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I've Beaten Star Ocean 5. (Thoughts/Kinda Review)
9 years ago
WE INTERRUPT THIS YIFFING WITH A WORD FROM OUR FOX
What a game, amiright?! Naturally, I've been waiting for this game to come out since April of 2015 when it was announced, and my expectations were kind of high, considering it is my favorite RPG franchise behind Xenoblade Chronicles, but after Pokemon, after all.
So how did the game live up?
Well, immediately, the game is drastically different from SOs 3 AND 4 because the main character is not an Earthling. You actually start as a character from a different planet, and one on an underdeveloped one at that.
If you don't know what that means, well I'd look more into the premise of the series beforehand, but still. It's quite different and I am kind of surprised they took this long to do this. Did they do this in SO1 or 2? Since I can't get my paws on those entries, I cannot say I know.
The gameplay is also very different. Instead of being transported to a battleground upon contact with enemies like you normally do in other SOs, you initiate the fight right where you are in a location, quite a lot like Xenoblade Chronicles. The game also expanded on the guard/major and minor attack features in SO3 and KINDA SO4. It's kind of like rock-paper-scissors. Minor attacks interrupt major ones. Major attacks break guards. And guards block minor attacks. Succeeding in these will result in your bonus gauge being built up in a corresponding way. And if you lose in that way, a part of your gauge will break. Which I really liked because the way they did it in SO4 was good and all, but was still kind of ruthless since it was really easy to lose. And in SO3? Good lord, SO3 was MERCILESS with its bonus gauge system... so it's better here.
The soundtrack of the game really played with my heart though, since it featured the returns of many pieces from SO3 and 4. Which when I realized for the first time... the nostalgia killed me, I swear. Though it would have been nice to hear a lot more new and fresh themes. But the new ones did suffice. I STILL say SO3 has the best soundtrack of the series.
The characters, all I can say without spoiling much, is that they are way better than SO4's characters. The characters in SO4 were almost all forgettable. A few even unlikable *ahem*Sarah*ahem*. But in SO5, they're all better. Not particularly the greatest bunch, but whatever. (Also what is UP, with Fiore's outfit!?) Though they are a lot more fleshed out if you view the pseudo cutscenes in various places where they converse about each other.
And now. The story. Okay. So this story... is. Well, I'll tell you right now that the story is not what I quite expected upon playing the game. SO3 was about its protagonist (Fayt) losing his father and childhood friend to an alien race called Vendeen, and he has to search the galaxy for him. SO4 was a prequel to the whole franchise, chronicling Earth's first steps into the star ocean beyond. And SO5 is about... its protagonists finding a young girl from another planet, whose mysterious powers are sought after by an intergalactic rebellion called Kronos.
I suppose my BIGGEST problem with SO5 is that it spends way too much time on the underdeveloped planet I mentioned. Nearly all of the game is spent on it. Barely any of it is in the star ocean it's named after. Only until the latter part of the game do we really get to do anything outside the place. Isn't this franchise supposed to be about exploring other worlds in the vast star ocean? SO3 did it, though it also meandered in one place for a little too long. SO4 was BUILT on that principle despite the execution being lackluster. So what GIVES!? One of the things I looked forward to most was exploring the new planets and worlds we were to see in SO5. In SO3, there were 5 worlds or settings or whatever. SO4 had 6! SO5? Had only the planet, and various spaceships and a one spoilerish place at the very end. Aaaand that's it. Really? Really. Alright. Fine... BE that way. It's almost a false advertisement in thinking about it...
And another thing. This story... is pretty short. Compared to SO3 and 4 again, the story did not last nearly as long as I hoped it would. SO3 took me 80 hours to beat. SO4 took 60. SO5? Only 35... and that's with a TON of exploring for quests... That's... really disappointing...
I mean... I bought a PS4 JUST for this game. And this... a pretty big letdown, when you think about it. But is it a bad game? As a game, of course not. As a game, this is still fantastic, and I'd recommend it over and over especially if you have a PS4 and love RPGs! But as Star Ocean... err... well... you DO eventually get to space. B-believe me. Just takes a while... Kinda like how Xenoblade Chronicles X flaunted its big mechs, but you didn't get one until Chapter 8 or 9, on the latter end of the game. What's up with all this teasy crap, RPGs? I do not get you all... eeyugh.
So at the end of the day, I give Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness a 6.7/10. It's still decent; it's still playable and enjoyable if you know what you're looking for from it, and maybe my expectations WERE just a little high... but still... those things that are wrong with it, are really wrong. Say what people will about Star Ocean 4. At least THAT one was the most Star Ocean-y in concept than any of the others I've seen. This one is the least, by far. Again I'd recommend it as an RPG fan, because gameplay-wise? It's as stellar as ever. But as a Star Ocean fan? Don't expect much from this entry. Take it as any action RPG and you'll love it. But as a Star Ocean? You'll be wondering over and over when you'll get to space like I did, and be disappointed by how late you do, and how short you'l be there. Y-ya know... unless there is something in the post game in that regard. Still, it'd be much too late to make amends... Take what you will from it and traverse the stars. Err. Kinda. SO3 is still the best!
(And Xenoblade Chronicles trumps the entire franchise. Just sayin')
Aero out!~
So how did the game live up?
Well, immediately, the game is drastically different from SOs 3 AND 4 because the main character is not an Earthling. You actually start as a character from a different planet, and one on an underdeveloped one at that.
If you don't know what that means, well I'd look more into the premise of the series beforehand, but still. It's quite different and I am kind of surprised they took this long to do this. Did they do this in SO1 or 2? Since I can't get my paws on those entries, I cannot say I know.
The gameplay is also very different. Instead of being transported to a battleground upon contact with enemies like you normally do in other SOs, you initiate the fight right where you are in a location, quite a lot like Xenoblade Chronicles. The game also expanded on the guard/major and minor attack features in SO3 and KINDA SO4. It's kind of like rock-paper-scissors. Minor attacks interrupt major ones. Major attacks break guards. And guards block minor attacks. Succeeding in these will result in your bonus gauge being built up in a corresponding way. And if you lose in that way, a part of your gauge will break. Which I really liked because the way they did it in SO4 was good and all, but was still kind of ruthless since it was really easy to lose. And in SO3? Good lord, SO3 was MERCILESS with its bonus gauge system... so it's better here.
The soundtrack of the game really played with my heart though, since it featured the returns of many pieces from SO3 and 4. Which when I realized for the first time... the nostalgia killed me, I swear. Though it would have been nice to hear a lot more new and fresh themes. But the new ones did suffice. I STILL say SO3 has the best soundtrack of the series.
The characters, all I can say without spoiling much, is that they are way better than SO4's characters. The characters in SO4 were almost all forgettable. A few even unlikable *ahem*Sarah*ahem*. But in SO5, they're all better. Not particularly the greatest bunch, but whatever. (Also what is UP, with Fiore's outfit!?) Though they are a lot more fleshed out if you view the pseudo cutscenes in various places where they converse about each other.
And now. The story. Okay. So this story... is. Well, I'll tell you right now that the story is not what I quite expected upon playing the game. SO3 was about its protagonist (Fayt) losing his father and childhood friend to an alien race called Vendeen, and he has to search the galaxy for him. SO4 was a prequel to the whole franchise, chronicling Earth's first steps into the star ocean beyond. And SO5 is about... its protagonists finding a young girl from another planet, whose mysterious powers are sought after by an intergalactic rebellion called Kronos.
I suppose my BIGGEST problem with SO5 is that it spends way too much time on the underdeveloped planet I mentioned. Nearly all of the game is spent on it. Barely any of it is in the star ocean it's named after. Only until the latter part of the game do we really get to do anything outside the place. Isn't this franchise supposed to be about exploring other worlds in the vast star ocean? SO3 did it, though it also meandered in one place for a little too long. SO4 was BUILT on that principle despite the execution being lackluster. So what GIVES!? One of the things I looked forward to most was exploring the new planets and worlds we were to see in SO5. In SO3, there were 5 worlds or settings or whatever. SO4 had 6! SO5? Had only the planet, and various spaceships and a one spoilerish place at the very end. Aaaand that's it. Really? Really. Alright. Fine... BE that way. It's almost a false advertisement in thinking about it...
And another thing. This story... is pretty short. Compared to SO3 and 4 again, the story did not last nearly as long as I hoped it would. SO3 took me 80 hours to beat. SO4 took 60. SO5? Only 35... and that's with a TON of exploring for quests... That's... really disappointing...
I mean... I bought a PS4 JUST for this game. And this... a pretty big letdown, when you think about it. But is it a bad game? As a game, of course not. As a game, this is still fantastic, and I'd recommend it over and over especially if you have a PS4 and love RPGs! But as Star Ocean... err... well... you DO eventually get to space. B-believe me. Just takes a while... Kinda like how Xenoblade Chronicles X flaunted its big mechs, but you didn't get one until Chapter 8 or 9, on the latter end of the game. What's up with all this teasy crap, RPGs? I do not get you all... eeyugh.
So at the end of the day, I give Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness a 6.7/10. It's still decent; it's still playable and enjoyable if you know what you're looking for from it, and maybe my expectations WERE just a little high... but still... those things that are wrong with it, are really wrong. Say what people will about Star Ocean 4. At least THAT one was the most Star Ocean-y in concept than any of the others I've seen. This one is the least, by far. Again I'd recommend it as an RPG fan, because gameplay-wise? It's as stellar as ever. But as a Star Ocean fan? Don't expect much from this entry. Take it as any action RPG and you'll love it. But as a Star Ocean? You'll be wondering over and over when you'll get to space like I did, and be disappointed by how late you do, and how short you'l be there. Y-ya know... unless there is something in the post game in that regard. Still, it'd be much too late to make amends... Take what you will from it and traverse the stars. Err. Kinda. SO3 is still the best!
(And Xenoblade Chronicles trumps the entire franchise. Just sayin')
Aero out!~
