Star Ocean' Never Achieves Liftoff 7 July 2016, by Lou Kesten

Review: 'Star Ocean' never achieves liftoff 7 July 2016, by Lou Kesten

That's not a bad idea, but Faykreed is such a drab little dump that it's dispiriting to realize you'll barely get a chance to escape. Instead, you'll find yourself dragging Fidel and Miki across the same locations over and over, killing mostly hapless monsters via an awkward battle system.

"Integrity and Faithlessness" is short for an RPG—about 20 hours—but it still seems padded. And in its refusal to adopt the genre's modern trappings, like the ability to save anywhere or teleport between locations, it's hopelessly stodgy. One-and- a-half stars out of four. This video game image released by Square Enix shows a scene from, "Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness." __ (Square Enix via AP) "Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE" (Nintendo, for the Wii U, $59.99) is another old-school RPG, but it's so much livelier. It's a peculiar mash-up of two classic What would you expect from a role-playing game Japanese franchises, Intelligent Systems' "Fire called "Star Ocean"? Interstellar exploration? Emblem" and Atlus' "Shin Megami Tensei," and it Thrilling outer space combat? Encounters with should even appeal to players who have never weird aliens from across the universe? heard of either.

"Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness" (Square The game begins in a Tokyo TV studio, where Enix, for the PlayStation 4, $59.99) has none of aspiring singers are lining up to audition for an that. Instead, it delivers a disappointingly planet- "American Idol"-style program. Turns out, though, bound experience that never quite lifts off. that the Simon Cowell of this operation is an otherworldly Mirage bent on mining a precious The planet in this case is a little rock called substance called Performa from the talent. Faykreed, whose three nations are locked in war. The protagonist, Fidel, is a young swordsman Our heroes, a boy named Itsugi and a girl named dedicated to protecting his hometown with the help Tsubasa, get the attention of some more of a childhood pal, the magic-wielding Miki. After a benevolent Mirages—legendary characters from strange girl named Relia lands in their country, "Fire Emblem." Together, they must venture into a Fidel and Miki soon realize the conflict extends far different dimension, the Idolasphere, to rescue the beyond their little backwater. innocents that have been possessed.

One faction chasing Relia is the Pangalactic The Idolasphere scenarios are terrific, mixing Federation, and if that reminds you of "Star Trek," cleverly designed puzzles with an energetic combat you get the idea. "Integrity and Faithlessness" is system. You control up to three Mirage Masters, like a "Star Trek" episode in reverse: Instead of taking turns wielding weapons or casting spells, watching Captain James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, and the strategy required is so unpredictable that you're the clueless local who gets to hear their the fights never get old. debates about whether to violate the Prime Directive. Nimbly mixing action with a lighthearted satire of

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Japanese pop culture, "Mirage Sessions" is an utter delight. Three stars out of four.

More information: staroceangame.com/us/ www.nintendo.com/games/detail/ … ge-sessions-fe- wii-u

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