Star Ocean 5 Update

[Madame Adequate]

Been too damn long since there's been a new SO game. I'm pretty excited to give this a try if/when I have the chance!

Also everyone needs to play 4 because looooool paedophilia undertones (nothing 'under' about it). I did genuinely like the fact that at least one person in the game realizes that (SPOILER)destroying an alternate Earth is still destroying a smurfing planet so they are really broken up and upset about it for awhile rather than just being "lol idc about other timelines" like most people in fiction.

[Vyk]

In regard to that spoiler, I will never hold that against that game. I do appreciate that, however, the way it was executed was atrocious. (SPOILER)The captain, the leader, the person who is supposed to hold a team together is written to act like a mopey emo 13 year old. I've seen captains break, and I've seen it done way better than that. It's just Japan's infuriating and incessant issue with melodrama and not being able to tell the difference, or to create, real actual palpable drama. A good counter-example that springs to mind is Picard in First Contact, when confronted with the idea of destroying his ship. He snaps, he throws a hissy fit, he yells, and he smashes stuff. And it is portrayed a million times better. Its understandable, it's relatable, its dramatic. He's acting like a man, coming to terms with things, not like a 13 year old struggling to grasp things. He is in charge, and lives are in his hands, and he visibly calculates and justifies his decisions, and their shortcomings

Edge didn't do that. He whined and complained for upwards of 10 straight hours, and while his crew was empathetic, they (like any sane person) decided he was taking it too far, for too long, and was obviously making himself unfit for duty, and so they removed him from duty. And he still whined and complained and moped and kept to himself for hours. If they had explored that, portrayed it like an actual human, like someone in charge, struggling with something. Something believable, and relatable. Something I could empathize with. I would have loved that part of the game

Fei, in Xenogears, had to struggle with a destruction he accidentally caused. And he was whiny and emo about it as well. But it was portrayed so much better. It was so much more relatable. It was so much easier to empathize with. And it was also a game that was almost 10 years older. It was on a system 2 generations previous

Edge Maverick is inexcusable. I put 20 - 30 or more hours into that game, and now I can't finish it, because he freaking ruined it

Edit: I always end up ranting when this topic comes up xD I guess he literally offends my sensibilities

[Spuuky]

That's because he's offensive and the game is terrible.

[Forsaken Lover]

Star Ocean The Last Hope is a good game but if you want amazing writing and characters, you shouldn't be playing any Star Ocean game.

(SPOILER) Vyk, you chose literally the worst counter-example in history In what world is throwing a hissy fit the mature response? Picard smashing trout is not effective storytelling. Most ST fans I know HATE Movie Picard because he's so radically different from his TV self.

Edge is upset because BILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE DEAD. BECAUSE OF HIM. Anybody who just "gets over it" is a smurfing psychopath. Edge comes from an Earth that is red hot after nuclear war and humanity is all but extinct. He thought he could fix things, avert this horrible fate but all he did was make things even worse.

He takes his responsibilities as a leader seriously, unlike most JRPG protagonists. So when he smurfs up and gets a lot of people killed, he understandably starts thinking "maybe I'm not a good leader."


It could have been handled better, certainly. No one is gonna call SO4 a masterpiece of storytelling. But Edge's reaction is perfectly sensible and smashing teacups would not make it better.


In conclusion


If SO5 does not acknowledge that only creepy otaku losers play SO games like this game did, I will be disappointed.

[Mirage]

Sounds like someone is projecting.

[Forsaken Lover]

I do not deny I am a creepy otaku loser but of the two SO games I've played,they were both rife with blatant fanservice. If that in any way offends your sensibilities, you wouldn't be playing these games.

I can assure you, all their "we won't make this game like SO4, we swear!" crap will not apply to dialing back the gratuitous boob and butt shots. They're on the PS4 now. You have any idea what kind of amazing jiggle physics they can utilize?

Also I love that the one game in the series that actually lived up to its name is the one they are like "nope, we won't ever do that again." I mean, it's not like I played the Star Ocean games to explore the star ocean or anything. That just be silly.

[Mirage]

Which other SO was actually close to SO4's level of fanservice? Examples?

I don't think anyone actually argues that the space travel was what made SO4 bad.

And idk why you played the star ocean games, but it hasn't really ever been about exploring the ocean of stars (except a tiny bit of it in so4). perhaps the title is silly, sort of like none of the final fantasies actually are final

[Forsaken Lover]

Star Ocean 3 has tons of fanservice with Nel flashing her panties all the time. There were also various extra fetishy costumes. I only played the game once ad will never play it again but I heard the ladies get some sexy alternate outfits.

Also Albel was pretty much just dripping with "oggle me, fangirls."

[Mirage]

None of that comes even close to the amount there is in SO4. I'm not denying there isn't any fanservice in 3, but the amount a game has certainly matters.

While SO3 has some that you can ignore without much effort, 4 practically shoves it in your face on a regular basis.

[Forsaken Lover]

[Mirage]

my point exactly

[Vyk]

Funny thing is.. Fan service isn't something that sticks out in my mind. I usually groan at that sort of thing. But the only thing that sticks out anymore is Edge. Like a popcorn shell of hate burrowing into the gums of my brain, I can't ignore it. I may hate Edge as much as The Spoony One hates Titus. Which is... a lot. Now I want to watch his video series of riffing on FFX again..

[Fox]

I actually thought Edge was alright. Not one of my favourite protagonists ever but... relatively sensible and useful. He was a vessel with which to interact with Reimi, who I liked a lot. The game as a whole hasn't exactly left an impression on me like 'Till The End of Time did.

[Fox]

I think this is looking really cool you know. And that battle music! I was very critical of Sakuraba-san in the Tales thread but I think he's far more suited to Star Ocean.

[Forsaken Lover]

Should play Baten Kaitos if you have not. I got it on the recommendation of some people and a lot of their praise was directed to the soundtrack, scored by Sakuraba.


I rank it up there with the likes of Chrono Cross. That's very high praise.