This news has apparently been floating around for a few days, but I just heard about it last night; the Western and Asian versions of this game are going to look really different.
The anime portraits in the Western version will be replaced by CG portraits, and the menus aren't going to be all clear and bright coloured, but all dark blue with more CG images. :/
Take a look:
Siliconera article
I find it a bit disappointing.
I suppose they must think the anime look will not appeal outside of Japan... but from what I have observed from the fan base of Star Ocean games is that they are often also anime fans who appreciate the stories and art style. I have also noticed that most other J-RPG fans are anime fans, and that people who are not generally interested in J-RPGs but may be swayed by a game not having an anime style are unlikely to start playing a long-established series on the 4th game.
It's like "well replacing cute anime characters with hard-edged CG characters worked out so well for Bomberman Act Zero that we had to get in on the act!".
(Bomberman Act Zero was a terrible game which received fittingly bad reviews, and the departure of the art style from "cute and cartoony" to "industrial cyberpunk armoured cyborg" was criticised as much as the game flaws)
