Tech demo from Tri-Ace (looking good)

Nim · April 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cuXgRVMvZ0

This is a technical demo trailer of real-time physically-based rendering on current generation consoles. The contents in the video are not related to our developing titles at all.

http://research.tri-ace.com/detail_1.html
Explains things about this demo. Running on Xbox 360/PS3 in real time

I really want to see what they are working on. I must admit I wasn't a big fan of Star Ocean: TLH or Infinite Undiscovery, but I did have some fun with these games. The tech demo shown looks mighty impressive and despite what the above quote says, I think a new Star Ocean game could be in the works.

Source: neoGAF

Wheels · April 2011

Interesting, this could explain why tri-Ace hasn't announced anything in awhile-working on new tech. I honestly hope they aren't doing another Star Ocean, unless Takayuki Suguro directs.

shoptroll · April 2011

I'm confused... how is 30 HZ = 720p?

EDIT: Looks nifty. Hopefully they'll talk about this at the next SIGGRAPH.

DarkRPGMaster · April 2011

That was beautiful. I can take this as either a new Star Ocean game, or a new IP.

Adriaan den Ouden · April 2011

Hopefully their game design abilities will improve in the same way their technical and artistic abilities apparently have. That was fantastic. If they can tighten up their level design and writing, they might be able to make a good game for the first time in six years.

Zaku77 · April 2011

I personally want a new star ocean. It's one of my favorite action rpg franchises, and last time they tried a new IP (IU) that didn't really go so well >_> lol

Nim · April 2011

Their last new IP was Resonance of Fate/End of Eternity.

TGBarighm · April 2011

Reverse psychology, eh?

"We're not working on a new game. This is just a demo that just so happens to take place in the Star Ocean universe."

Ah, well...I don't know anything about graphical tech, so maybe it is just a tech demo and the choice of Star Ocean really is more for fun, but it would be nice to see Tri-Ace get their act together. They can produce games with amazing graphics, great stories, and addictive gameplay, but they struggle to get all of it into a single game.

Cidolfas · April 2011

Despite the disclaimer, the Star Ocean theme plays throughout the whole piece. Hmm...

I love the potential of SO, it's just such a shame that they have so much difficulty getting the implementation right.

EmeraldSuzaku · April 2011

It obviously means that a FF7 remake is hitting the PS3 :P

Still, some nice lighting and depth of field. I liked how the light shifted across the door as it opened. The grass wasn't moving at all, which was mildly disappointing, but the hair animation was nice. And it looked like the shift from low-res to hi-res textures as the background objects came into focus was smooth. I wonder of some of the motion blur was to hide the transition or not.

ChickenGod · April 2011

Like many of you who already posted, I kind of have mixed feelings toward the next Tri-Ace game. On one hand, I really loved the SO series, and would be pretty excited with another installment even if I didn't like SO4 too much. I still look back on the hype I had for SO3, how much I enjoyed that game, and the impact it had on me at the time. Similarly, a Valkyrie Profile 3 would rocket up my (meager) list of upcoming titles I'm interested in, even if VP2 was a let down. Hopefully they can find that magic that made SO and VP so special again.

On the other, I honestly haven't enjoyed anything Tri-Ace has put out in many years like Omega said, including VP2, RoF, and IU to name a few. I have this feeling that they simply can't put together a game I'll like anymore, almost like Sonic games have seemingly become.

Oyashiro · April 2011

Looking good. I would love to see them make a little more mature Star Ocean game.

TheAnimeMan · April 2011

if this is a tech demo for an actual SO5. I'm pretty excited.

Aiddon · April 2011

definitely impressive (even if it isn't being used for the finished SO series). I'd like to see VP3 used with this tech.

Zaku77 · April 2011

I completely forgot about Resonance of Fate. I don't like that either though, so I leave my statement as is lol

Confessor Rahl · April 2011

There's gonna be a new Star Ocean game, make no mistake about it.

SiliconNooB · April 2011

Very impressive tech demo, especially for a JRPG engine. I never thought that a JRPG dev would be one of the first companies (after Crytek) to bring global illumination to the consoles.

That said, Tri-Ace need better writing more desperately than they need pretty graphics. Resonance of Fate was OK, but the Star Ocean narratives are really generic, it would be a shame to have the game look a million dollars only to have it play out like the same old Star Ocean.

DarkRPGMaster · April 2011

^Ironically, I'd prefer something on the lines of Star Ocean 2 in terms of story.

Alex Fuller · April 2011

I quite liked Infinite Undiscovery (although will readily admit there's nothing special and would easily understand others not liking it) and loved Resonance of Fate. I'd be ok with new SO as I really liked the whole of SO2 and the gameplay of SO4 (them being the only two I've played). Just as long as they write some less painful characters and story than The Last Hope...

Zaku77 · April 2011

I don't have an issue with the story of 4. My issue lies in the sometimes painful dialog. At the same time though, some of it was quite good, and many of the PAs were actually really funny. They have it in them, they just need less cringe, more awesome. I'd love to see Star Ocean game with the tone of a Valkyrie Profile. That would be something truly special <3

Nergal · April 2011

Looks good, though I'd really prefer they put their energies toward a new Valkyrie Profile TBH. SO4 had a great fun battle system- but the more I think about the overall package the less fond my opinion becomes. Infinite Undiscovery was in many areas the better game* (and one I constantly feel like pulling out again for some reason).

*

Spoiler:

And by FAR the better in terms of post-game dungeons!

SiliconNooB · April 2011

SO4 and UI were both entertaining enough, though decidedly average. By far their best output this generation was Resonance of Fate, though the battle system was not that accessible. I'm hoping that their future narrative style and VA direction most closely resembles RoF.

Rya_Reisender · April 2011

I just love tri-Ace. They haven't made a game for so long, though... and I didn't really like Resonance of Fate too much. But Star Ocean The Last Hope is one of my favorites (including the dialogues, c'mon guys have some sense of anime humor)!

SiliconNooB · April 2011

The dialogue was painful to my ears, I'm not some dirty Otaku.

Resonance of Fate sounded much more natural.

Rya_Reisender · April 2011

Resonance of Fate is lacking a real story, though. It's only hilarious dialogues one after the other.
I like in Star Ocean how it combines very serious story that you want to find out more about with very funny dialogues.

But then again I'm a dirty otaku.

SiliconNooB · April 2011

I couldn't see all the 'serious story' 'neath all the anime tropes.

TheLegendaryZoltan · April 2011

Oh MAN I hope they make Star Ocean 5 and Valkyrie Profile 3 with this technology. The truth is, however, that even though all the lighting and focus look more realistic, I can't really say that it creates a noticably "prettier" video than whatever lighting programs they used in Star Ocean 4. But being able to make a lighting program true to real life will definitely be useful for something in the future.

I totally agree with Rya. all you people who think Star Ocean 4 is too cheesy just don't understand us otakus. Hahaha. I think Mr. Reisender and I are going to be friends for a long time.

bain_nick · April 2011

The problem for me with the Star Ocean games (and to an extent, this is sort of the same with the Mass Effect ones for me as well), is you don't tend to get the feeling of war even when you're smack down in the middle of one. SO1 and 2 weren't that sort of game (though the big war in the first part of 2 felt lame as well), but 3 and 4 had wars going, but just didn't feel like there was one.

I LIKE exploring the worlds, but I sort of wish there was some more huge battles sort of thing going on.

My other love of a space game would be a Sim / RPG settler type game.
One can dream.

Nightfox · April 2011

Hey I didn't mind Star Ocean 4, so bring on the next game in the series any day. I don't think it will be the same director though since he sounded pretty burned out by claiming it was done with (though contradicted less than a year later by other people working with triAce). TriAce is an odd studio but I've always liked their take on game design, even with all the misses. Still Resonance of Fate was over a year ago and it's not usual for them to be so quiet so long, so they probably got put on R&D time.

As for this video, time to geek out: The time on his watch is July 5, 207X (can't make out the last digit, grr), which is squarely in the middle of the WW3 aftermath and before S.D. 0001. I'm not sure what the actual year of the first warp experiment was, but it could very well be at this time (since I've seen the game's S.D. 0010 date listed as 2087, which would put S.D. 0001 in the mid 70s, even though other literature says S.D. 0001 is 2087, depends which is correct). So these two characters are definitely time travellers, or observers of some sort - well I guess the girl being an alien is another giveaway of that. I mean, it's not just a rehash enivronment and souped up existing character designs like a lot of tech demos are. But then they never really said if SO4 (and future games) is outside the grasp of the Eternal Sphere following the weird ending in SO3, so that may be what they're going for here.

Anyways, I'll be expecting some game news from them soon, it's been too long :)

Aiddon · April 2011

Nightfox wrote: »

Hey I didn't mind Star Ocean 4, so bring on the next game in the series any day. I don't think it will be the same director though since he sounded pretty burned out by claiming it was done with (though contradicted less than a year later by other people working with triAce). TriAce is an odd studio but I've always liked their take on game design, even with all the misses. Still Resonance of Fate was over a year ago and it's not usual for them to be so quiet so long, so they probably got put on R&D time.

It was actually the series producer Yamagishi who said that. He said that they had taken the series as far as they could go and due to SO3 making a GIANT brick wall for any future narratives they decided to just end it all instead of cynically milking the series. The only supposedly contradictory comment came from Suguro (RoF, VP2's director), BUT he also said that shortly before SO4: International was being released, so he might have been referring to that. You're probably not going to see a new SO anytime soon, if ever. VP3 or a new game seem more likely

DarkRPGMaster · April 2011

If we have a VP3, it better damn well star Hrist. We already have 2 games starring Lenneth and Silmeria, so she's the only one left without a title for herself. Besides...

Spoiler:

In VP1 from what little you saw of her she was a total jerk, and didn't treat her Einherjar like people. But in VP2, she started off feeling that way, but then you saw that she does what she does because she's in love with Odin, and follows him blindly due to that love. But at endgame we saw her kinder side, showing that she does indeed care about people, but feels she has to be strict with them.

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Tech demo from Tri-Ace (looking good)

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