[1][2] Till the End of Time takes place four hundred years after the events of Star Ocean: The Second Story.

While having many similarities to its predecessor, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time includes many elements that make it unique among the majority of role-playing video games.

When some groups of enemies are defeated, the player's characters can also receive a small amount of HP/MP, to counteract the HP/MP that was lost as a result of using special attacks or symbology/runeology.

Earning battle trophies unlocks bonus options such as harder game difficulty levels, alternate costumes, and a sound test.

It features a galaxy-spanning government in the Pangalactic Federation, several races and species of aliens, different factions, multiple colonized planets, and advanced technology.

Despite having a science fiction atmosphere, a form of magic exists in the universe: symbology, also known as heraldry in the Japanese version and in Star Ocean: The Second Story.

Standard symbology involves tattooing crests and runes onto one's flesh to draw out apparently latent power in the form of spells, and numerous underdeveloped planets make extensive use of it.

Seeking an escape pod on the ship, Fayt finds himself separated from his family, and eventually becomes stranded on Vanguard III, an "underdeveloped plant" on par with the technology of 16th Century Earth.

Whilst offering to help some of the inhabitants deal with a threat posed by an exiled off-world criminal, he finds himself encountering Cliff Fittir, a member of the anti-Federation organization Quark, who came searching for him.

Unwilling to explain the reason why, except that Quark's leader wishes to speak to him, Fayt agrees to accompany Cliff and his assistant, Mirage, in their ship.

However, the Vendeeni track down the vessel and attack it, forcing the group to crash-land on Elicoor II, another underdeveloped world with technology on par with 17th century Earth.

The group quickly find themselves captured by the Kingdom of Airyglyph, which is currently locked in a war with its neighbour Aquaria, and who presume that the three off-worlders are engineers from the technologically advanced continent of Greeton based on what they witnessed of their ship's design after its arrival.

Learning the Vendeeni have taken control of an unusual artifact that is out-of-place on Elicoor II, the group confront them to force them off planet, encountering Robert being held prisoner at the site.

To the party's horror, they learn that a new threat recently arrived following the attack on Hyda IV, in the form of ultra-powerful space-borne beings calling themselves "Executioners".

When the explorers who found it activated it, a voice informed them that their species forays in to symbological genetics had angered a being called the "Creator", and that they were to face sentencing for their actions.

Fayt and the others learn that the Executioners are anti-viruses, sent in by Luther to delete what he believes to be anomalies in the Milky Way section of the Eternal Sphere.

However, his sister, Blair, who helps the party learn the nature of their existence, determines the inhabitants of the Eternal Sphere have achieved a level of sentience equal to that of 4D citizens.

The song "The Small Bird That Forgot How To Fly" (飛び方を忘れた小さな鳥, Tobikata Wo Wasureta Chiisana Tori) by the JPop singer Misia was used to accompany the game's ending credits.

Regardless, it impacted the game's sales, and Enix released the Director's Cut in 2004 to assuage grievances about the original by fixing the bugs and adding features.