Square Enix has been teasing a strange new game, and we’ve learned from this week’s Famitsu magazine (via Hachima Kikou, Games Talk) that it is in fact Star Ocean 5.
Details are thin for now, but we do know the game is being developed by tri-Ace, for both the Playstation 3 and the Playstation 4. A release date was not confirmed. The game’s full title will be Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness. The story takes place on the underdeveloped planet of Feycreed, which lies 6000 light years from Earth. The year is 537 on the space calendar, so the story takes place in between Star Ocean 2 and 3 – it’s also worth mentioning the “Gravity Warp” has been developed on Earth.
The battles in the game unfold in real-time, and are described as seamless. Pending your location, your attacks will change and hitting buttons repeatedly will unleash combos. There are events in game that are also described as seamless, like when the enemy attacks you.
Here is the game’s core staff:
- Developer: tri-Ace
- Director: Hiroshi Ogawa
- Producer: Shuichi Kobayashi
- Character Designer: Akira “Akiman” Yasuda
- Lead Programmer: Yoshiharu Gotanda
The confirmed playable characters so far include:
- Fidel Camus (voiced by Kaito Ishikawa) – Fidel is the protagonist. He’s adept with fencing, and fights to protect his village.
- Miki Sorvesta (voiced by Nao Toyama) – The heroine of the game. Miki is the protagonist’s childhood friend, and considers him like an older brother.
- Lilia (voice actor unknown) – A mysterious girl who has lost both her memories and emotions.
Famitsu also featured an interview with key staffers producer Kobayashi, director Ogawa, and programmer Gotanda.
“[Koboyashi previously worked in marketing] I decided to change roles and become a producer on the hope that Star Ocean is worth putting my life and legacy on the line,” Kobayashi said. “With Star Ocean 5, I wanted to focus on taking many elements from Star Ocean 3 and build from that game.”
Here are more relevant bits of various interviews:
Behind the game’s subtitle
Gotanda: “While there are multiple meanings behind the game’s subtitle, I think you’ll understand it by the end of the game.”
Kobayashi: “Star Ocean 5 is all about reassuring longtime fans of the series, which is also why the game’s logo is similar to Star Ocean 3‘s.”
What to expect from battles
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.”
The Future of the Star Ocean
Kobayashi: “I would like have the ability to keep making these games. Once completed, we hope to have a game that appeals to both longtime series fans and newcomers alike.”
Star Ocean 5 is being developed with the PlayStation 3 version as the base with the PlayStation 4 version being an upscale port. Square Enix is also considering the possibilities with PlayStation 4’s Share functionality. According to the staff, they’re not even considering a full version post launch, i.e. via dowbloadable content.
“I sincerely want to avoid doing anything with this game that could upset fans even a little bit,” Kobayashi said.
Current development on the game is roughly 30 percent complete.
We’ll update this post as more information comes out.
Scans provided by Kotaku
