Star Ocean: The Divine Force Review

After 13 years, the Star Ocean: The Divine Force saga returns to Xbox consoles.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force is the latest installment in Square Enix and Tri-Ace’s long-running RPG franchise, blending science fiction and fantasy. After 13 years without having a franchise game in xbox consoles, this last opus is largely a promising return to basicsby recovering the element of being able to choose between two protagonists and putting more emphasis on the open world exploration. Despite some areas that could be improved, Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a game that worth it for J-PRG fans.

The argument of Star Ocean: Divine Force begins with a space messenger, Raymondwhich crash lands on the underdeveloped planet of Star IV after your ship is shot down. Unable to find his crew, he joins the rebel princess Laeticia and his cantankerous servant Albaird to help them recruit a mysterious wizard to find the missing crew members. Complications escalate when the group encounters other astronauts on Aster IV, who are looking for the mysterious cargo Raymond was carrying. a flying robot called DUMA

At the start of the game, you have the choice between Raymond or Laeticia as the main character. The character you choose must remain in your party at all times and while events play out mostly the same for the first few hours, things they change much later when Laeticia and Raymond separate, leading to totally different cutscenes, dungeons, and boss fights. I found this to be a pretty compelling narrative device, as each character has significant off-screen adventures that can be experienced in a second playthrough as another protagonist, which also happened in the excellent Scarlett Nexus. I chose Laeticia, whose story delves deeper into the politics of Aster IV and his efforts to save his kingdom from an epidemic of deadly disease and invasion by a neighboring empire. I’m curious what kind of adventures I missed from Raymond’s perspective when their paths went their separate ways, and I’m interested in playing the game again someday.

As with many J-RPG scenarios, Star Ocean: The Divine Force Story Is A Bit Slow. some are needed 10 hours so that the majority of the group forms and the plot really grows. The characters, while shallow, are generally entertaining and have a fun relationship with each other.

One of the main novelties of Star Ocean: The Divine Force is the expansion of the open world, with towns and villages separated by huge Dragon Quest-style open areas. However, it does not achieve the feeling of vastness that characterizes other games in the genre. In part, this is because the open areas are mostly flat, uninhabited and devoid of landmarks or secrets, so they are quite bland. On another side, the ability to fly Flying with DUMA is almost immediate, so open areas are viewed almost exclusively from above, as this is the fastest way to get around. As a result, traveling between settlements often feels like a chore, thankfully reduced by the addition of a fast travel system.

Another important gameplay element is random encounters, or rather the lack thereof. For the first time in the series, all the fights of Star Ocean: Divine Force they occur in the overworld or dungeons, rather than in a special area for combat. Thanks to the new mobility options offered by DUMA, the player can launch surprise attacks and even completely evade enemies by flying alongside them. Escaping encounters is also very easy, since it is enough to leave the clearly marked area of ​​enemy aggression. As in previous titles, combat in Star Ocean: The Divine Force takes place in real time, with one character controlled directly by you and up to three AI-controlled party members. You can change characters and assign different skills and combos.

The system for designing custom combos and creating your ideal fighter is surprisingly intuitive, although stringing the right moves takes some experimentation. The most useful moves can be related to holding down a button instead of pressing it a certain number of times. The mechanics introduced in Star Ocean: The Last Hope, which allows players to stun enemies by flying around them with DUMA and attacking them from their blind spot is still there. Unfortunately, combat suffers from the same issues as many action games with AI-controlled party members: managing your party members is chaotic.

User interface and menu navigation could also be improved. Subtitles and menu text are often unreadable and have no background or shading to make them easier to distinguish. I see no reason for the text to be so small. Of course, it’s not for lack of space on the screen. For visually impaired players, this is a huge hurdle, as well as a bit of a polish. As if that weren’t enough, the game is entirely in Englishwhich will make many players skip this episode of Star Ocean.

The upgrade process is also quite tedious. As you level up, you earn points which you can use to unlock new active and passive skills and improve the ones you already have. The problem is that the repetition of fights can become exhausting, one of the great problems of the genre.

Fortunately, the world outside the menu screen in Star Ocean: The Divine Force is very eye-catching. Despite the lack of memorable overworld landmarks, Aster IV is still a pleasant setting to stand and gaze at, especially given its slick alien looks. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for his characters, with their rigid expressionless faces and awkward body language. True, the game has that classic Xbox 360-era gaming aromatherapy, but I think they could have done a little more technically.

Star Ocean: Divine Force This will probably appeal to J-RPG fans who are Xbox users. With its interesting cast and well-written story, it was easy for me to get into the game, despite the predictable J-RPG cliffhanger. The mobility improvements and combat overhaul make this the most fun Star Ocean game I’ve played so far. It’s a shame that clunky character models, ridiculously small text size, and slow leveling mechanics are a hindrance for some. If you’re not a fan of Star Ocean or JRPGs, Star Ocean: The Divine Force might not be so easy to understand. However, if you’re willing to overlook some of its flaws and want a fantasy action game with a sci-fi twist, it’s worth checking out.