I was very pleasantly surprised when Star Ocean: The Divine Force was announced. After the lukewarm reception to Integrity & Faithlessness and its obvious lack of budget, I, along with probably most of the series’ fanbase, expected that to be the final entry. Thankfully, it was not, and I couldn’t be happier about it. The Star Ocean series is approaching its 30th birthday, and while the games are generally few and far between, the core and very loyal fanbase keeps showing up for each new entry. It’s safe to say The Divine Force was one of my most anticipated games of 2022, and I am now eagerly awaiting any scrap of news about Star Ocean 7. Whilst I wait for that, now seems the perfect time to revisit the soundtrack to SO6 and look at whether it is worth the time of VGM lovers everywhere!
When I think Star Ocean music, I think Motoi Sakuraba, the series’ composer, and the distinct musical style he brings to each game’s score. Video game music connoisseurs will instantly recognise Sakuraba’s stamp, but he gives it a unique Star Ocean twist that runs through the soundtrack of each game. Qualities that sound straight from any classic sci-fi film—slow, droning builds, cacophonous climaxes, and urgent, layered battle themes—all feature in The Divine Force in abundance, and I’d be disappointed if they didn’t! Within the first few tracks, we can hear every one of those elements: a slow, pensive intro in “Flickering Flame,” the excitement of “A Ray of Hope,” and a sense of danger and adventure in “Premonition” and “Turbulent Transport”. This four-disc OST twists and turns and often says, ‘You’re about to go for a wild, science fiction ride.’
What does strike me about The Divine Force‘s soundtrack is its increased use of a more orchestral sound. Prior Star Ocean soundtracks leaned further into the electronics and synths, and whilst they are absolutely still present here, the more organic sounds are sharing that space. “Pounding Heart” has some great, tense string work and apt drums, considering the title of the track. “Endless Journey” and the final tracks of disc one feature some beautiful guitar alongside wind instruments that sound very fresh for a Star Ocean game. “Sea Breeze Sings Sweetly” is a jaunty, summery tune full of lovely flourishes and bursts and swells of strings. The prevalence of acoustic guitars is common throughout the OST’s first two discs and helps give this entry its own musical identity.
“Fertile Soil” opens disc three with a classic, rousing sci-fi sound with rolling drums and time for each instrument to shine. “The Black Knife” is another personal high point, featuring a dramatic, ominous beat that underpins one of the most epic-sounding tracks here.
Those more wild, synthy tracks are still here and sounding just as full-on as you’d expect from the series. “Special Delivery, Coming in Hot” is one of the first examples, layering electronics with guitars and a driving beat. “Bravery Flows Where Flesh Meets Steel” sounds like it could be lifted straight from The Second Story’s OST and brings the nostalgia, calling back to earlier entries in the series while making the production more current. “Troublemaker” in its two iterations brings a spacey beat and poppy synths, and “For What We Hold Dear” showcases a myriad of pounding beats, electronics, and guitar sounds that clash in such a fantastic way. When this soundtrack gets it right, it’s very right.
It’s not all positive here, however; there are certainly some tracks that feel less effective to me and don’t seem to add much to the OST as a whole. “Afternoon Sun” from early on disc two starts pleasantly enough but doesn’t really go anywhere. “Walking on Air” has a strange sound forming part of its rhythm section that becomes quite grating by the end of its three-minute runtime. In fact, it’s the slower, less layered, and more atmospheric tracks here that I find more forgettable in the context of the wider soundtrack. “Writhing” and “Extinguished Flame” are other offending tracks, though many of these pieces are thankfully confined to disc two.
For a slower track that does it right, see “Intrigue of the Ancient Ruins,” which highlights a range of instruments through its various, distinct sections which certainly do give it a sense of intrigue. “The Scorpium” is another great atmospheric track toward the end of the OST on disc four, which also houses many of the game’s other more heavily electronic pieces, the mid-tempo pulsing beat of “Paladurnia” being another peak here.
An aspect I always enjoy about Sakuraba’s work that is particularly evident in Star Ocean soundtracks is the way he uses vocals, often in a choral style, as another instrument and layers them in amongst so many other sounds, creating a wall-of-sound effect. “Dance of the White Blade” is a great example of this, where layers of instruments and vocals are used to create something that inspires a sense of danger, determination, and awe. “Millennial Capital” utilises a similar method of layering but here for a location theme and so it is more restrained and lush. However, some of these pieces are so dense and dramatic that they do begin to sound very similar to each other, a trait I also recognised in Sakuraba’s work on Dark Souls. It’s a shame, because initially they hit with a nice amount of power, but they can descend into indistinct noise—“Dwellers in the Dark” and “The Divine Force” are guilty of this. There is such a thing as too much.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force’s OST is one of change. Each disc has its own sound here, as the game moves from more traditional fantasy on disc one, delivered with richness, joy and freshness; through to disc two where most of the slow, ponderous tracks are that, although short, still overstay their welcome by plodding along without changing, adding or removing in order to hold the listener’s attention. Across discs three and four, you’ll find high energy, drama, layering of either instruments or electronics, and often a great sense of urgency as the fantasy gives way to sci-fi.
I admire The Divine Force‘s ambition to change up the formula of a Star Ocean soundtrack, and I believe it mostly succeeds in this whilst still featuring tracks that sound quintessentially of the series. I welcome the increase in space given to the orchestra and the more synth-heavy tracks are generally also top-notch. I just feel the composition of some of the slower numbers could be more interesting, and it’s disappointing that there are so many tracks applies to. Still, Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a worthy continuation of the series’ musical legacy.
