Star Ocean: The Divine Force details flight and combat abilities through D.U.M.A. and Vanguard Assault
Square Enix and Tri-Ace have released more details on Star Ocean: The Divine Force primarily focusing on the mysterious D.U.M.A. mechanical life form and how it will help players on the field and in battle.
D.U.M.A. was initially stored as cargo on Raymond's spaceship before it was shot down at the beginning of the game. It seems to be one of the focal points in the title's storyline due to its enigmatic nature and intentions.
D.U.M.A. imparts many useful tools to players throughout Star Ocean: The Divine Force. It can latch onto a character's back to give them flight capabilities, no matter if they are in town or out on the field. Gems that float in mid-air grant D.U.M.A. points can be collected to enhance D.U.M.A.'s abilities.
Plus, D.U.M.A. can scan the vicinity for nearby treasure chests through its Field Scan feature; it will also detect interactable objects too.
In combat, D.U.M.A. allows players to levitate in the middle of battle and execute a VA Attack through diving down on foes. This technique can push enemies back or inflict heavy damage. VA Attacks will have different effects depending on the character that uses them. For instance, Nina heals an ally when she executes a VA Attack in the trailer and Elena analyzes the enemy with her VA Attack.
Players can employ D.U.M.A.'s VA Attack in tricky ways, such as dodging out of their line of vision as they fly towards them to inflict a Blindside on them. When enemes are blindsided, they will be incapacitated momentarily in confusion and will take a lot more damage during it. An Aggression Radar mechanic is used to better time the dodges to execute a Blindside, so players can track which enemies have their attention on them.
VA Attacks can initiate combat encounters with a Surprise Attack too. A successful Surprise Attack will have the group of ambushed enemies blinded from the get-go. If enemies are defeated before their Blindside affliction wears off, greater rewards will drop from them.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force launches on October 27 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC (Steam).