At a PlayStation State of Play event in October 2021, Square Enix revealed Star Ocean The Divine Force, the latest entry in developer Tri-Ace's long running RPG series. Square Enix is known for developing and publishing a number of RPGs, most notably the Final Fantasy series. Earlier today, Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster set a release date for November 10th, giving fans a chance to relive the classic RPG on modern consoles.
Star Ocean isn't the only sci-fi RPG players have to look forward to. Following a trailer at E3 2021, Bethesda's space exploration RPG Starfield has been enjoying a much more public development cycle than fans were used to following its enigmatic teaser back in 2018. Starfield represents Bethesda's first new IP in 25 years, and the company has been working to get fans excited for its release in November 2022. To that end, Bethesda has been sharing a lot of story and world info for the game since then, including concept art of Starfield landscapes and city streets.
Now Bethesda's game might have some competition. PlayStation revealed the debut trailer for Star Ocean The Divine Force during its State of Play. The two and a half minute trailer shows off a variety of extraplanetary settings and imposing alien monsters, including a giant frog. Combat looks flashy and explosive, and numerous playable characters were shown. Text flashed during the trailer indicates two primary heroes, upon whose shoulders rests the fate of the universe. As is typical for the franchise, decisions made by the player will likely influence the outcome of the story as it develops.
Watch the trailer for Star Ocean The Divine Force on YouTube here.
Star Ocean The Divine Force is the first main series game in the franchise since 2016's Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness, which received mixed reviews due to its lack of cutscenes. The same year saw the release of Star Ocean: Anamnesis, a free to play mobile game released in celebration of the series' 20th anniversary. Like many free to play games, Anamnesis was criticized for microtransactions, which remain a controversial presence in the video game industry to this day. Even the upcoming Marvel's Midnight Suns will have microtransactions, though developer Firaxis has assured fans that these in-game purchases will be for purely cosmetic items.
Fans of the franchise will likely be excited at the opportunity to play more Star Ocean. The Divine Force is referred to in the trailer's video description as a "commemorative product" for the series' 25th anniversary; it remains to be seen if developer Tri-Ace has anything more planned for the occasion. Regardless, RPG and sci-fi fans alike have a new product to look forward to when 2022 rolls around.
Star Ocean The Divine Force releases in 2022 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Source: PlayStation/YouTube