Part 21: Cave of Crimson Crystals
Upon acquiring a Psynard - and not having to kill it, which is a nice change - the party now has access to the majority of Energy Nede. You can fly the Psynard pretty much anywhere you like, with one major exception... though there are several places that you can't access, even if you can physically reach them.. We'll deal with that before having a closer look at the world map.
Head back to the Centropolis and pay a visit to Mayor Nall, in City Hall. He'll explain that the only way to conquer the Ten Wise Men is to check out the four Fields of Energy Nede. Each is a challenge in and of itself, and you'll need to complete all four to move on with the game. Nall will give you a Rune Code to enter the Fields, which would have been locked if you'd checked in on any of them early. He'll also give you a Phase Unit, which allows you to equip Claude's Phase Gun as a Special Art once more.
Assuming you picked up her ID in the Cave of the Crimson Crystals, your next stop should be Chisato's desk, on the west side of City Hall's third floor. A journalist who has been following the group's every movement, Chisato is determined to stick with you - and if you want, you can add her to the party, assuming you still have room. Chisato is a powerful close-range fighter, and though she's not great on her own Chisato compliments other frontline battlers quite nicely with her multi-hit attacks.
It is important to note that Chisato is the last character whom you can recruit in Star Ocean The Second Story R. You won't get any more opportunities to bring fresh blood into the party past this point. If you're lacking in party members then you should probably bring Chisato along. You'll receive The Hot-Blooded Journaist Achievement if you recruit Chisato.
That done, the world is now your oyster. You can use the Psynard to wander the map and choose your route as you see fit. Your primary concern are the four Fields, which are as follows:
- The Field of Wisdom is to the north of the Centropolis, on an island ringed by steep cliffs
- The Field of Courage is to the southeast of the Centropolis, on a tiny island by the southern edge of the map
- The Field of Might is to the northwest of the Centropolis, on a snowy island covered in mountains
- The Field of Love is to the northeast of the Centropolis, on a floating island that's difficult to miss
You can tackle the Fields in any order you like, though the sequence listed above is the intended order. Don't be surprised if you get your butt whupped for, say, entering the Field of Love before you're ready.
In addition to the four Fields there are a bunch of other locations scattered throughout Energy Nede that you can visit on your Psynard. Going to some of them early can give you an advantage over the Fields. The only place on the world map that you can't really visit is Phynal, the tower behind the big, red energy dome in the northeast. This is the setting for the game's final battle, and you're not that far along just yet.
The locations you can visit are as follows:
- To the northeast is L'Aqua, a military base mentioned by Nall. It largely plays a role in the story, and you don't really need to visit it right now.
- Also to the northeast, across the sea from L'Aqua, is Fun City. This is an amusement park where you can play games and win prizes. Fun City plays a role in the story, so you'll wind up going there, though there's enough good stuff to be had that you might want to check out Fun City a little early.
- To the southeast is Armlock. This place caters to weapons and Item Creation. You won't find better weapons for sale outside Armlock. (Though you can make better weapons yourself.) To the southeast of Armlock is the Minae Cave, a dungeon that is currently locked. You'll be exploring both of these areas as part of the storyline, after you're done with the Fields, though if you have money to spare you should pay Armlock an early visit.
- In the northwest, on a snowy island near the Field of Might, is the scholarly town of Princebridge. You'll get a lot of Item Creation done over here. Princebridge doesn't really play a role in the story, though a side quest requires a visit to this chilly town.
You won't miss out on anything if you visit these locations out of order, and will likely find a slew of Private Actions waiting in several of them. In this guide we will explore them in order of difficulty and according to the plot, though you can jump around however you like in your own game.