Star Ocean The Divine Force will soon touch down on PS5 and PS4! This action-packed science-fiction RPG presents a bold new vision for the beloved RPG series, with a powerful story, innovative traversal mechanics, and a combat system that\u2019s just\u2026 *chef\u2019s kiss.<\/p>\n
That said, we suspect that some of you may still be wondering what this game is all about. Read on and we\u2019ll tell you everything you need to know:<\/p>\n
You may have played a Star Ocean game before \u2013 or at least heard of it. The series has been around since 1996 and has won many fans thanks to distinct science-fiction trappings. While many RPGs lean into fantasy tropes, the Star Ocean series embraces space opera wholeheartedly \u2013 think spaceships, interplanetary travel, advanced technologies, and the like. Even now it feels very unique in the genre.<\/p>\n
Star Ocean The Divine Force is the sixth mainline title in the series and brings with it excitingly fresh ideas, including unparalleled freedom of movement and a blisteringly fast combat system.<\/p>\n
Similar to other RPG series like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, each entry in the Star Ocean series works as a standalone adventure. There\u2019s no need to have played through the previous games to work out what\u2019s going on \u2013 the entire narrative from start to finish is contained within the game. Of course, if you are a fan of the previous games, you may spot a reference or two\u2026<\/p>\n
The adventure begins when starship captain Raymond Lawrence crash lands on the planet of Aster IV. This dangerous world is like stepping into a long-forgotten past for the young spacefarer \u2013 people still live in castles, wear plate armor and kingdoms wage war against one other. Joining forces with a warrior princess named Laeticia, he sets off to find the rest of his crew and get off the planet\u2026 unaware that he will soon find himself embroiled in a conflict that threatens the entire universe.<\/p>\n
At the beginning of your adventure, you\u2019ll be able to choose between two main characters: Raymond or Laeticia. This isn\u2019t just a cosmetic decision \u2013 the events that transpire and the allies you can recruit will differ depending on who you play as.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Raymond is the captain of the merchant vessel Ydas, operating under Lawrence Logistics \u2013 a company run by his family. He\u2019s a friendly guy with big hair and a bigger heart. He can be brash and reckless, which often gets himself into trouble \u2013 but he\u2019ll throw himself into the heart of danger to protect his friends. He\u2019s a protagonist who\u2019s easy to love.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Laeticia is Princess of the Kingdom of Aucerius: a large territory located on the underdeveloped planet of Aster IV. She\u2019s a knight and highly skilled with the dual blades, something that makes her greatly admired by her people. \u00a0 Laeticia is insatiably curious and her encounter with Raymond opens her eyes to a bigger world than she knows\u2026 but more than anything she loves her kingdom and will do whatever she can to protect it.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Early in the story, Raymond and Laeticia encounter a mysterious mechanical life form called D.U.M.A. It gives our heroes access to supernatural powers, including the ability to go\u2026 well, almost anywhere. With a press of a button, characters can soar into the sky to quickly scale cliffs or buzz over buildings \u2013 the vast environments of Star Ocean The Divine Force are now yours to explore from all angles!<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The Star Ocean series is known for its fast-paced combat, but The Divine Force takes things to another level entirely! You\u2019ll have access to a party of up to four characters at a time, each equipped with an ever-expanding collection of skills and abilities. You can equip different commands to your controller\u2019s face buttons, letting you access commands, layout combos, use items and more in an instant.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n D.U.M.A. doesn\u2019t just help you get around with style \u2013 it completely transforms combat by giving you the ability to run rings around opponents\u2026 or more accurately fly rings around them. Your \u2018Vanguard Assault\u2019 powers let you charge toward an enemy at spectacular speeds. Change your direction at the last moment to perform a Blindside attack \u2013 you\u2019ll zip behind your bewildered foe and leave them utterly defenseless. Yes, it\u2019s as wildly entertaining as it sounds!<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n All the above makes for an intense combat system, but if you\u2019re the type of RPG fan who likes to think through their actions, you can use \u2018Wait Mode\u2019 to freeze the action so you can give your allies instructions, change targets, or just take a breather while you plan your strategy.<\/p>\n As you play through Star Ocean The Divine Force, you\u2019ll recruit various allies, all with their own distinct personalities and combat styles. All are playable, and you can switch between them seamlessly, both in and out of combat. Private Actions let you spend time with these eccentric individuals, discover unique character storylines and even special endings \u2013 so it\u2019s worth getting to know your team!<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n That\u2019s just a very broad overview of Star Ocean The Divine Force \u2013 there\u2019s so much to discover in the game, but frankly we don\u2019t want to ruin any surprises (and oh boy, are there surprises).<\/p>\n The game\u2019s launches for PS5 and PS4 on October 27. If you want to try it out for yourselves right now though, a free demo<\/a> is also available to download (note that progress does not carry through to the full game).<\/p>\n We hope you enjoy the game \u2013 see you in the sea of stars!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 11 things you must know about Star Ocean: The Divine Force<\/p>\n Star Ocean The Divine Force will soon touch down on PS5 and PS4! This action-packed science-fiction RPG presents a bold new vision for the beloved RPG series, with a powerful story, innovative traversal mechanics, and a combat system that\u2019s just\u2026 *chef\u2019s kiss.<\/p>\n That said, we suspect that some of you may still be wondering what this game is all about. Read on and we\u2019ll tell you everything you need to know:<\/p>\n You may have played a Star Ocean game before \u2013 or at least heard of it. The series has been around since 1996 and has won many fans thanks to distinct science-fiction trappings. While many RPGs lean into fantasy tropes, the Star Ocean series embraces space opera wholeheartedly \u2013 think spaceships, interplanetary travel, advanced technologies, and the like. Even now it feels very unique in the genre.<\/p>\n Star Ocean The Divine Force is the sixth mainline title in the series and brings with it excitingly fresh ideas, including unparalleled freedom of movement and a blisteringly fast combat system.<\/p>\n Similar to other RPG series like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, each entry in the Star Ocean series works as a standalone adventure. There\u2019s no need to have played through the previous games to work out what\u2019s going on \u2013 the entire narrative from start to finish is contained within the game. Of course, if you are a fan of the previous games, you may spot a reference or two\u2026<\/p>\n The adventure begins when starship captain Raymond Lawrence crash lands on the planet of Aster IV. This dangerous world is like stepping into a long-forgotten past for the young spacefarer \u2013 people still live in castles, wear plate armor and kingdoms wage war against one other. Joining forces with a warrior princess named Laeticia, he sets off to find the rest of his crew and get off the planet\u2026 unaware that he will soon find himself embroiled in a conflict that threatens the entire universe.<\/p>\n At the beginning of your adventure, you\u2019ll be able to choose between two main characters: Raymond or Laeticia. This isn\u2019t just a cosmetic decision \u2013 the events that transpire and the allies you can recruit will differ depending on who you play as.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Raymond is the captain of the merchant vessel Ydas, operating under Lawrence Logistics \u2013 a company run by his family. He\u2019s a friendly guy with big hair and a bigger heart. He can be brash and reckless, which often gets himself into trouble \u2013 but he\u2019ll throw himself into the heart of danger to protect his friends. He\u2019s a protagonist who\u2019s easy to love.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Laeticia is Princess of the Kingdom of Aucerius: a large territory located on the underdeveloped planet of Aster IV. She\u2019s a knight and highly skilled with the dual blades, something that makes her greatly admired by her people. \u00a0 Laeticia is insatiably curious and her encounter with Raymond opens her eyes to a bigger world than she knows\u2026 but more than anything she loves her kingdom and will do whatever she can to protect it.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Early in the story, Raymond and Laeticia encounter a mysterious mechanical life form called D.U.M.A. It gives our heroes access to supernatural powers, including the ability to go\u2026 well, almost anywhere. With a press of a button, characters can soar into the sky to quickly scale cliffs or buzz over buildings \u2013 the vast environments of Star Ocean The Divine Force are now yours to explore from all angles!<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The Star Ocean series is known for its fast-paced combat, but The Divine Force takes things to another level entirely! You\u2019ll have access to a party of up to four characters at a time, each equipped with an ever-expanding collection of skills and abilities. You can equip different commands to your controller\u2019s face buttons, letting you access commands, layout combos, use items and more in an instant.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n D.U.M.A. doesn\u2019t just help you get around with style \u2013 it completely transforms combat by giving you the ability to run rings around opponents\u2026 or more accurately fly rings around them. Your \u2018Vanguard Assault\u2019 powers let you charge toward an enemy at spectacular speeds. Change your direction at the last moment to perform a Blindside attack \u2013 you\u2019ll zip behind your bewildered foe and leave them utterly defenseless. Yes, it\u2019s as wildly entertaining as it sounds!<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n All the above makes for an intense combat system, but if you\u2019re the type of RPG fan who likes to think through their actions, you can use \u2018Wait Mode\u2019 to freeze the action so you can give your allies instructions, change targets, or just take a breather while you plan your strategy.<\/p>\n As you play through Star Ocean The Divine Force, you\u2019ll recruit various allies, all with their own distinct personalities and combat styles. All are playable, and you can switch between them seamlessly, both in and out of combat. Private Actions let you spend time with these eccentric individuals, discover unique character storylines and even special endings \u2013 so it\u2019s worth getting to know your team!<\/p>\nYou can play as Raymond \u2026<\/h2>\n
\u2026or Laeticia<\/h2>\n
You have incredible freedom of movement<\/h2>\n
Combat is blisteringly fast\u2026<\/h2>\n
\u2026and agile\u2026<\/h2>\n
But you can slow things down if you want<\/h2>\n
You can recruit multiple allies \u2013 and get to know them<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s the sixth mainline entry in the Star Ocean series\u2026<\/h2>\n
\u2026but it\u2019s completely standalone<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s an epic adventure that fuses science fiction and fantasy<\/h2>\n
The dual protagonist system returns from previous games<\/h2>\n
You can play as Raymond \u2026<\/h2>\n
\u2026or Laeticia<\/h2>\n
You have incredible freedom of movement<\/h2>\n
Combat is blisteringly fast\u2026<\/h2>\n
\u2026and agile\u2026<\/h2>\n
But you can slow things down if you want<\/h2>\n
You can recruit multiple allies \u2013 and get to know them<\/h2>\n