Star Ocean: The Second Story R has plenty of cool and useful characters you can add to your party throughout the game. One who should not be overlooked is Opera Vectra; follow this guide to learn how to recruit this cool and versatile character for your party.
Opera brings a lot to the table as a party member. Opera might not be the most powerful character in combat, but she’s got range—and that’s not just referring to her ranged attacks. While Opera does not switch weapons like your other party members are able to, she can equip clips onto her Kaleidoscopic Ray Gun. She has versatility, a quick attack capability, can make the aforementioned range attacks without relying on magic, and works well as a healer.
Opera is a great character to have if you want to assemble a more well-rounded party. Plus, she also allows players to unlock Ernest as an additional party member. Opera can be a valuable addition to any adventuring party in Star Ocean: The Second Story R. That is, if you play your cards right and make sure not to miss your chance to recruit her.
Who is Opera
Opera Vectra is a sophisticated and adventurous aristocrat with a weakness for apple cider from the planet Tetragenesis. She hails from one of the four noble families on her home planet, so she’s kind of a big deal back home. On Expel, however, she’s just another stranded visitor on a mission. She’s on the planet to look for her boyfriend, Ernest Raviede, who has gone missing. Unfortunately, her spaceship ran out of gas and crash-landed which means she’s open to getting a little help on her quest—which is where you and your party come in.
Related: How to Get Appraisal Skill in Star Ocean: The Second Story R
How to Get Opera in Your Party
The first thing you need to note is that if you already have Ashton Anchors in your party, you can stop trying to recruit Opera because it is not possible. This is very much an either/or situation, recruiting one of them means forsaking the other.
The second thing you need to know is that there are lots of small steps required to bring Opera into your party, and it’s very easy to accidentally overlook any of them and mess the whole thing up, so be alert. If you find yourself meeting Keith and you haven’t already encountered Opera, you’ve missed your window.
Your first step towards recruiting Opera happens way before she makes her first appearance in the game. Early on in the game, during your first visit to Krosse City, you have the opportunity to encounter a three-eyed man in the city. You must find him in order to unlock Opera later, because if you have not encountered him the quest which introduces Opera to the party will not happen. The quest that introduces Opera to the party begins after the fight between Claude and Dias in the armory contest at Lacuer City.
After the fight with Dias, your party needs to travel to the small port town of Hilton. Once you are there, find your way to the local bar. Inside, you will see a very Raiders of the Lost Arc scene playing out. Opera will have just finished beating a man in a drinking contest, hoping to gain some information in exchange—information that your party can provide… at least in part. Opera, who herself has three eyes, has been asking around about the three-eyed man you should have already encountered in Krosse City. The man in question is missing archeologist Ernest Raviede—Opera’s boyfriend. Claude will volunteer some information about the man you encountered to Opera. But, you’re not done yet.
You will now have to head back to Krosse City to speak to the King and get some more information for Opera. The King will tell you what he knows, and point you towards Opera and Ernest’s last known whereabouts—the Mountain Palace on the Northwestern side of the first continent.
Unfortunately, the Mountain Palace is not as nice and peaceful of a place as the name might suggest. It is actually a complex and dangerous dungeon full of monsters. Player beware if you try to make it through while underpowered. However, there is some pretty good loot to be had if you feel up to exploring a little.
You will find Opera at the beginning of the dungeon. She’s understandably apprehensive about going in alone and asks the party to accompany her in exchange for letting you have whatever loot you find along the way. Just select the “Sounds good to me” dialogue option and you are good to go. Opera will now be in your party, at least for a while.
Bonus: How to Recruit Ernest
You have the option to rudely ignore Opera’s storyline about her search for Ernest after you recruit her for your party, but if you continue her storyline you will eventually unlock him as a potential party member. It is important to note that while you can recruit Opera without Ernest, you cannot unlock Ernest without Opera.
Your first step to unlocking Ernest after recruiting Opera is to find his laboratory inside the western part of the Mountain Palace. He won’t be there, but you have a chance to loot his stuff while advancing the plot.
Your next stop is the Sacred Forest in Arlia (which you can skip if you’re still reading this despite not actually wanting to get Ernest in your party), which should be pretty familiar to you as it’s the place where Claude lands at the beginning of the game. It is also the spot where Opera crash-landed on the planet and you must find her spaceship in the eastern section of the forest.
After this, you will have some non-Opera/Ernest related things to take care of until the King of Laucer sends the party to search the Hoffman Ruins with Leon. After your main quest with Leon ends, return to the entrance to finally help Opera find Ernest… sort of. Unfortunately, while Ernest was missing he got possessed by an evil spirit and the only way to exorcise it and free him is to defeat him in battle.
Once the fight is finished, Ernest and Opera finally get to have their reunion. After the cutscene, you are given the option to invite them both to join your party by selecting the dialog option “Would you like to travel with us for a while longer?”
They will accept, and you will receive a trophy for each character.
Whether you decide to recruit Opera by herself or her and Ernest as a pair, you will be bringing a fun and powerful ally along for the ride. Opera has a great storyline to play out, some fun dialog, and she would be a valuable addition to any party. So, make sure to pay attention to the people you meet and the events happening around you so you don’t miss your chance to recruit her.
