Star Ocean 5! That's all I can think of when I look at these screens and watch the video. These shots were thrown up on tri-Ace's research and development site to show off some fancy stuff that their latest engine can do. It is awfully reminiscent of something Star Ocean, wouldn't you say? I have no doubt the developer is working on the next title in the series, but is this it, or should we take them at their word when they say that it isn't related to anything they're currently working on? According to the site, here are some key features to remember while viewing the goodies.

  • It's rendered in real-time on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
  • It runs at 30Hz in 720p and is directly captured from the video output on the Dev Kit.
  • Real-time lighting and shadowing is used (no baked light maps).
  • Some key features are physically-based shading models, physically-based lighting and image-based global illumination.

Hit the break to check out the shots and the video demonstration.

Now, for some supposition. What if this actually is Star Ocean 5? One major thing comes to mind: grown ups! All the previous Star Ocean titles have had main characters that were teenagers, for the most part. This one seems to be more Mass Effect-like, dare I say it, in that this primary gentleman who is wandering around the under-used residence seems to be in his 20s or 30s even. What an interesting change. You know, as I was writing this, I've been mulling around the possibility that this is Star Ocean 5 in my mind...and you know what? Now I'm pretty sure it is and tri-Ace is trying to pull the wool over our eyes. There is no way all the time and know-how went into making this tech demo just to leave it fade into the bowels of time.

Also, don't miss the cameos by the heroes from the last two SO titles, Fayt and Edge.

If you believe it, it will come!