Star Ocean Integrity and Faithlessness Review

Star Ocean Integrity and Faithlessness (PS4, PS3) (Rated Teen)

I can not remember the last time I played a JRPG that sucked me in as much as this one, perhaps it is because what makes these kind of games for me are the characters and story. Which is something that Star Ocean Integrity and Faithlessness does extremely well, when it comes to engaging characters that are both memorable and captivating, SOIAF has without a doubt some of the best I have seen in a long time. Yet that is not the only area where I was taken aback by the quality and execution, Star Ocean Integrity and Faithlessness boldly tries to change up the standard JRPG conventions, albeit in a very subtle and nuanced manner.

Something players will either love or hate, is how the story is told. Unlike many other JRPGS that use either text or cutscene heavy storytelling devices, you will rarely have control taken away from you during the game's many story segments. You will have full control of the camera and also you will be able to move your character around as well to a certain extent during these story sections. This does mean you can not read faster than the game can speak and skip through these scenes, you have to sit and watch them; yet, because of that, you have a certain level of interaction with the world during these scenes. which made me feel more immersed into the story because control was rarely ever taken away fully; but it is worth noting if you prefer a more movie-like cinematic storytelling style, that while this game still has plenty of those, they are far less than what fans of this genre may be used to.

What really did make the game's storytelling work, were the fantastic character animations and great performances that brought these characters to life. During any story event the characters really come alive when they are conversing with others; of course, that is due to some terrific writing, I loved the wit and how they have used such well-worn story tropes to give the characters such captivating personalities. The game's beautiful musical score along with some stunning art direction, really kept me hooked into this fantastic new world. The plot may be nothing new, but it did serve it's purpose well and gave the story and actions good motivation; which kept me constantly pressing on to see where these wonderful characters would end up next.

Of course, this is a video game after all so that means we need to discuss gameplay, which surprised me even more than the story did. The base gameplay revolves around traveling from town to town, slaying evil-doers and conquering dungeons all on your quest to save the world; so your basic JRPG formula at hard work here. While the basic mechanics will be familiar to any JRPG fanatic, combat is where Star Ocean Integrity and Faithlessness shines. I have not seen combat this fast and rhythmic, yet with such a good degree of strategy thrown into the mix. You will have a party of seven in total on your adventure and they all will join you in combat, you will control one of them while the rest are controlled by the A.I. You have access to some pretty sweet light and heavy combo attacks, but you also have some even more impressive battle skill attacks, which can be strung into a combo with your basic attacks. You also can do tandem attacks with your party members which is immensely satisfying to witness. Magic abilities are also included and they are not only visually beautiful, but fun to use as well.

You do have to pause the action to use items or certain special abilities, but this is honestly a good thing. Combat can be so fast and hectic that you need a breather here and there; especially during the game's challenging boss fights. In my opinion no matter what kind of game your playing, there always will be a certain amount of repetition, yet this game's combat system does avoid the tedium of lesser JRPGS. Most of the time boss fights are the most challenging aspect of these kinds of game's, and that does hold true here as well; yet combat has the benefit of not only being fun in the challenging and more strategic boss battles, but also while fighting weaker cannon fodder enemies, due the sheer enjoyment from watching these extremely visceral battles unfold. Seeing your party come together and fight in battle is always epic and extremely cinematic; if you enjoy real time combat systems in your JRPG'S I could recommend this game easily based on its superb combat alone.

Sadly the game does have a few things that I am not fond of, the leveling system for one is serviceable, yet it just felt like a chore to use. I loved gaining new abilities but, it could have been done far better; you have to find books to gain certain abilities which slows down progress to a halt and hurts ownership over your characters. It is not a huge issue, character progression to me has never been a major part of what makes these games; still, that is a player preference so it may be more of an issue for you. Visually the game is hit and miss, I love the how intricate the character designs are, yet parts of the world do look quite bland. Thankfully most of the world is stunningly designed, but there are parts that look pretty poor in comparison to the game's stand-out landmarks. The graphics are a bit dated in terms of the world's visual quality, however, characters are fantastically animated and feature plenty of superb detailing. For some the game's quest variety may be lacking, it is of the basic go here get this and kill that sort, but it works for this game.   

Star Ocean Integrity and Faithlessness is a meticulously designed game that you can tell was lovingly crafted, it shows in the game's breathtaking combat, enduring characters, and exquisite art direction. While most gamers may see this game's shortcomings and think little of the whole package, it is clear to me that the reason for lesser graphics and some dull environments was that a larger focus was placed on sharpening the game's best assets. I would describe the game's worst aspects as mediocre, not horrible or game breaking, just not up to snuff with the rest of the game.  

If a game can suck you into its world and story then it has already succeeded on more fronts than most; but, when a game has combat that is this outstanding, it makes it easy to recommend it so highly. I have also not played a JPRG that felt like a step in the right direction like this since Final Fantasy XII; do not expect jaw dropping innovation, as the game certainly does not offer that. What it offers are subtle changes that the casual gamer may not even notice. It is all in the way the game's story is told, the way combat transitions are handled seamlessly and the games splendid animations. There is a great deal of innovation present, it just may not be in the places most look.

SOIAF feels like the perfect mix of new and old, classic game design meets new gameplay mechanics. I honestly love the fact that at this game's core it is an old school RPG down to its very design, yet it feels like a modern game in so many ways. It may not appeal to everyone, but JRPG fans would be doing themselves a disservice if they simply dismissed this extremely enjoyable adventure.