Square Enix finally released the first large batch of direct feed screenshots of Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness, showcasing characters, environments and combat, and also revealing a large deal of detailed information on the game.
The male hero, Fidel Camus, is 23 years old and uses a one-handed sword. He's born in the village of Stahl, in the kingdom of Resuria on planet Feikreed.
He's the son of one of the most powerful swordsmen in the realm and has inherited the abilities of his father. He has to fulfill an important role for the safety of the planet during the unstable period known as the Seven Years of Darkness.
The female Heroine, Miki Sovesta, is born in the same village, she's 18 years old and fights with a staff. She's Fidel's childhood friend, and she considers him basically an older brother. She has a steady heart and a strong sense of responsibility. On top of that, she learned a few healing abilities thanks to the Art of the Cursed Mark.
The planet Feikreed is 6,000 light years from Earth, in the unexplored regions of the Galactic Federation. Half of the population of the planet is focused in its biggest continent named Vestill, which is very expansive. The level of civilization is similar to Earth in the 15th/16th century, but the population has developed its own kind of magic called art of the cursed mark.
The kingdom of Resuria is a fertile nation in the Vestill continent, blessed with great power. It's like a natural fortress, as it's surrounded on four sides by mountain ranges. It has been ruled for more than 300 years by the Barif dynasty, that has brought prosperity to the realm. Yet, that peace and prosperity has been lost during the Seven Years of Darkness and now the realm is plagued by fear and poverty.
The village of Stahl is a settlement on the coast where Fidel and Miki grew up. The main occupation of the inhabitants is fishing. In recent times, Fidel has helped maintain order with his swordsmanship, while Miki supported the villagers with her healing.
The Art of the Cursed Mark is a special kind of magic that can be used only by those who have special tattoos on their body. Those connect the magician with the planet and are defined the "curse." The more complex the mark, the more advanced the magic is, but it requires a great deal of control.
Seven years before the beginning of the game, monsters called "Cursed Mark Creatures" appeared and started attacking the population. The king sent survey teams to investigate the cause, but nothing relevant could be discovered.
Gradually, the degree of safety worsened and violence increased, causing the disruption of the power structure of the government. In addition to this, neighboring countries started target the realm, creating a state of constant war. This period has become known as the Seven Years of Darkness.
The gameplay has been radically evolved from the past Star Ocean games, with seamless transition between exploration and combat. The world is also seamless, linking several different locations, including futuristic ones, true to Star Ocean tradition.
It's possible to freely switch characters in battle at the press of a button. Each character has more and different skills and attack patterns compared to the rest of the series, creating a powerful and tactical battle system.
Effects of attacks depend on distance, and trigger different actions depending on whether an enemy is far or close to the character. Combos can also be used by pressing the attack button repeatedly. Skills can be triggered at any time and interwoven with normal attacks, adding variety to the battle. The system is called "Seamless Real-Time Battle."
Transition between exploration and battle isn't the only seamless element, and the game also introduces "Seamless Event Scenes." There's no cut between story events and battles, so it's possible to have situations like an enemy ambush where allies are taken hostage. The way the player behaves during this gameplay events will also influence the story and lead to different results.
Cutscenes are seamlessly integrated with the game system, and they can be enjoyed without sacrificing the pace of the gameplay. You basically never know what could happen.
havent seen him since ToV!