Star Ocean The Divine Force Details The Story-Critical And Gameplay-Changing D.U.M.A.

Star Ocean The Divine Force, the sixth entry of the long-running space epic JRPG series by Square Enix and developed by Tri-Ace, gets a new Mission Report trailer.

The first one showcased the dual protagonists Raymond and Laeticia that you can as. This second trailer highlights the story-critical plot device DUMA, which also provides brevity of gameplay options to the party.

The D.U.M.A. (production model 004213) is described as “an unusual creation imbued with superior intelligence and self-cognizance”, it prefers to recognise itself as a life form rather than a robot. It’s unclear why D.U.M.A. joins Raymond and the crew, but it’s likely it will be a key part of the plot of Star Ocean The Divine Force’s story.

It also plays a part in providing you with gameplay options, both in combat and in exploration. The D.U.M.A. gives the travel party access to Vanguard Assault (VA), a series of abilities mostly providing movement options. For one, you can enter limited flight (glide) to reach high cliffs or the roofs of towns to find hidden treasure. Speaking of treasure,m you can also make use of Field Scan, which points out rare items in the field. Also, be on the lookout for Gems. These collectibles that are floating in rows like a collect-a-thon 3D platformer are used to boost the abilities provided by D.U.M.A.

In combat, you can make use of a VA Attack. It’s essentially a divekick (levitate really high when you hold the button, then crash down towards the locked-on enemies at high speeds). But the VA Attack can have different properties depending on which character uses it. The VA Attack can provide heals, or provide enemy analysis instead, for example.

Another mechanic enables with VA Attacks is Blindside. You can switch directions mid-VA Attack, cancelling it into a sidestep, and this will leave some enemies in a Blindslide, assuming you are out of their field of vision. Enemies are incapacitated for a short while and take more damage when attacked while in a Blindslide, promoting more aggressive combat where you take initiative by moving around a lot.

VA Attacks can be performed before entering battles proper, doing so results in a surprise attack. Also, greater rewards will be awarded for defeating enemies whilst they are in a Blindside.

Star Ocean The Divine Force launches on October 27, 2022 for the PS4, PS5, PC (Steam), Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.