Star Ocean The Divine Force (PC/PS5/XSX/PS4/XB1) - October 27, 2022

[KuroTsuki]

To clarify a bit, it's mainly the character models. The "realistic" look for environments is fine and I actually like that.

With Arise the character models are straight up just 3D anime characters and look great because it's not trying to be anything else, but with this (and The Last Hope) it's like they're trying to evenly blend anime and realism in their models and it just looks weird to me.

[6souls]

https://twitter.com/StarOcean/status...83874237083650

[Xno Kappa]

dudebro definitely looks like he's going to be a chore to tolerate, but I'm otherwise optimistic! I don't know why considering I haven't fully enjoyed an entry since SO2, but at least the combat is consistently fun, and that looks good here to me as well

I feel the exact same way about the franchise. It also feels like the protagonist character designs for SO get lazier and lazier with each entry. Other than that I'm cautiously optimistic.

[Tyrath]

I've never played any of these.

Which would be the top recommends to get into the series? Maybe 1 or 2 options

[Krandor]

PS1 version of 2

Everything else

[Xno Kappa]

I've never played any of these.

Which would be the top recommends to get into the series? Maybe 1 or 2 options

2 is still probably most peoples favorite.

3 I liked a lot as well but the end portion of the game turned a lot of people off to the whole experience.

4 arguably has the most annoying character in gaming history, kay!

5 you just pretend it doesn't exist.

[Pirian]

I've never played any of these.

Which would be the top recommends to get into the series? Maybe 1 or 2 options

Peak is definitely 2. Roster is so large, and the protagonists are strong and likable. I think the main downside is you can't get the whole roster on the 1st playthrough because some are locked to your main character choice, a few are 1 or the other, and it can be easy to miss a couple. You also have to work for the story through personal actions(PA's). If you just coast through it then you'll end up with an unsatisfying ending and unable to unlock the optional dungeon and subsequently the final-final boss.

disclaimer though, I haven't played the first one, just 2 and forward

2 is still probably most peoples favorite.

3 I liked a lot as well but the end portion of the game turned a lot of people off to the whole experience.

4 arguably has the most annoying character in gaming history, kay!

5 you just pretend it doesn't exist.

+1

[KuroTsuki]

The PSP version of 1 was all right from what I remember. Just a typical SNES era JRPG if you're into that.

[Krandor]

PSP versions of 1 and 2 are both solid games.

The reason I say PS1 version of 2 over the PSP is because they made the game less breakable for the PSP release, and the ways in which you could just crack the game wide the fuck open in the original version was a huge part of the fun, along with the truly awful awful awful voice acting.

SO2 voice acting has been memed into oblivion over the years and rightfully so, it's so bad and absolutely hilarious.

[KuroTsuki]

PSP versions of 1 and 2 are both solid games.

The reason I say PS1 version of 2 over the PSP is because they made the game less breakable for the PSP release, and the ways in which you could just crack the game wide the fuck open in the original version was a huge part of the fun, along with the truly awful awful awful voice acting.

SO2 voice acting has been memed into oblivion over the years and rightfully so, it's so bad and absolutely hilarious.

Lol. My favorite in SO2 PS1 is how "Tear into pieces!" turned into "Pear into pieces!" cause of the terrible audio mixing/compression

Also, using the Japanese pronunciation of Claude as "Crawd" in English lol.

[Xno Kappa]

Lol. My favorite in SO2 PS1 is how "Tear into pieces!" turned into "Pear into pieces!" cause of the terrible audio mixing/compression

Also, using the Japanese pronunciation of Claude as "Crawd" in English lol.

My favorite was "Twin Slash" somehow turning into "Queer Slash."

15 year old me thought that was the funniest shit in the world lmao.

[Krandor]

"Crawd has advanced forward! Heh"

[Tyrath]

Sounds like I should put SO1 and SO2 onto my PS1 emulator. Thanks!

I guess 1 is also on PS4 and Switch? Is that version better

[Pirian]

Sounds like I should put SO1 and SO2 onto my PS1 emulator. Thanks!

I guess 1 is also on PS4 and Switch? Is that version better

SO1 isn't on the ps1, SNES was its release console. Didn't realize it was on ps4, might have to pick it up, myself

[Drai]

I honestly liked Till the End of Time, and Last Hope suffered having Lymle, but it also had fucking Arumat.

Integrity and Faithlessness was fine if not a bit too short.

[AoE]

4 is a gorgeous game. That's really it. 5, I liked the characters but how the game released feeling like a late stage PS2 game didn't sit right with me. I honestly thought that'd be it for Star Ocean after that.

[Kaslo]

Till the end of time had the worst gameplay in the series. That game lives off nostalgia alone.

[AoE]

I dunno if I agree with that because every battle system allowed you to become broken as fuck with the enemies getting broken as well post-game. Only thing I never liked was the effort it took to build your bonuses just to lose it to some bullshit that you didn't see in time.

I might say 5 only because there was too much shit going on in the screen when you got everyone and it was basically a copy of 3 and 4.

[Lucavi]

Play 2. I wouldn't recommend anything else, but absolutely listen to the other voices in here. They know a bit more about the later releases than I do.

[Ayn]

"Crawd has advanced forward! Heh"

MY STRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENGTH.

Ok, that aside..

The only SO games I didn't finish were SO1 and 4. I keep meaning to go back to them, but with the PS4/remastered/whatever version of 4 out and the switch version of 1, just gonna grab those.

I've enjoyed all of them (even though short-lived mobile one). I'm excluding 1 because I didn't have enough time with it but:

2 - I'm really not sure how much of it was nostalgia goggles, but it does sort of spoil you in ways. Not sure what everyone's take on my thoughts here are, but it felt like the most "complete" of them to me? It was a decently long game. Some replay value if you wanted to do stuff, crafting wasn't too bad, soundtrack was decent and I liked the characters well enough. No weird plot twists. I EBayed my PS1 copy, then later the PSP copy some time ago though.

3 - Dunno if Zealot will read this, but he ran into some of the same things I did: It took me a bit to get the feel and the hang of 3, but once I did it was pretty fun. Battle system is definitely a departure from 2's and did some different things. Plot is hit or miss for people and that's all I can say without spoiling it. I'm in agreement with AoE that the bonus gauge being broken was some bullshit at times.

4 - EDDDDDDDDDDGGGGGGGGE MAVER--ok, but seriously. What I can appreciate about 4 is that for a series called "Star Ocean", this actually had more planet exploration. If you play it though, maybe either don't do the dub, or put Lymle on mute. ..Kay.

5 - I actually enjoyed this quite a bit, but it did feel way too short. The battle system was pretty close to 3, but I remember feeling less annoyed with it. I'm hard pressed to say it felt 'rushed' so much as 'huh, that's all?' Like they almost played it too safe and contained.

Honestly of all of them, I'd feel the most inclined to go back and play SO2. I could do without touching 3 again. 5 maaaybe to use a different set of characters.