DEVELOPED BY: tri-ACE
PUBLISHED BY : SQUARE ENIX
PROLOGUE:
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.
The game is set in the year 537 on the space calendar, so it’s between Star Ocean 2 and 3. The “Gravity Warp” has been developed on Earth.
The planet Feikreed is 6,000 light years from Earth, in the unexplored regions of the Galactic Federation. Half of the population of the planet is focused in its biggest continent named Vestill, which is very expansive. The level of civilization is similar to Earth in the 15th/16th century, but the population has developed its own kind of magic called art of the cursed mark.
The kingdom of Resuria is a fertile nation in the Vestill continent, blessed with great power. It’s like a natural fortress, as it’s surrounded on four sides by mountain ranges. It has been ruled for more than 300 years by the Barif dynasty, that has brought prosperity to the realm. Yet, that peace and prosperity has been lost during the Seven Years of Darkness and now the realm is plagued by fear and poverty.
The village of Stahl is a settlement on the coast where Fidel and Miki grew up. The main occupation of the inhabitants is fishing. In recent times, Fidel has helped maintain order with his swordsmanship, while Miki supported the villagers with her healing.
The Art of the Cursed Mark is a special kind of magic that can be used only by those who have special tattoos on their body. Those connect the magician with the planet and are defined the “curse.” The more complex the mark, the more advanced the magic is, but it requires a great deal of control.
Seven years before the beginning of the game, monsters called “Cursed Mark Creatures” appeared and started attacking the population. The king sent survey teams to investigate the cause, but nothing relevant could be discovered.
Gradually, the degree of safety worsened and violence increased, causing the disruption of the power structure of the government. In addition to this, neighboring countries started target the realm, creating a state of constant war. This period has become known as the Seven Years of Darkness.
CHARACTERS:
Fidel Camus (voiced by Kaito Ishikawa)
image: http://gematsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/SO5_Fami-shot_04-17-15_001.jpg
“I don’t care if you fail. I’ll always be there to support you. So trust me back and stand up!”
A 23 year-old man who inherited his sword skills from his father, the Leslia Kingdom’s most prominent swordsman. As the kingdom’s unstable situation persists, he uses his sword skills to protect the village’s public order.
Miki Sorvesta (voiced by Nao Toyama)
image: http://gematsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/SO5_Fami-shot_04-17-15_002.jpg
“I can be of use, too! I helped Fidel just yesterday!”
A girl who grew up with Fidel and loves him like an older brother. She always depends on Fidel, but is reliable at heart. In her village of Stahr, she is a mage with a rare healing ability.
Lilia (voice actor unknown)
image: http://gematsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/SO5_Fami-shot_04-17-15_003.jpg
image: http://gematsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/SO5_Fami-shot_04-17-15_004.jpg
“I wanna know more about myself. I wanna remember more.”
A young girl who lost her memories and emotions. Fidel and company run into her during their adventure. Unable to leave her alone, the group chooses to protect her. Regardless, Miki grows attached to her, and Lilia loves her like a mother.
Read more at http://gematsu.com/2015/04/star-ocean-5-first-details-famitsu-screenshots#WLM4iwluxOkfsPpt.99
BATTLE SYSTEM:
The gameplay has been radically evolved from the past Star Ocean games, with seamless transition between exploration and combat. The world is also seamless, linking several different locations, including futuristic ones, true to Star Ocean tradition.
It’s possible to freely switch characters in battle at the press of a button. Each character has more and different skills and attack patterns compared to the rest of the series, creating a powerful and tactical battle system.
Effects of attacks depend on distance, and trigger different actions depending on whether an enemy is far or close to the character. Combos can also be used by pressing the attack button repeatedly. Skills can be triggered at any time and interwoven with normal attacks, adding variety to the battle. The system is called “Seamless Real-Time Battle.”
Transition between exploration and battle isn’t the only seamless element, and the game also introduces “Seamless Event Scenes.” There’s no cut between story events and battles, so it’s possible to have situations like an enemy ambush where allies are taken hostage. The way the player behaves during this gameplay events will also influence the story and lead to different results.
Cutscenes are seamlessly integrated with the game system, and they can be enjoyed without sacrificing the pace of the gameplay. You basically never know what could happen.
TRAILERS:
4/17/2015
ARTWORK:
SCREENS:
DEVELOPER LOG:
4/14/2015
Square Enix and tri-Ace are working together again on the latest installment of the Star Ocean series. In addition to some details on the main characters and battle system, this week’s issue of Famitsu magazine also has some quotes from the game’s developers. [Thanks, Hachima]
“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.”
As far as the subtitle of “Integrity and Faithlessness” goes, lead programmer Yoshiharu Gotonda said that it has multiple meanings, and you’ll get a better understanding of it by playing it until the very end.
Kobayashi added, “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.”
“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.”
When asked about the future of the series, Kobayashi stated that he’d like to see the series keep going. In addition to making more for the fans of the series, he’s aiming to make a complete title that newer fans can enjoy, too.
During the interview, it was revealed that Star Ocean 5 is in development using the PlayStation 3 version as a base, while development on the PlayStation 4 version progresses alongside. The team is currently thinking about doing something with the PS4′s Share function.
“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.”
4/15/2015
Interestingly, while the official logo doesn’t feature the “5” in its main wording, but just at the bottom, the press release actually includes the number. The official title is apparently worded “Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness” and not “Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness”
The screenshots (that you can enjoy at the bottom of the post) are explicitly identified as taken from the work-in-progress PS4 version, while the trailer basically gives a rundown of the whole series. As an interesting footnote, the narration for the trailer is performed by the voice of the male protagonist of Star Ocean 5.
The game, in development for PS4 and Ps3 at tri-Ace in collaboration with Square Enix, will feature seamless integration between exploration and battle, with combat that will combine tactical and action elements.
The main staff has also been revealed: Hiroshi Ogawa (Valkyrie Profile, Star Ocean 3, Infinite Undiscovery) will serve as Game Director. tri-Ace President Yoshiharu Gotanda (Star Ocean, Valkyrie Profile) will handle the main concept.
The score will be composed by Motoi Sakuraba, who also worked on the Star Ocean series, Valkyrie Profile and about a gazillion of other popular titles.
The game features the character design of Akira “Akiman” Yasuda, who worked on countless Capcom games and on Anime like Code Geass and Turn A Gundam.
Finally, Shuichi Kobayashi from Square Enix will be the Producer. He also had his hand in Star Ocean, Valkyrie Profile and Infinite Undiscovery.
Both price and release date for the game are officially listed as “to be determined,” but in the meanwhile, you can check out all the assets just below.
4/17
In a round table with Famitsu, Square Enix producer Shuichi Kobayashi say he had wanted to make a new Star Ocean for quite some time. “But I was in charge of marketing, so I kept hoping someone would do it, but...,” Kobayashi told the weekly magazine with a laugh. “So I decided I’d go ahead and start the project. I decided to give my life to Star Ocean and changed departments and became in charge of production.”
For Kobayashi, who is producing Star Ocean 5, it was important to get both Tri-Ace’s Yoshiharu Gotanda, who created Star Ocean, and Hiroshi Ogawa, who worked on Star Ocean 2 and Star Ocean 3, to create this latest entry. “I wanted to insert the essence of Star Ocean 3heavily into Star Ocean 5,” Kobayashi explained. Ogawa is directing this latest entry, while Gotanda is the game’s lead programmer and conceptual creator.
When asked what the future plans for Star Ocean were, Kobayashi replied, “As I said before, I switched departments for Star Ocean. That’s why, I’d like to continue releasing games for the series. I’m working to make Star Ocean 5 so that not only will series fans will enjoy it, but newcomers will as well, so that people will want a sequel.”
And from the sound of it, there is enough material for future instalments, with Gotanda tellingFamitsu, “Of all the games I’ve worked on, I’ve written enough for this game alone to fill several novels. I don’t know if everything I’ve written will make it into the game, but I hope people will get to experience a grand story.”
