Star Ocean 5 is in development, and its a wonderful surprise this Tuesday morning!
Being developed by Tri-Ace and Square Enix, (not surprising there) the game has no release date but has been announced in Famitsu that it will be releasing for the PS3 and PS4.
The last Star Ocean I really sunk my teeth into was Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, aka Star Ocean 3.
As for Star Ocean: The Last Hope aka Star Ocean 4, I had given up on the 360 version back in the day after finding out a superior version would be released on the PS3 as Star Ocean: The Last Hope International.
I finally picked up the International version of The Last Hope about a year ago, but honestly there's been so many things coming out I haven't spent enough time with it. I may find myself picking it up soon in anticipation for this game however, which looks amazing. Forgive the low quality pics here, all we have so far are mere scans.
The game's full title is called "Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness" as told by Famitsu.
It takes place on an uncivilized planet called Feycreed, which happens to be around 6,000 lightyears from Earth.
It is said to take place in the year 537 on the space calendar, with the 'Gravity Warp' having been created on Earth and taking place chronologically between Star Ocean 2 and 3.
Star Ocean 5 will be releasing for PS4, but as a port since it is being developed mainly for the PlayStation 3...I don't mind this at all since I'd hate to get the PS3 version and hear about an "all-new upgraded spectacular remaster" exactly one year later. But that's just me.
Square Enix is toying with the ideas of the share functionality, so we'll see. Obviously if you have a PS4 you're probably going to want to pick this one up on PS4.
We do have some tidbits of info on some of the characters so far:
- Fedel Camus (voiced by Kaito Ishikawa) will be the protagonist. I imagine he's the main guy we kind of keep seeing in the photos. Fedel is a protector of his village who specializes in fencing. His sword skills come from his father who is the Kingdom of Leslia's greatest swordsman, and is mindful of his companions.
- Miki Sorvesta (voiced by Nao Toyama) plays the heroine role. She's also the childhood friend character and loves Fedel like an older brother. Miki plays a healer-role and is described as a cute, loving, and gluttonous character.
- Lilia (voice actor unknown) is a character with a sort of amnesia. Not much is known about her yet.
We can also see a witch-like character, and even a blonde swordsman, but so far no information on who exactly they are or what role they play.
Battles are full of action and happen in real time- this I like. I like that a lot.
Attacks are said to change via distance to the enemy, as well as making combo attacks with different buttons.
Events are also said to happen randomly when enemies come after you, adding to the action and leading to multiple outcomes should they gain the upper hand over your allies.
According to producer Shuichi Kobayashi, they're thinking against the idea of doing any possible story DLC with a "full version" to be released later.
Looks like we're in for some good old fashioned JRPG! Woo!
Kobayashi made a clear statement saying, “I sincerely don’t want to do anything with this game that’ll upset people even a little bit,” which sounds pretty solid to me.
At the present time the game stands at around 30% completion.
The game's main staff:
- Developer: tri-Ace
- Character Designer: Akira “Akiman” Yasuda
- Producer: Shuichi Kobayashi
- Director: Hiroshi Ogawa
- Lead Programmer: Yoshiharu Gotanda
Kobayashi: “[Having previously been in marketing] I decided to change positions and become a producer out of the belief that Star Ocean is worth staking my life and legacy on,” “For Star Ocean 5, I wanted the game to overtly take cues from Star Ocean 3 and draw its essence from that game.”
Gotanda: “There are multiple meanings behind the subtitle for this game. It’ll make sense by the end once you play the game, I think.”
Kobayashi: “Star Ocean 5 is about bringing a sense of reassurance back to longtime fans, which is why the game’s logo is reminiscent of Star Ocean 3‘s.”
Ogawa: “Basic battles are the same as previous entries, where the player controlled character takes on the enemy in one-on-one battles. On the other hand, boss battles see the whole party squaring off against bosses, which lends those fights a different feel that players can enjoy.”
Kobayashi: “I’d like to be able to keep putting these games out. By the end, when it’s all finished, we hope we have a game that draws in series fans and new players alike.”
Synopsis via Kotaku:
Do the depths of space forbid peace for mankind— Centuries after leaving Earth, after a multitude of trials, with the creation and spread of the ‘Galactic Federation,’ humanity was on the verge of unified order and peace. But the embers of conflict have begun to burn again. Over 6,000 light years from Earth, on the unsettled planet, ‘Feycreed.’ Just as so many times before, the waves of history begin from a remote planet.
Allll aboard! Allll aboard the hype train!
-Kazu
