7 References In Star Ocean: The Divine Force To Past Games

Easter eggs and connections to previous JRPG games abound in Star Ocean: The Divine Force.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force was one of the better RPGs of 2022. It offered a big, space-faring tale complete with bad characters to battle and things to attempt. Furthermore, it revitalized the Star Ocean series.

The game’s fan service contributes to its enjoyment. Despite being set in the same universe, each Star Ocean entry tells its own story. Those stories can be hundreds of years apart. In any case, The Divine Force finds methods to honor prior people, concepts, and events. Only an experienced galactic explorer will be able to identify them all.

Blindside

From The Last Hope and Anamnesis, this is a melee move. Players begin by charging at foes in a frenzied dash. They can, however, instantaneously course correct with precise timing. Misdirection like this throws enemies off guard, which the heroes can then exploit for enormous damage.

It’s useful for flanking and bypassing the strongest defenses, and it’s applicable here as well as in previous entries. The primary distinction is that Divine Force employs D.U.M.A. in the initial charge. Nonetheless, the end result is extremely satisfying.

Es’owa

Minigames are commonplace, especially in RPGs. They’re where Square Enix developers prefer to enjoy themselves. Es’owa is an example of this. This is a board game with miniature likenesses of characters from previous Star Ocean entries as well as other IPs. Radiata Stories is home to characters like Jack and Ridley. This allows some of the more obscure titles to make an endearing reappearance.

Of course, the cuteness occasionally shatters the continuity. Some pieces depict Star Ocean: Till The End of Time characters. Given that this occurs many years after The Divine Force, its inclusion should be impossible. Perhaps Es’owa is a universal miracle that spans space and time.

Name Drops

Ronyx Kenny in Star Ocean: First Departure R, Claude Kenny in Star Ocean Ex, and Marielle Kenny in The Divine Force are all characters played by Ronyx Kenny.
Remington mentions a few people when explaining the benefits of breaching the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact. Ronyx F. Kenny is one of the original Star Ocean’s heroes. In Star Ocean: The Second Story, his son, Claude C. Kenny, plays the protagonist. To summarize, this series keeps it in the family.

That is also true of The Divine Force. Marielle L. Kenny is a member of the party. She is a descendent of the past protagonists and is destined for heroic actions comparable to theirs. With such an illustrious ancestry, greatness must be expected.

Superbosses

The superbosses are possibly the most infamous of Star Ocean’s reoccurring antagonists. Two of these well-known faces appear in The Divine Force. The first is the Ethereal Queen, also referred to as the “Iseria Queen.” She first appeared in The Second Story and has appeared in several subsequent entries. She can be found in the post-game Ultima Thule dungeon. They must drain her health three times to defeat her, like in previous appearances. In short, though not as prolific as the other superboss, this queen is a royal pain.

Gabriel Celeste returns to the first Star Ocean. He is imprisoned in the Gauntlet, yet another post-game dungeon. Defeating her necessitates three defeats. Fans should notice a pattern here, and it’s an annoying one.

A Healing Herb

Players come find a frail woman while exploring Rythal Port. They can help her by giving her a side mission in which she must harvest Dillwhip plants. On the surface, this appears to be a straightforward job with a random collectible. However, the healing properties of Dillwhip are well-known in the Star Ocean universe.

The plant made its debut appearance in The Second Story. It grows specifically in the Sanctuary of Linga. When Bowman sends them on a fetch quest, they find it. He emphasizes the fact that it is an unexplored herb. The heroes aren’t aware of this at the time, but Dillwhip has certainly spread since then.

Welch’s Antics

The cheerful Welch, a Star Ocean regular, is back in business with the heroes. She sends them on a variety of alchemy and crafting-related missions. She adds more and more decorations to her house as they finish these jobs. All of these are visually appealing and reinforce the sense of progress. However, one should catch the attention of fans.

A mannequin is one of Welch’s things. As a result, she’s dressed in the same attire she wore in Integrity and Faithlessness. She must have other fruity looks tucked somewhere. To be honest, it’s a shame they’re not displayed in the same way. After all, why not go the whole hog?

Two Protagonists

While not a direct callback in continuity, this Eggy Car gameplay mechanics allude to a specific entry. Rena Lanford and the aforementioned Claude C. Kenny are the protagonists of Star Ocean: The Second Story. Fans can choose which of them to follow in the story. This formula adds a lot of replay value, therefore it’s odd that no entries have followed up or improved on it subsequently.

The Divine Force returns it as if answering that cry. Raymond Lawrence and Laeticia Aucerius are the heroes of the latest Star Ocean title. The plot, like the previous title, unfolds differently based on who fans choose. Their decision influences which characters join the party, which traits to rely on, and how the story ends. These variables have the ability to increase the amount of hours played.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force is now available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.