Publisher Square Enix and developer Tri-Ace are teaming up again for a new Star Ocean game, which was announced during the PlayStation State of Play held on October 27th. Called Star Ocean: The Divine Force, it will see players heading off into the infinite of space in 2022.
The trailer showcases multiple staples of the franchise, including space battles, anime characters, and fantasy worlds that the player will be exploring on their space exploration. A new mechanic that the trailer focused on is some sort of flight device that will add verticality to exploration, seeing them float across rooftops and surprise an enemy from above.
Star Ocean, while a long-running franchise has not been without its ups and its downs throughout the years. First introduced in 1996 on the Super Famicon, the first two entries in the series are often remembered fondly, with PlayStation’s The Second Story often referred to as one of the greatest JRPGs of all time. The next entry in the series Star Ocean: Till The End of Time is also often remembered, though for its poor voice acting and its much-maligned plot twist to the series.
The last entry in the series to release, Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness, received a mixed reception upon release. The game received a positive reception for its fast-paced combat which has long been held as the series strong point. On the converse side, the story, cutscenes, and pacing were all maligned.
Despite that, as a long-time Star Ocean fan myself, I just can’t help getting sucked back into the franchise when a new game is announced, despite the fact it has broken my heart before. Hopefully, they took the recent criticism to heart and have crafted the comeback the series deserves.
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