Star Ocean: The Divine Force Reviews
Star Ocean: The Divine Force isn't a bad game at all. I enjoyed my time with it thanks mostly due to the D.U.M.A. mechanic. The experience of playing this game makes me reminiscent of my memories of playing PS2-era JRPGs. A lot of them weren't polished or even that great, but I still had fun playing them.
Star Ocean The Divine Force wears the undeniable merit of bringing back a franchise that had been derailed after the disaster of Integrity and Faithlessness six years ago.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force admittedly has a number of issues. A poor interface, a main story which isn’t all that interesting, and certain character designs that just look bad. For me, however, its strengths more than overcame those issues, with a truly charming cast of characters, intense and enjoyable combat, and a novel twist in D.U.M.A. who makes moving around both in and out of combat a joy. It won’t be for everyone, but fans of the series or genre who have spent years waiting for a Star Ocean game worth their time will find this is exactly the sort of B game they don’t make enough of anymore.
It almost feels like Star Ocean: The Divine Force’s existence is some sort of miracle. Even more so because, while there are some elements that can feel a bit dated and it isn’t exactly perfect, it’s generally a joyful and solid experience.
From the way the storytelling really takes advantage of its genre hybrid to the distinct and action-packed combat system, this is an excellent JRPG that hits its targets far more often than it misses.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force has a terrific battle system, a variety of unique exploration possibilities with a lot of vertical mobility, and a solid cast of characters, but the game's pacing can be a problem, and the writing is somewhat weak.