Rogue Galaxy (ローグギャラクシー) is a science fiction console role-playing game developed by Level-5 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. The game was first released in Japan on December 8, 2005, and later in North America on January 30, 2007. The European release was initially expected in 2006 but after a series of postponements it was released in most European countries on 5 September 2007. Release in the UK and some other countries followed on 7 September 2007. A Director's Cut version of the game was also released in Japan on March 15, 2007. The Director's Cut included all the added features and improvements of the North American and European localizations.
Rogue Galaxy enjoyed immense critical success upon its initial release in Japan, scoring a 36/40 in Famitsu and an 85 average in Dengeki, two of Japan's most popular gaming magazines. Sales were also very strong for an original IP RPG in Japan, with sales totaling over 350,000 units in just three months.
The story begins with Jaster Rogue, a young boy who was abandoned on the planet Rosa as a child. He was raised by a Priest named Raul, who is like a father to Jaster. Jaster's long time dream is to leave Rosa and explore space. One day a huge beast appears and begins attacking the Jaster's hometown of Salgin. Jaster, being an adventurous youth, runs after the beast. He is ambushed by a group of smaller beasts and is aided by a mysterious hooded man. After the battle, the hooded man spots two space pirates roaming around town. The hooded man then gives Jaster his weapon, the Desert Seeker, one of the legendary Seven-Star Swords. The man then runs away along the rooftops. With the Desert Seeker in hand, Jaster is mistaken by the two space pirates as a legendary bounty hunter named Desert Claw. The two soon help Jaster defeat the giant monster attacking the town.
After the battle the two pirates -- a robot named Steve and a squat masked man named Simon -- tell Jaster that their captain, Dorgengoa, wants to hire Jaster as a part of the crew of the pirate ship Dorgenark. Jaster decides to leave Rosa to join the pirates. On board the ship, Jaster meets up with the rest of the Dorgenark crew: the captain's daughter, Kisala, and a mysterious mercenary named Zegram. While passing the Rose Nebula on their way to Zerard, the Dorgenark is attacked by beasts and is forced to crash on the jungle planet Juraika. After examining the damage of their ship, the crew agree that they must find gather an ingredient for Booster Oil in order to leave the planet and continue to Zerard. As their journey unfolds, the crew meet new friends from different planets such as Lilika, an amazon from Juraika, Jupis, a hacker from the advanced planet Zerard, and Deego, an Ex-Longardian soldier from the mining planet Vedan.
Eventually Dorgengoa reveals his true intentions: Finding the legendary phantom planet Eden, said to contain vast amounts of treasure and the Immortal Soul, which grants immortality. On their journey, they discover that artifacts known as the Great Tablets are connected to the planet of Eden, along with the Keypieces from ancient kings who ruled specific planets years ago.
Secretly, the president of Daytron, Valkog Drazer, is also searching for Eden, his true motive is revealed as the story progresses. Jaster and his party search for the 3 relics of the ancient kings: of Zerard, of Vedan, and of Juraika. After finding all three, the relics are returned to Rosa. Upon arriving, the crew are confronted by an artificial human created by Daytron, named Seed, whose soul purpose is to open the gate to Eden. During the heroic battle, Jaster unleashes a mysterious power that he has been harnessing inside himself, thus defeating Seed. Jaster uses his newly discovered power to open the gate to a labyrinth containing the secrets to Eden.
While exploring the Rosa labyrinth, Jaster and Kisala discover that Kisala is actually Princess Irieth of Eden, truly named Le Marie Glennecia or Mariglenn for short. As the party exits from the ruins, they set eyes on Daytron's president, Valkog, attacking Jaster's town Rosa. Raul, Jaster's foster father, attempts to stop the attacking ship but is severely wound. Jaster runs to his injured guardian, but it is too late. Raul, slowly dying presents a special artifact. The item points him towards the Kuje Desert. While in the Kuje Desert, Jaster and the crew discover the illusionary town of Johannasburg, which was frozen in time and the memories of its inhabitants, changed by a woman named Johanna. The party learns that Johanna placed the spell on the town in order to prevent the villagers from dying of a plague that had spread long ago. Meeting the ghost of Johanna within the town, the party discovers that she is Jaster's mother and also a descendant of an ancient ruler of the galaxy, the Star God. Jaster is forced to fight his mother in order to release his true powers. After proving his worthiness, Jaster and the others run into Desert Claw, who reveals himself as Jaster's father, Mizel. Mizel tells of how he came to Johannasburg and met Johanna. The two fell in love and Johanna gave birth to Jaster. Shortly after, Johanna died from the plague after having left the protection of Johannasburg. Desert Claw left Jaster with Raul, so that he could be raised and find his own destiny. Mizel knew Jaster would be the one to bring peace to the galaxy and save it. Desert Claws tells the crew to continue to Mariglenn, where they will find the answers to saving the galaxy.
Arrive on Mariglenn, they learn that the planet has been removed from the entire Wilhelser System to encase the ever growing Rune, as well as an evil entity made purely of Rune, known as Mother. Jaster and Kisala find the king, whom his Kisala's father, has become a beast and put him out of his misery. Before perishing, he awakens Kisala's Drigellum, an aura made out of the memories within people's hearts. He tells them they must awaken the other Drigellums inside the hearts of Kisala's friends to craft a sword powerful enough to defeat Mother. When the sword is formed, the group enters Mother's lair where they battle her. Upon being defeated, Mother transforms into her true state, in response to which the Star King enters Jaster. The Star King tries to reason with Mother by forgiving the past of when she was a sorceress named Ilzarbella, when was once along side with the Star King. Mother leaves the Star King no choice and is defeated at the hand of the legendary Drigellum sword.
Valkog's ship appears over Mother's lair after the fight. Needing a new host, the Rune drags the ship along with Valkog and his two assistants Norma and Izeland into the lava. With the power of the Rune the ship transforms them into the Demon Battleship, a new host for the Rune. Kisala's mother appears and gives Jaster the Drigellum of Prayer, making a new sword for him. Jaster and his friends split up abord the Demon Battleship in order to take down the ship's weapons, after the final section of the ship is destroyed, the crew escapes from the lava filled plain. The planet Mariglenn returns to its place amongst the other planets within Wilhelser System. The crew and Jaster then parts with Kisala, who has made the noble decision to become the new Queen of Mariglenn. Jaster, Zegram, Monsha, and Dorgengoa sit aboard the Dorgenark after the rest of their friends had returned home. The group then heads off to claim their "ultimate treasure" on the new Mariglenn. The final scene tells that this was the final mission the Dorgengoa Pirates ever pulled off as pirates. Whether or not they took back Kisala is unknown as that is where the story ends.
Once the player completes the game, there is a new unlocked area called the Ghost Ship where the crew heads to find a secret treasure lost aboard the empty vessel. Inside, Jaster and the others must fight against their old bosses again before facing the strongest boss of all at the end. It's possible this part of the game follows the end of their battle on Mariglenn, hinting that the Dorgengoa Pirates are all together again, however this can be contradicted by the fact that the player can repeat the final bosses of the game after the events on the Ghost Ship.
