With Star Ocean: The Last Hope hitting North America on February 24, publisher Square Enix has unleashed a barrage of new screenshots from tri-Ace's Xbox 360 action-RPG.

In an unusual move, the release date for tri-Ace's Star Ocean: The Last Hope has been moved forward, and will now hit North America on February 24 instead of March 3.

Publisher Square Enix did not offer any details as to why the release date was moved forward, with its skeletal press release only offering word that it had been updated.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope marks the fourth entry in the action-RPG series, and the first time that the franchise has hit the Xbox 360. While the game is not explicitly billed as an Xbox 360 exclusive, it has not been announced for any other platforms.

Adding to the previously announced March 3, 2009 release date for tri-Ace's Xbox 360 sci-fi action-RPG Star Ocean: The Last Hope, publisher Square Enix today issued a list of the games it plans to release during the first quarter of 2009:

• Star Ocean: Second Evolution (PSP) - January 6
• Dragon Quest V (DS) - February 17
• Star Ocean: The Last Hope (Xbox 360) - March 3
• Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume (DS) - March 17

For more details on the games and official descriptions, check below... Read more

Developer tri-Ace's first Xbox 360 release of the Star Ocean role-playing franchise will hit North American retailers on March 3, 2009, publisher Square Enix announced today.

Alongside some new screenshots, the company noted that the Japanese version of Star Ocean: The Last Hope and its action-based battle system will arrive a few weeks before, on February 19, 2009.

Today's announcement but made no mention of an eventual release on other platforms. However, the title was once again not billed as an Xbox 360 exclusive, suggesting that a later PlayStation 3 version is possible, a la Square's The Last Remnant.

Update: A subsequent press release from Square Enix only lists Star Ocean: The Last Hope as an Xbox 360 release. However, it is not designated as an "exclusive" a la Infinite Undiscovery, further implying a PlayStation 3 release.

Original Story: The fourth Star Ocean role-playing title will hit Xbox 360 in 2009, publisher Square Enix has revealed. The game was originally announced last May, though no platforms or release estimates were provided at the time.

Handled by series creator and Infinite Undiscovery developer tri-Ace, the action-RPG has been officially titled Star Ocean: The Last Hope. Some new screenshots accompanied the announcement.

Though its status as an Xbox 360 release was detailed in a Microsoft press release, the title was not billed as an exclusive, suggesting a possible PlayStation 3 edition.