Star Ocean: The Divine Force 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.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is not a perfect action-RPG, but it does have a lot going for it that make it extremely enjoyable. It has top notch production values for the most part and it more than makes up for the utterly disappointing Integrity and Faithlessness. The the balance of awesome visuals, exciting combat and addictive exploration mark this entry as a series high point.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is not a memorable game, but it is a more than worthy new installment of a saga that had fallen out of favor. Its style reminiscent of the typical PlayStation 2 JRPG is one of its strengths, but also, despite the success of DUMA as a mechanism to energize combat and exploration, it acts as a limit that prevents it from reaching more memorable heights.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a return to greatness thanks to a new and exciting spin on the action RPG combat the series is known for, the endearing dual protagonists, and a solid story that manages to dodge the pitfalls of its predecessors.
Star Ocean The Divine Force is therefore at the end of the day a solid new entry in the saga, one that maintains its action jRPG soul thanks to gameplay that is both frenetic and tactical. A title that would certainly have benefited a lot from a bigger budget, see for example for a graphic technical aspect that is not up to the mark, but that nevertheless manages to entertain and give everything one could have expected. In short, if you love the genre and the series, don't underestimate it.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Star Ocean: The Divine Force blends classic sensibilities with fresh design for a satisfying new installment in a classic JRPG series.
Even with some issues here and there, 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 but a little slow and not particularly surprising story. Some technical issues and by-the-books game design do take something away from the experience, but for those looking for a traditional Japanese role-playing game with plenty of heart, Star Ocean: The Divine Force is the game to get.
On the whole, 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 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.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
This is the best new Star Ocean game in a good while. Star Ocean: The Divine Force makes great use of the power of current gen consoles to create a visually great world and incredibly pretty, almost doll-like characters. The story is a nice short-ish length and is compelling enough to drive the player forward.
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 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.
There’s still a layer of jankiness the series can’t escape in terms of visuals and tropey writing. But the compelling characters and gameplay mechanics overshadow the rough edges. If this is the last Star Ocean game, Tri-Ace has gone out with a bang.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force might not set the world on fire, but it’s well-made and thoroughly enjoyable. Everything from running around to fighting is a blast, and though it looks a bit odd and can feel a little repetitive at times, the unique premise, snazzy soundtrack, and voice acting make The Divine Force worth any JRPG fan’s time.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is an excellent addition to the franchise, giving its gameplay a new lease of life. Despite its problems, the plot manages to maintain a consistently serious tone throughout the main events, and the relationships between the characters are well established. Here's hoping that future games can expand on what went well in this one, and explore elements of the Star Ocean universe even further.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
An immersive, agile, beautiful and extremely fun JRPG. If you are fans of the genre, Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a fantastic gateway to the saga.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is the new game in the series. The revamped gameplay will take some getting used to for fans of the series, but it has a lot to offer. The mix of Fantasy and Sci-Fi provides a perfect entry point for newcomers. In any case, you are assured of hundreds of hours of fun.
Review in Dutch | Read full review