Amongst the big JPRG franchises, Tri-Ace’s Star Ocean often gets overlooked, which isn’t entirely fair. The series has had its ups and down, but its high points have been fairly high, and in honor of its 25th anniversary, the franchise is returning with an all-new PlayStation-exclusive entry. Star Ocean: The Divine should serve up the same mix of sci-fi and JRPG tropes we’ve come to expect from the series, but it also looks to be taking some notes from Nintendo’s Xenoblade Chronicles series, with a more open world players can fly around freely in and amped-up hack ‘n’ slash combat. You can check out the first trailer for Star Ocean: The Divine Force, below.
It’s clear this isn’t being made with the same budget as a Final Fantasy, but that’s okay sometimes. You can get the rundown on Star Ocean: The Divine Force’s story and key features, below.
The Pangalactic Federation. From their earliest days in the Sol System, this organization has sought to bring peace and tranquility to the galactic multitudes. As their reach has expanded through the universe, many a hero has served under their banner; saviors to planets in need. But by the year 583 SD, things have changed. The once peaceful Pangalactic Federation is now known for assimilating planets against their will. Once standing for justice, they are now wreathed in darkness.
Raymond, captain of the merchant vessel Ydas, departs from the nonfederated planet of Verguld on a standard transport mission. The job is simple, the route familiar, yet things go awry when the Ydas is attacked by the Astoria: a battleship carrying a member of the Pangalactic Federation’s preeminent Kenny family. Raymond and his crewmate Chloe are forced to abandon ship amidst the chaos and head for the remote, underdeveloped planet of Aster IV. Before their escape pods can even land, a burst of energy resembling an EMP from the planet’s surface knocks out their systems and brings them crashing down. They find themselves separated and stranded on an unfamiliar planet.
Upon landing, Raymond is immediately attacked by some of the less-than-friendly local wildlife. But when all seems lost, his life is saved by the crown princess of the Kingdom of Aucerius: Laeticia. Marveled by the sudden appearance of this man who rode into her life on a “shooting star,” Laeticia asks Raymond to help save her kingdom from the threat of the neighboring Vey’l Empire. He accepts in exchange for help finding Chloe. So begins their journey on Aster IV. However, Raymond will soon discover he has yet to escape the shadow of the Pangalactic Federation.
Key Features:
- A story that changes based on the choices the player makes, where heroes intersect between the two worlds of sci-fi and fantasy
- A rich lineup of playable characters
- Freedom to fly around the environment
- Three-dimensional traversal and exploration where everything in-sight is a field for adventure
- The Star Ocean game with the fastest and mightiest action in the series
Star Ocean: The Divine Force launches on PS4 and PS5 sometime in 2022.
