Should You Pick Precis or Bowman in Star Ocean The Second Story R

There are certain times in Star Ocean The Other Story where you need to pick one of two people as an ally, and deciding between Precis or Bowman at Linga is one of those moments. It’s honestly a difficult choice.

Should you pick Precis in Star Ocean The Second Story R?

I’m not a big fan of Precis’ personality, but I think she’s the better choice of the two characters. She’s fun like Leon in that she can make her own equipment if she learns the Machinist ability. Given she’s an inventor, she tends to excel at that even if she doesn’t have a talent like Nimble Fingers right away, as she has a good chance of picking it up as she creates things. 

She isn’t as strong as some other characters, but I’d say her Arts make up for it. While she’s a close-range character, many of these skills are ranged. I like Holey Moley a lot, as it protects her and lets her attack even when at a distance. Her various laser attacks can be handy too.

Most importantly, if you have Ashton in your party, you should pick Precis. If you have an Ashton with Sword Dance and he gets along with her, then eventually she can learn Super Holograph. It’s probably her best move, and putting her in a party with him can be game-breaking. 

Should you pick Bowman in Star Ocean The Second Story R?

Bowman isn’t a bad unit. I think his personality is better than Precis, in my opinion. He’s also generally stronger than her, in terms of stats. 

The thing is that there are a lot of close-range fighters who are also so much better than him, and I’ve found his Arts sometimes aren’t as useful as the ones Precis learns. He can be stronger than Rena with his fist-based attacks, sure. However, I’ve found Chisato is more useful if I go with her instead. Not to mention warriors like Dias, Ashton, and Claude far outpace Bowman. 

His ability to poison is handy against enemies that can be poisoned, and his Inferno Pellets is a handy skill later down the line! 

What’s kind of fascinating is his backstory with Celine. If both of them join your party, you can learn a little more about their past, which is cool if you like lore.

In general, both characters are fine! You could even have this decision come down to which personality you prefer. However, I’d there’s a good chance neither one will end up being in your final party as you make a push toward the end. (I mean, unless you go with Claude, Ashton, Precis, and Rena.)

Star Ocean The Second Story R is on the Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC. The game can also immediately be found on the PlayStation and PSP worldwide and the PS3, PS4, and Vita in Japan.