Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness: A fresh JRPG

Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness really captured my attention over the last few days. It’s been out for a while, yet somehow I missed the release. It wasn’t till a buddy messaged me on the PS4 and I saw that he was playing it. now it’s all I can do, wake up, eat, play Star Ocean.

This is my second Star Ocean game, End of time being the first. At first it sat on my shelf for over a year before diving in, and once doing so, I was hooked. I must have played nothing but Star Ocean for 2 months straight. Of course there was this “job” thing that got in the way of gaming. My girlfriend of the time hated it too. My favorite thing was that the crafting system was complex and engaging. I could spend hours alone just mashing together ingredients to make things. Of course there were also the pages of printed guides, stained with coffee on the floor in front of the couch.

Square-Enix has been a favorite company of mine for ages. Their JRPG lineup is pretty formidable, even though they’ve taken to selling the same games on different platforms. I hope for the day they make new games again. Dragon Quest, a series lacking in a true game at least had their “Dragon Quest: Builders” line as a suitable Minecraft alternative. I too love that game, but this is not about Dragon Quest nor Final Fantasy.

I’ve come to determine that Star Ocean is Square’s “Final Fantasy” for adults. Dragon Quest devolved into a kid franchise (still fun for adults) and Final Fantasy is sort of a campy, not so serious game for teens. There’s nothing wrong with that, as they all nicely fit into a niche and it’s fantastic. Not many companies can figure this out and are all over the place.

I really am looking forward to more time with “Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness” because the game is so deeply involving. I’ve not been able to unlock crafting yet, but a good friend tells me it’s just as I’d expect from a Star Ocean game. To me that’s fantastic. Recent games have just been too simplified for my exquisite taste.

So hey, gonna keep this short so I can get back to the game. Please share the article and send your regards in the comments below.