Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness has been announced for PlayStation 3 & PlayStation 4 in Japan by publisher Square Enix and longtime Star Ocean JRPG developer “tri-Ace”. The game was revealed via Famitsu magazine in Japan.
Check out the debut trailer for Star Ocean V.
Star Ocean 5 is the fifth core game in the Star Ocean series and the follow-up to 2009’s “Star Ocean: The Last Hope” (Xbox 360/PS3). It is the ninth game in the series if you count spin-offs, the last being the 2013 “Star Ocean: Material Trader” for iOS/Android (which featured a card game mechanic).
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.
Characters
Fidel Camus– The protagonist. He specializes in swordsmanship, and maintains the peace and order of the town. Melee combat.
Miki Sorvesta– The heroine. She’s a childhood friend of the protagonist, and loves Fedel like an older brother. Magic user.
Lilia– A young girl who has lost her feelings and memories.
Square Enix revealed that the battles in Star Ocean 5 are realtime, although they take place seamlessly. How you attack changes based on how far enemies are away from you and combos can be done via multiple button presses. You control one character but can switch between the characters in your party.
Event Scenes return, although one of the new features in this game is that enemies can attack while an event is taking place! Not only that, but your allies can even be captured, if you aren’t careful. If this happens, it will have an effect on and possibly change the story and ending.
“Integrity and Faithlessness”, the subtitle, invokes multiple meanings that you’ll discover as you play through the epic RPG. You’ll have to play to the very end to fully understand the meaning of the subtitle. In addition, this game will have many references and throwbacks to Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time (2004, PS2).
Akiman serves as the Character Designer, with Shuichi Kobayashi Producing. Hiro Ogawa is Directing and Yoshiharu Gotanda is the Programming Lead. The game is currently 30% complete.
On the Battle System: “The basics of the battles will be similar to those of past titles, where you’ll control a character and aim for a target for a one-on-one battle,” said director Hiroshi Ogawa. “On the other hand, boss fights will be a little different from the regular battles, where all the party members will fight the boss in a different way.”
On Tie-Ins to Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time: “With the thought of putting my life into Star Ocean, I decided to change my position to producer (having previously been in charge of advertisement until now),” said producer Suichi Kobayashi. “I want to color Star Ocean 5 with the essence of Star Ocean 3. This time around, we wanted to give the longtime fans of the series a sense of reassurance, so we had the title logo designed similarly to that of Star Ocean 3. We’d love to see the series continue after Star Ocean 5, as well as introduce newer players to the series with a title that’s easier to get into. [Paraphrase mine]”
On the PS3 & PS4 Versions: The PS3 version will serve as the focal point, with development on the PS4 version coming slightly afterward alongside the last-gen version. The PS4’s Share Button is something that the development team wants to utilize in a unique way.
On Downloadable Content: “We’re not thinking about DLC that concerns the game’s story, or anything along the lines of having a ‘complete version’,” said Kobayashi. “Our true intention is the least amount possible, when it comes to things that might upset fans.”
No word on whether the game will come to the West, but given that it’s a big RPG series, it’s virtually ensured. Although whether we only get the PS4 version or get both the PS3 & PS4 version remains to be seen.