Weekly Famitsu has a special feature on Star Ocean 5 this week. I’ve given a brief summary and have provided a translation of Producer Kobayashi’s interview. Feel free to use this interview, but I’d appreciate it if you could link back to me in case people have questions or need clarification on what I wrote. Thank you for reading!
Brief interview summary:
Development is 70% complete. Battles and “dynamic cutscenes” being fixed.
The entire game is seamless, in real-time, and also designed to allow for free movement.
Camera and characters are player-controllable during event scenes.
Character change is not possible in the middle of a “dynamic cutscene.” Instead, there are plans for “special actions” while on the field and during cutscenes.
Character introductions to Fidel, Miki, Fiore, and Viktor. Fidel is a traditional character with a fast battle style and easy-to-chain combos. Miki is a healer who’s better off fighting enemies from a distance.
Fiore’s outfit has to do with her sorcery abilities as well as her desire to display her strength.
While Miki is good with fire-based attacks, Fiore’s strength lies in ice-based sorcery.
Viktor can use the same sword abilities as Fidel, but Viktor specializes in ranged attacks and prefers to cut down groups of enemies.
Star Ocean 5 has a self-contained story and takes place in between 2 and 3.
When asked whether player feedback from TGS will be considered for the final game, Kobayashi says that the game is near completion, and any big changes will be difficult to implement.
Star Ocean 5 is very much a “classic” (oudou) RPG. Kobayashi asks us to wait for more news in the future.
Developer Interview: Shūichi Kobayashi, Star Ocean 5 Producer (of Star Ocean series, Valkyria Profile series, and Radiata Stories series fame)
Image from: Wikipedia.
THE CHALLENGE OF KEEPING VIDEO UPLOADS IN MIND
Famitsu (F): A release date has been announced, so is it safe to assume that development is proceeding as planned?
Kobayashi (K): It’s difficult to gauge, but if we’re talking about development progress, then we’re at around 70% right now. Basic systems are already in place, and we’re currently tweaking battles and dynamic cutscenes*. We’re having a particularly difficult time because the game is essentially all in real-time, is seamless, and, on top of all that, allows for totally free movement. When the camera angle is fixed, we can get away with a few things here and there (laugh). This time we can’t do that.
F: Being able to control both the camera angle, as well as characters’ movements, during event cutscenes brings a new sensation to the game. What is the intention behind such a design?
K: With PlayStation 4’s SHARE feature, we’ve now arrived in an era where players can now freely upload and share videos. With this in mind, I thought it’d be great if the people who play [Star Ocean 5] can view event cutscenes in different ways based on their playing styles. Videos of speed-runs and unbelievable combo chains have previously been popular.
F: Will it be possible to change characters in the middle of a dynamic cutscene?
K: Since the player is the protagonist, and Fidel is, in a sense, the player’s avatar or alter ego, no, it won’t be possible. In exchange, we’re planning some special actions during cutscenes and on the field. The way things are seen depends on the players. Some will go, “I want to record that!” and others, “If it were me I’d do this.” I hope players will try out different things. Now I don’t recommend showing spoilers, so I’d like for players to have some consideration in this regard.
CHARACTERS WITH RICH PERSONALITIES
F: In this issue, we’ve published character introductions**, so could you tell us a little bit about who they are?
K: First, Fidel is a rather traditional character. He fights with a single-handed sword, so as a result, he attacks quickly and chains together combos quite easily. We’ve tuned him so that he’ll manage somehow even when he’s fighting solo against the enemy. First-time players will find him easy to use. By the way, I should also mention that Fidel is an instructor at the “Camus School of Swordsmanship” that’s run by his father. There are certain abilities at this school that, for one reason or other, people who’ve played previous Star Ocean entries will be familiar with.
F: In that case, is there a particular secret…?
K: Not really (laugh). Up until now, there haven’t been many abilities that have reappeared in successive entries. [Star Ocean‘s] 20th anniversary is coming up, and as a shout-out to the fans we want to create a sense of nostalgia, so we’ve added some old abilities [into Star Ocean 5].
Now on to Miki. She’s a very valuable healer. She can also use fire-based sorcery, but she’s first and foremost a healer. Her physical attacks leave something to be desired, so it’s best if she stays and fights at a distance far from the enemy.
F: I’d like to ask about a newly introduced character, Fiore. Is there a story behind her attire? (laugh)
K: In order to use incantations in this world, sorcerers must have an incantation mark carved somewhere on their bodies. To show off the strength of her own incantations, Fiore prefers to wear the kind of outfit that you’ve taken notice to. In Randock, the country that Fiore lives in, there are outfits used specially by sorcerers, and you can customize these in any which way you want. I can ensure you they are far from being indecent (laugh).
Fiore, as revealed at TGS 2015. Image from: Famitsu.
F: Are you satisfied with the battle style?
K: The image we’re after is using magic as a form of offense. Miki uses fire-based sorcery. In contrast, Fiore’s specialty lies in ice-based incantations. Fiore can also use support incantations, but unlike Miki, Fiore plays a central role in using magic as offense.
F: So about another newly introduced character, Viktor. What kind of special traits does he have?
K: He’s a soldier who uses two swords to cut down his opponents. In actuality, one sword is a single-handed sword, and the other is the sheath. The one who taught him the way of the sword, Viktor’s master, is actually Fidel’s father, so Viktor can also use the same abilities as Fidel. However, Viktor’s the kind of character who’d prefer to use abilities designed to go against hoards of enemies. Depending on the final blow, Viktor can incorporate these abilities and use them like a naginata***. He specializes in ranged attacks.
A CLASSIC RPG MADE WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY
F: Now I’d like to ask about the setting. Could you tell us about the game’s world?
K: The appearance of the world and the chronology [of Star Ocean 5] follow previous entries. However, the story ends with this product. Please feel rest assured about that. In terms of the timeline, [Star Ocean 5] takes place between Star Ocean 2 and 3. Those who have played this series will find themselves grinning at every turn. That’s the kind of production [Star Ocean 5 has].
F: Our protagonist comes from an uncivilized planet. This is quite rare for the series, isn’t it?
K: That’s true. Besides Rena from Star Ocean 1 and 2, all other protagonists have come from civilized societies. This time, we’ve decided to go with an uncivilized planet. At the very beginning, we wanted the story to start from a place far removed from civilization, and gradually it became “Star Ocean”-like and sci-fi-ish. A grandiose tale involving the universe is basically what Star Ocean has been about (laugh).
F: There are 5 months left until release, and I know you’re headed into the final stage, but do you have any plans to incorporate the feedback given by players at TGS [Tokyo Game Show]?
K: The final product is almost in place, so any big changes would be difficult to implement. We’ve finished revising the action parts and have gone on to fine-tuning the events. But even if I say, “Don’t mess with that,” I doubt getting a feel for the game actually counts as really “fixing” anything. The ones developing the game are Tri-Ace, after all (laugh).
F: I see (laugh).
K: By the way, because the TGS version isn’t the quality that you’ll be seeing when you play the game for long periods of time, the demo ends before you familiarize yourself with the controls, and we’ve prioritized comfort and ease. The full game will definitely be firmer.
F: I see. And finally, with the February release date in mind, could you please tell us about Star Ocean 5‘s selling point?
K: It’s been 6 years since the launch of the series’ last entry, Star Ocean 4. We’re doing a fresh start and creating a product that newcomers to the series can also enjoy. I would be delighted if both fans, as well as those who saw the TGS demo and expressed interest, took a look at Star Ocean 5. You don’t know need to know anything about the series to enjoy this game. We are bringing to you a classic RPG using the latest technology, so please look out for further news!
![[babas]](/images/smilies/babas.gif "Babeando")
...Como se llama la moza de las trenzas verdes? xD 
![[+risas]](/images/smilies/nuevos/risa_ani3.gif "más risas")
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Posiblemente me anime en navidades a jugar al 3 en emulador entonces. Aunque ya he visto que el 2 lo están porteando a Vita y PS4. Si hacen lo mismo con el 1 seguramente caerán también jeje. ![[amor]](/images/smilies/nuevos/enamorado.gif "enamorado")
xD 
![[+furioso]](/images/smilies/nuevos/furioso.gif "muy furioso")
![[bye]](/images/smilies/nuevos2/adio.gif "adios")
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