Are there romance options in Star Ocean: The Divine Force? Answered

The sci-fi JRPG series Star Ocean is well known for its colorful cast of characters, with plenty of players getting invested in their interpersonal relationships and, occasionally, romances over the years. These sweeping space operas have long held a special place in the hearts of their fans, and Star Ocean: The Divine Force looks set to deliver yet more interplanetary excitement.

Following the story of Raymond and Laeticia, Star Ocean: The Divine Force will also feature extra party members to spend the duration of your travels with. But one question lingers in the minds of avid fans — can you smooch ’em?

Related: When is the release date for Star Ocean: The Divine Force? Answered

Romance in Star Ocean: The Divine Force

Romance has never played out in the Star Ocean games quite as it does in more modern RPGs like The Witcher and Mass Effect. Where those games have their explicitly romance-leading conversation paths and actions, usually culminating in a steamy night together on the back of a unicorn or something similar, the Star Ocean games use Affection Points. This is a behind-the-scenes metric of how well characters get along with each other. Star Ocean: The Divine Force seems to follow the series’ grand tradition in this way.

Affection Point values are most often affected by Private Actions — opportunities to split your party up and hang out together in towns and cities that provide little vignettes and scenes between characters to deepen their relationship and shed some light on characters’ motivations and personal history. Get a party member’s AP value high enough and you may score an extra scene or two, or influence a character ending. It’s certainly a slightly more transactional approach to character relationships — make the number go up, characters are friends now — but it can lead to some fun scenes and makes any blossoming romances that much more meaningful in some ways.

The way friendships and romances form in Star Ocean: The Divine Force is made even more interesting by the game’s Double Hero system. The two protagonists, Raymond and Laeticia, will have their own travels and their own fellow party members to get to know on their adventures, so your romantic options will vary significantly between the two stories.