"We believe in the tradition of mixing fantasy with science fiction" - Star Ocean: The Divine Force developers discuss themes, SO5, soundtrack, and more

Star Ocean: The Divine Force is the sixth mainline entry into the long-standing action RPG franchise and was recently released to the global public. Around the time of TGS 2022, Sportskeeda’s Expert Columnist, Jason Parker, reached out to tri-Ace to discuss Star Ocean’s then-upcoming role-playing game.

In this RPG, players once again take to the stars, controlling one of two protagonists - Raymond Lawrence and Laeticia Aucerius - as they get swept up in a plot to save the cosmos. The game will feature several very familiar callbacks to the franchise alongside a new cast of characters.

This Star Ocean project is part of the 25th-anniversary celebration of the franchise, and Sportskeeda readers can expect a review of the game soon.

The Star Ocean development team spoke to Jason Parker about familiar character names, themes of the story, and changes from the previous Star Ocean title.

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Star Ocean: The Divine Force development team discusses the game’s reception

Q. First, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. What was the reception like for Star Ocean: The Divine Force after TGS 2022?

A. The game was also highly received by those who played it on-site at TGS. The play time was quite short, but I think attendees were at least able to get a sense of how the battle plays. We also released the demo soon after and believe players were able to get a more detailed understanding of the game system there. We were honestly happy to receive so many comments about how much fun players had with the game.

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Q. At the start of TGS 2022, Star Ocean: The Divine Force revealed Marielle Kenny of the Pan-Galactic Federation. Is it safe to assume she's related to other "Kenny" characters, such as Ronyx and Steven?

A. The numbered titles in the STAR OCEAN series are stories based on a shared history. Therefore, the names of past heroes will come up, and characters related to them will appear.

However, it should be considered as one aspect of the lore; the game isn’t designed in such a way that you need to have that context to enjoy it. The game is intended to be enjoyable as a self-contained story but can be further enjoyed if you already know something about this world.

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Q. Star Ocean: The Divine Force continues the rich tri-Ace tradition of mixing fantasy and science-fiction, but has there ever been a push by the developers to focus on just one of these genres?

A. We believe the tradition of mixing fantasy and science fiction is a distinctive and unique part of the STAR OCEAN series. There was never any idea about focusing on one or the other from the development side.

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Q. The movement looks far more fluid than Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness. Were there any major changes to the game engine to make traversing the terrain faster or easier?

A. Star Ocean: The Divine Force requires a large map with fast traversal by VA, so we also modified the game engine to make that possible.

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Q. On the topic of Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness, it was not well received in the West, unfortunately. Was that the case in Japan as well?

A. As for the previous title, it had been a long time since the last Star Ocean game, so we wondered how much should be changed, and we arrived at prioritizing comfort over the traditional gameplay style and decided to make battles and events seamless. Some found it interesting, and that in itself became one style of work.

However, it’s also true that the originality of the battles and the presentation, as well as the overall sense of volume, were affected and did not satisfy all fans of the series. Based on these factors, we set out to develop the latest installment to meet expectations as a “new Star Ocean” that includes many elements that are challenging undertakings.

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Q. Were there any lessons learned from the previous Star Ocean's reception that informed decisions in Star Ocean: The Divine Force?

A. The fact that Star Ocean: Anamnesis for smartphones, a more action-heavy game that focuses on combat, had been well-received in Japan. This allowed us to rethink the play style of current gamers and assess how far we could potentially elevate the action qualities for the game to still be enjoyable.

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Q. Another thing tri-Ace is known for is its excellent real-time battle systems. Have there been any changes to how combat begins or takes place in Star Ocean: The Divine Force?

A. The biggest difference from past titles in the series is that in this game, players can move around the field three-dimensionally at high speeds and, from there, enter battle seamlessly, where combat unfolds in a three-dimensional manner. Battles begin seamlessly, so it’s even possible to launch surprise attacks.

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Q. Though I don't want to ask much that ventures into spoilers territory, but is Star Ocean: The Divine Force connected directly or indirectly to any of the other games in the series?

A. As mentioned in my earlier response, the series shares the same world that’s all connected with a shared history. In that sense, they’re connected, but each title contains a self-contained story, so there’s no need to worry in that regard.

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Q. The musical style of Star Ocean: The Divine Force feels very familiar. Is Motoi Sakuraba back for Star Ocean 6?

A. Motoi Sakuraba also composed tracks for this game. Rather than “gameplay based on ambiance/environmental sounds,” which is quite common in realistic games, we chose to make the entire game playable while listening to uplifting music in the background. The reason is that we want the scenery of the game to be one with the music, and we wanted it to be memorable for the players.

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Q. One of the most interesting things about the Star Ocean: The Divine Force trailer is that it makes clear that we are returning to space travel. Was that a popular decision behind the scenes?

A. Space travel has always been a part of our past works, and we think the most important aspect is how it’s experienced. For this installment, one of the protagonists—Raymond—is not bound by the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact, so even in a fantasy world, we can use many science fiction elements with this character, so there will be a greater feel for the fusion of fantasy and science fiction within the story.

On top of that, as the story progresses, that relation becomes more cosmic in scale, which I think reinforces the sense of adventure.

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Q. There's also been a lot of chatter online about the recent Star Ocean: The Divine Force trailer. Are there any secrets concerning the story or gameplay in it that fans should try and look out for?

A. There are many elements that are intentionally shown or hidden in the trailer, so I will refrain from responding here. I believe there’s a difference between seeing and playing the game, so I would love for you to play the game, even if it starts with the demo.

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As a long-time Star Ocean fan, I'm very excited to dive deeper into Star Ocean: The Divine Force.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force is already available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC platforms. A review is pending from Sportskeeda as well, so stay tuned for that.