PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews

I don’t want to take anything away from this game, though. I have enjoyed Star Ocean: The Divine Force more than any game in the series since the third one. The developers have calibrated just about everything about this game perfectly, from the classically entertaining JRPG plot and characters, to the incredible aesthetics and superb pacing. The Divine Force is by no means a short game, but it has a way of making the hours fly past so that it never feels like it’s dragging on your time. Yes, the combat is a little unrefined and too pacey for its own good, but it’s still very playable, and totally worth dealing with to enjoy the most exotic JRPG of 2022.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a bold and exciting new direction for the series with incredibly fun combat, great characters, and a gripping story. It stumbles more often than it should, but this grand return was more than worth the wait.

Despite making a couple of stumbles along the way, Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a quality JRPG. tri-Ace has managed to offer an adventure that combines the medieval with science fiction greatly.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force successfully reinvigorates the RPG franchise with an interesting story and characters as well as beautiful settings. D.U.M.A. also makes it fun to zoom around the map and fly through the air on the battlefield. Although the graphics are hit and miss and there are some quality of life improvements needed, Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a JRPG that's definitely worth your time.

My time with Star Ocean: The Divine Force was thoroughly enjoyable, though it started to lose a bit of steam near the end of my 42 hours. The final dungeon(s) do fall into the sadistic teleport dungeon trap that many JRPG areas do, and the primary villain spends far too much time arguing their point with the party, far too many times. By the final battle, I just wanted to see credits, which unfortunately puts me off a replay for quite some time. That said, I’m excited to see Raymond’s side of things, and I can’t wait to swing a sword, rock a mullet, and listen to some trashy synth-heavy prog rock while tackling the extensive post-game. As I’ve said Star Ocean so many times that the words are almost losing all meaning, I’ll simply state this: Star Ocean: The Divine Force is the most Star Ocean that a Star Ocean game can be, and that makes it the best Star Ocean in nearly twenty years.

Even if far from flawless, Star Ocean: The Divine Force is undoubtedly a return to form for the series by tri-Ace. The game delivers a solid JRPG experience that both fans of the series and newcomers will enjoy, thanks to the best battle system in the series to date, likable characters, and an engaging (though a little slow and fairly predictable) story. Some technical issues and by-the-books game design have to be noted, but for those looking for a traditional JRPG with plenty of heart, Star Ocean: The Divine Force is the game to get.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force is both a love letter to what the series once was and a reflection on what its future might look with the power of current gen consoles. While the story and gameplay excite players and bring an unexpected depth, it falls short of its potential thanks to its technical limitations.

Star Ocean The Divine Force is a strongly crafted action JRPG that returns the franchise to form, boasting involved upgrading and customization systems alongside a well-thought-out narrative that may not satisfy or intrigue everyone but will compel those entranced by its cutting edges of notion. Moreover, its excellent English voice cast intensifies the emotional weight of several story-heavy scenes and character-bonding moments. Unfortunately, performance and graphical presentation faults and more minor issues damage the overall experience. Although, if you can look past those stumbles, Star Ocean The Divine Force is a must-play entry for all fans of the genre, whether they already are fans of the franchise or not.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force may be the most solid entry to date. For anyone concerned the series lost its way in Integrity and Faithlessness, those doubts can be put to rest. The only issues - some lackluster characters and a bit too much backtracking - are really ones found throughout the entire series and don't detract much from what makes The Divine Force work so well (great combat, environments that are fun to explore, and entertaining character dynamics). It remains to be seen if Star Ocean: The Divine Force will serve as a watershed moment for the series - but for what it's worth, it's a heck of a good time and one of the best JRPGs to release this year.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a title that becomes interesting the more you play it. It improved a lot compared to Star Ocean Integrity and Faithlessness, with better plot development, mechanics and the most important (it is fun). Although it has some minor problems, it is a good RPG game for fans of the series and those who want to get started in it.