Star Ocean 5 Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Seamless Gameplay
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness, the fifth main entry in the Star Ocean series, celebrates its 10th anniversary today. Originally released on March 31, 2016, for PlayStation 4, the game also received a PlayStation 3 version on April 28, 2016. According to the series timeline, Star Ocean 5 takes place between Star Ocean 2 and Star Ocean 3, approximately 170 years after the events of the second game and 230 years before the third installment. The game marks a return to stronger fantasy elements compared to the more science-fiction-focused Star Ocean 4, with developer tri-Ace president Yoshiharu Gotanda noting in a Famitsu interview that they intentionally reduced SF elements while increasing fantasy aspects for this entry.
The game is set on the undeveloped planet Faykreed, located over 6,000 light-years from Earth. Players follow protagonist Fidel Camuze, a skilled swordsman who runs a dojo in the village of Stahl in the Kingdom of Reslia. When political turmoil reaches his village, Fidel embarks on a journey with his childhood friend Miki Sauvester. The story features a diverse cast including Lilia, a girl who has lost her memories and emotions; Victor Oakville, a military officer leading special forces for the Reslia Kingdom; Fiore Brunelli, one of the world’s top curse seal practitioners; and the womanizing Emerson T. Kenny who travels with Anne Patriciani.
The voice cast features notable Japanese talent including Kaito Ishikawa as the calm yet passionate Fidel and Nao Toyama as the emotionally expressive Miki. Other voice actors include Yui Ogura as Lilia, Yuichi Nakamura as Victor Oakville, Aya Endo as Fiore Brunelli, Junichi Suwabe as Emerson T. Kenny, and Ayumi Fujimura as Anne Patriciani. Character design was handled by Akiman, known for his work on Street Fighter and ∀ Gundam, who also contributed to previous Star Ocean titles. The voice actors for Fidel and Victor even hosted a popular radio program called “Star Radio Ocean” that continued for years under various names.
Star Ocean 5 features seamless transitions between exploration, events, and combat, building upon systems first introduced in tri-Ace’s 2008 title. The battle system uses a rock-paper-scissors mechanic with “small attacks,” “big attacks,” and “guard” options that interact strategically. Small attacks can quickly interrupt big attacks but bounce off guards, while big attacks break through guards but are slow to execute. The game offers multiple difficulty levels from beginner-friendly EARTH to challenging UNIVERSE and CHAOS modes. In 2022, Star Ocean 6: The Divine Force was released, set approximately 50 years after the events of Star Ocean 5, though both games can be played independently. With its seamless gameplay, strategic combat, and memorable characters, Star Ocean 5 remains a noteworthy entry in the long-running series a decade after its initial release.
