Star Ocean: The Divine Force - What We Know So Far
"Star Ocean" fans, get excited — a new entry to the series is on its way. At PlayStation's State of Play on Oct. 27, 2021, "Star Ocean: The Divine Force" was finally announced.
This long-running RPG series has a pretty big place in the hearts of fans, and while 2016's "Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness" didn't do so hot with critics, fans are still hopeful for the future of the franchise. After all, previous games in the series were pretty awesome, even if they didn't all have the best storylines.
With a release window and plenty of exciting action shown off in the announcement, fans might just get what they're looking for in the upcoming game. While fans have a ton of questions about the game, the long wait between "Star Ocean" sequels means that the most pressing question deals with when "Star Ocean: The Divine Force" will be released. Read on to learn all of that and more.
When is the release date for Star Ocean: The Divine Force?
No official release date has been given for "Star Ocean: The Divine Force," but fans have learned a general release window. According to the announcement trailer, the game will launch at some point in 2022. This announcement couldn't have come at a better time, either. As pointed out by Square Enix's Sho Ishida in an official PlayStation.Blog post, 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the "Star Ocean" series. And what better way to celebrate than with an all-new installment?
The announcement also pointed out the fact that the game will be released on both the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5, giving both next-gen and current-gen console owners a chance to experience "The Divine Force" without having to struggle to secure a next-gen console.
Many fans were starting to worry there'd never be another "Star Ocean" game, especially after the last game flopped and the recent mobile game, "Star Ocean: Anamnesis," was shut down. Now that there's finally confirmation of a new game, fans can hopefully rest easy.
Is there a trailer for Star Ocean: The Divine Force?
"Star Ocean: The Divine Force" was announced with a two-and-a-half-minute trailer that gave a great deal of information about the upcoming game.
To begin with, the trailer showed a small crew traversing space when things go awry. According to PlayStation.Blog, this crew is aboard a ship called Ydas, which is captained by blonde-haired protagonist Raymond. The group was traveling from a well-developed planet when they found themselves stranded on the planet Aster IV, a world that blends the sci-fi and fantasy genres together. This can be seen in the fact that the crew encounters both flame-breathing dragons and massive futuristic cities during the trailer.
From there, they meet Laeticia, a blade-wielding princess and secondary protagonist. Players will be able to choose either protagonist, and the game will change depending on who's picked.
The trailer also shows off a good bit of the game's combat, and thanks to a little bit of background shared by Sho Ishida on the PlayStation blog, many of the gameplay elements on display make a bit more sense.
What's the gameplay like in Star Ocean: The Divine Force?
One of the most interesting things from the "Star Ocean: The Divine Force" trailer was the combat. The trailer shows off a number of encounters with larger than life monsters, and according to PlayStation.Blog, "The Divine Force" gives players multiple options for approaching battles. Sho Ishida writes, "Characters can make an assault straight from traversing at incredibly high speeds, disappear instantly before an enemy, or even defeat a horde of enemies with a skill that enables [one-shot] kills."
While there are two main protagonists (each with their own allies and storylines), you can control all of your party members in battle, allowing you to switch things up for each fight.
Combat wasn't the only exciting gameplay feature in the trailer — fans can see characters flying through the sky at various points. As you're traveling, players can jump and seemingly pause in the air to fly forward in bursts. PlayStation.Blog mentioned that this skybound mobility option will give players "greater freedom in their approach in both battles and their adventures."