Star Ocean 5 Announced for PS3 and PS4, Screenshots and Story Revealed
Story details and leaked screenshots of Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness has us really hyped up for this fifth entry of the sci-fi RPG series.
Kotaku reports that the latest Japanese issue of Famitsu magazine has revealed Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness, the anticipated fifth Star Ocean title. It has been six years since Star Ocean: The Last Hope dropped on last-gen consoles, and we're quite overdue for a new entry of the series. With Xenoblade Chronicles X blending sci-fi and RPG themes together, we're really hoping that Star Ocean 5 proves to be just as impressive. Based on what we've seen so far, we have a feeling that it will be.
Tri-Ace is returning to develop the fifth Star Ocean, as the studio has made each entry of the series since it debuted on the SNES in 1996. Star Ocean has always been about spacey explorers being marooned on a foreign planet where they must adhere to old school role-playing game archetypes in order to survive (like blasters not working on the local wildlife, so they have to use melee weapons or magic). Capcom's legendary watercolor artist, Akiman, crafted the character designs for Integrity and Faithlessness. The series' signature realtime battles are being described by Famitsu as "seemless," which suggests that enemy encounters will no longer change over to a separate battle screen while you're exploring the wild. We have also learned that this game's story will be taking place between the Star Ocean: The Second Story and Star Ocean: Til the End of Time, the second and third games of the series, respectively.
Here is an English translation of Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness' 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, ‘Faicreed.’
Just as so many times before, the waves of history begin from a remote planet.
Based on translations of Famitsu's article, the game's protagonist is Fidel Camus (the black-haired teen with the blue coat). He will be questing with his childhood friend, Miki (the purple-haired and smaller character), a caster or healer character based on the staff that she uses. There is also a green-haired mage decked out in a very revealing ensemble.
While no release date or Western release has been announced (we're pretty sure it will eventually get a release across the Americas), Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness was confirmed for a PS3 and PS4 release.