Star Ocean: The Second Storyis known for its very large cast of characters and how difficult it can be to choose which ones to take along with you on your journey. This issue is multiplied by the fact that you even have to choose between two differentmaincharacters.
Despite this game following a single group of travellers that always includes a certain pair, Claude and Rena, you’ll have to choose between them to set your POV character. This will change a few important things in your playthrough, and there are a few things you may want to know before making that particular choice.
Claude Vs. Rena: The Differences
The most important thing to note regarding this choice is thatthe game’s story does not actually changedepending on who you pick at the beginning. Claude and Rena will still meet up and travel together, going to the same locations and experiencing the same story beats.
What changes is what scenes you see when the pair are split up, even for a short time, and if you’re new to Star Ocean, what you know about the game’s background. Thanks to the difference in scenes, there aretwo characters in the game who can only be recruitedwhen you’re playing on a certain route.
So who’s best? The answer, really, iseither of them. While the choice is largely meaningless in the long run, thanks to the game’s overall story remaining the same, both routes offer unique perspectives. Thanks to the large cast of characters, it’s possible to have a very different experience of the story on a second playthrough, too.
If you want to make a decision between the exclusive characters,Leon (Claude’s route) is more useful, butDias (Rena’s route) is far more compellingin terms of the narrative and as a character.
In terms of who would be best to pickfirst, if you have no experience of the story,we recommend Rena. The story beats that get ‘revealed’ on Rena’s routes are more satisfying than the reveals on Claude’s routes.
