Early Reactions To Star Ocean: The Divine Force Are Saying The Same Thing

When it comes to role-playing games, fewer companies in the world are more adept at putting out quality titles than publisher Square Enix. With legacy series like "Final Fantasy," "Dragon Quest," and "Kingdom Hearts" under its belt, the Japanese company has produced many classic titles within the genre. One of its more unsung classic series is undoubtedly "Star Ocean," a long-running JRPG franchise that has been mostly dormant for the past half-decade. But that all changes on Oct. 27 with the release of "Star Ocean: The Divine Force."

Developed by tri-Ace, "Star Ocean: The Divine Force" represents the series' first mainline release since 2016's "Integrity and Faithlessness," a title that severely divided critics and gamers alike due to its unrefined presentation. While time certainly heals all wounds, it makes sense for fans to be concerned about the series' future, granted how mediocre the last installment turned out to be. However, judging by the early reviews of the game, most critics seem to be on the same page when it comes to "Star Ocean: The Divine Force" — and in a good way.

Thus far, reviews of "Star Ocean: The Divine Force" have been mostly positive. While the title doesn't seem to be a Game of the Year front-runner, reviewers have given it positive marks based around its combat mechanics, story, and customization. In his review for IGN, George Yang gave "Star Ocean: The Divine Force" a 7/10 score, saying that it's a solid experience all around and praising the combat system for the freedom it allows players. "'The Divine Force' isn't necessarily a standout in this long-running series, but it is a much more successful effort to bring 'Star Ocean' into the modern age than its predecessor," Yang said of the game. Orpheus Joshua of Noisy Pixel mostly agreed with this assessment, awarding the game an 8/10 for its strong narrative and customization options.

Francesco De Meo of WCCF Tech did notice some issues in his playthrough, but still gave "Star Ocean: The Divine Force" an 8/10 due to how it made up for these issues with its core mechanics and story. "Everything considered, is Star Ocean: The Divine Force the glorious comeback fans have been waiting for years? I would have to say so, despite some issues here and there," De Meo said. "A far cry from the fourth and fifth entries in the series regarding story and gameplay, Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a solid effort that shows how tri-Ace still has what it takes to create a compelling space adventure." RPG fans might want to take notice and try "Star Ocean: The Divine Force" when to releases soon.