Squeenix Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness - Out Now for PS4

[Whisky]

I liked 2 a lot despite it being objectively pretty below average.

How so? I thought it was a pretty good game as far as JRPGs go.

Yeah, I think it's a pretty good game. I have a hard time describing why though aside from it introducing a lot of things to me like Item Creation, Real-Time RPG Battles; even the whole relationship value thing was shocking and new to me (And at least they go all the way by including like 87 character endings. Shipper's fucking delight.)

There are flaws though, especially in the PS1 version. The fucking random battle freezing is the worst. Mages are useless except for Rena, this got worse with the addition of three hit combs for fighters in the PSP version.

Fuck it, SO2 is gud. Not sure why I have a hard time saying that.

 

[yes plz]

The PSX's version had a really bland and boring script, I thought. Literally one of the few games I fell asleep playing. I also didn't like how most characters once you recruited them mostly disappeared. It felt like they were going the SO1 route of having them actually affect scenes and stuff at first, with Celine changing how that forest village plot played out but that was the last time an optional character really had much of an effect on the plot after they permanently joined.

 

[Whisky]

Yeah, that was a shame. It was kind of the nature of how things would be due to every character being optional except the two mains, but still.

It was at least decent how they'd randomly choose party members to talk during cutscenes. Reloading before a boss could see other characters talk at different points. Mostly it was not so different though.

 

[Alex]

The PSX's version had a really bland and boring script, I thought. Literally one of the few games I fell asleep playing. I also didn't like how most characters once you recruited them mostly disappeared. It felt like they were going the SO1 route of having them actually affect scenes and stuff at first, with Celine changing how that forest village plot played out but that was the last time an optional character really had much of an effect on the plot after they permanently joined.

Well, characters being quiet and never talking again in JRPGs are a good thing in my book, most of the time.

I liked 2 a lot despite it being objectively pretty below average.

How so? I thought it was a pretty good game as far as JRPGs go.

Yeah, I think it's a pretty good game. I have a hard time describing why though aside from it introducing a lot of things to me like Item Creation, Real-Time RPG Battles; even the whole relationship value thing was shocking and new to me (And at least they go all the way by including like 87 character endings. Shipper's fucking delight.)

There are flaws though, especially in the PS1 version. The fucking random battle freezing is the worst. Mages are useless except for Rena, this got worse with the addition of three hit combs for fighters in the PSP version.

Fuck it, SO2 is gud. Not sure why I have a hard time saying that.

It was a pity about the magic users being crap. I always thought they should have tied the spells and techniques you can learn to the item creation system.

 

[Whisky]

The PSX's version had a really bland and boring script, I thought. Literally one of the few games I fell asleep playing. I also didn't like how most characters once you recruited them mostly disappeared. It felt like they were going the SO1 route of having them actually affect scenes and stuff at first, with Celine changing how that forest village plot played out but that was the last time an optional character really had much of an effect on the plot after they permanently joined.

Well, characters being quiet and never talking again in JRPGs are a good thing in my book, most of the time.

I liked 2 a lot despite it being objectively pretty below average.

How so? I thought it was a pretty good game as far as JRPGs go.

Yeah, I think it's a pretty good game. I have a hard time describing why though aside from it introducing a lot of things to me like Item Creation, Real-Time RPG Battles; even the whole relationship value thing was shocking and new to me (And at least they go all the way by including like 87 character endings. Shipper's fucking delight.)

There are flaws though, especially in the PS1 version. The fucking random battle freezing is the worst. Mages are useless except for Rena, this got worse with the addition of three hit combs for fighters in the PSP version.

Fuck it, SO2 is gud. Not sure why I have a hard time saying that.

It was a pity about the magic users being crap. I always thought they should have tied the spells and techniques you can learn to the item creation system.

There were a few Item Creation techniques...for fighters of course. Precis and Opera both had a few if I recall. What they needed to do was add multi-hit spells so that mages could keep up to the fighters.

There was a Gameboy Colour sequel to SO2 that incorporated that further, having particular characters only learn new moves from item creation. For a GBC RPG it was pretty good, too bad no translation and I can't read shit.

 

[Damned Registrations]

The spellcasters were decent (Noel also had healing, and both Celine and Leon had some decent support spells besides their crazy field nukes) but their real problem was that they were irritating. Pausing the battle for every decent spell was annoying as fuck, and so was micromanaging them to cast the right buffs and shit.

If anyone was shit it was probably Precis and Opera. No decent skills from what I can recall. Dias is awful too but I think he at least can get a sword with extra hits like Ashton and Claude can, which is all you really need to be a rapemonster lategame. Well, you had 8 party slots and only 4 in combat anyways so it's not like there wasn't room for some dead weight.

 

[Whisky]

The spellcasters were decent (Noel also had healing, and both Celine and Leon had some decent support spells besides their crazy field nukes) but their real problem was that they were irritating. Pausing the battle for every decent spell was annoying as fuck, and so was micromanaging them to cast the right buffs and shit.

If anyone was shit it was probably Precis and Opera. No decent skills from what I can recall. Dias is awful too but I think he at least can get a sword with extra hits like Ashton and Claude can, which is all you really need to be a rapemonster lategame. Well, you had 8 party slots and only 4 in combat anyways so it's not like there wasn't room for some dead weight.

No, Opera was damn good. Alpha on One is one of the most reliable and efficient techniques in the game, which is good because her AI spams it to hell and back.

Ernest is the worst fighter though, by far. Noel is the worst character ever for being Rena except half as good and as for offensive spells, at least Leon and Celine could reach the damage cap.

 

[Renegen]

Precis x Leon xo xo xo squee

I had that party of Crawd Rena Precis Leon for the entire game and it worked wonders. I think all Precis did was spam her hammer and maybe a robot skill and she was super good at it. I'd say Dias is far worse because he's just so slow, and the pharmacist who all he does is punch people. Ernest had like 1-2 good whip skills.

 

[Damned Registrations]

Bowman is disgustingly good if you control him manually and spam his poison pills. It's why I gave him (and Chisato, for er poison cloud attack skill) a free pass. Ernest I just plain forgot about. After looking it up, Alpha on One does seem like a very decent skill, so Opera can be removed from shit tier, I guess. Though I'd still rather have Ashton I think. Sword Dance and Hurricane slash are just disgustingly good at trapping enemies. I still stand by Noel as decent. Having a second healer means Rena can spend turns casting buffs instead of heals.

 

[Modron]

Did it without a guide and accumlated around 1600 hours over all my games.

Jesus how the hell do you throw that many hours at a single player game, only die hard mmo players hit numbers like that.

 

[Duraframe300]

Did it without a guide and accumlated around 1600 hours over all my games.

Jesus how the hell do you throw that many hours at a single player game, only die hard mmo players hit numbers like that.

WITH using a guide FROM THE BEGINNING the game still takes more than 500 hours on average to fully complete.

http://www.playstationtrophies.org/...hope-international-trophy-guide-road-map.html

- Approximate Time To Platinum: 450-1000+

And I did that without one so I had multiple playthroughs additionaly.

 

[Duraframe300]

One of the things that took many, many additional hours was fully realizing that battle trophy PROGRESS doesn't carry over between playthroughs.

So, for example for two charachters you have to defeat 30'000 enemies with them.

And yes, that means only the ones that are killed by the charachter themselves (I'm not sure anymore if AI kills even count or you have to play the charachter)

Thats an insane trophy by itself, but now imagine not knowing about it and overwriting your old playthroughs (where you actually spent time grinding already).

 

[Crooked Bee]

Sometimes I wish I had that much time to spend on video games. At other times I don't.

Anyway, the game is apparently called Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness in Japan. They'll probably make it easier on the US audience though.

https://twitter.com/RPGSite/status/588345914902777856

Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness on the cover of the latest Famitsu. 16 pages of coverage.

 

[Hobo Elf]

I'm glad for you Star Ocean fans that you are getting a 5th game.

Spoiler

Phantasy Star never will

 

[Damned Registrations]

It's ok, they'll make a Dynasty Warriors style Phantasy Star.

 

[yes plz]

I'm sure they'll make another Phantasy Star eventually. You know, for cellphones or something.

 

[ghostdog]

These games are far too grindy/long. I managed to finish the first one (probably the shortest of the series), but couldn't finish 2 and 3. I like the general idea behind the combat system, and the general setting, but there's just too much mundane shit in the middle. This on one hand can seem appealing as there is the promise of an epic saga that awaits you, but at some point the repeating combat just gets me sleepy. Not to mention that I don't have the time anymore for this crap.

 

[Ayreos]

What kind of person spends a 1000 hours trying to maximize completely meaningless trophy achievements? If i made a game now, i'd have to include a "kill 10 million enemies" "trophy", just to point and laugh at whoever considers taking that on. Even better, it would be the only way to unlock a wildly sexy alternate costume for the female protagonist, with related ultimate skill and weapon.

Also, Star Ocean 3 was far more polished a game than 2, even if 2 was a more earnest attempt at making something original. Regardless, the developers know that best themselves. If they're taking 3 as an example, despite the 1-2 remakes, perhaps they consider it their highest achievement.

 

[Raghar]

Well, I'm being surprisingly optimistic about this. After hearing it's not a mobile game, a web-based game, and hell - it's being developed by Tri-Ace...puts me in a good mood.

In the meantime, how was Star Ocean 4? I heard it was pretty mediocre.

Maddening

Well, relativly ok. I wouldn't call it mediocre in the sense as it has a few really good parts (combat) and some godawful ones (cutscenes, a few gameplay systems)

Its the greatest bitch to fully complete though. Did it without a guide and accumlated around 1600 hours over all my games.

So as an expert would you recommend to starting on SO4, SO3, or tales of Xillia?

 

[Crooked Bee]

Some screenshots: http://gameword.net/read/1477

 

[Blackguard]

There is also this gem.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Looks like a worthy replacement for

 

[abnaxus]

There is also this gem.

 

[Raghar]

Intro has english subtitles, dunno if original or fan created.

If my hacked PS3 survives my gaming until release, I'd be able to play it, probably. Otherwise. PC version... Would we see one? (Dunno how fans would stomach these models, but at least PC version could have full resolution.)

 

[Tehdagah]

An adorable cute girl and a slutty hot girl.

Truly a game.