't the only place where things like this happen: to spice up some battles a little, things like rolling barrels, running mine carts, or falling stalactites appear on the field, either randomly, or whenever a large spell is cast by battler. Most of the time these are just disruptive elements which lightly damage your party or your enemies. These kinds of 'traps' are an interesting concept, which would have made battles more interesting if they had been properly implemented; unfortunately, they're nothing to care about, just a small distraction.

Funny Bits in Star Ocean 2 (241)

Very helpful, indeed! Even after 'solving' the mystery of this cave, I couldn't understand what this hint referred to; except maybe it could just be a motto or something, since this is the Field of Courage.

This place is weirder than the Field of Intelligence: it's a sort of labyrinth, not very large, but packed full of monsters, so that random battles will occur at about every four or five steps. The room to the left of this one loops around and doesn't seem to have any secret behind it (at least neither I nor the authors of the guides I've read found anything about it). There's an empty altar that you can reach by means of an 'elevator' to the right of the entrance, but nothing happens if you just stand there. You'll have to take the 'Warrior Statue' (some bust I can't make out the features of), located in the far left corner of the cavern, and bring it back here.