After being announced during a recent Nintendo Direct, Sea of Stars is finally set to release on 29th August. From developer Sabotage (OG Ninja Gaiden 2D side scroller The Messenger), it promises to deliver a modernized experience of classic RPG systems.
It’s a game that piles new ideas on top of solid RPG foundations. Join us as we play through a chunk of the game and try to understand its many systems.
Combat
Taking its cues from classic RPGs like Chrono Trigger, Sea of Stars blends modern game design with nostalgia. It promises engaging turn-based combat, immersive storytelling and interactive exploration in its handcrafted pixel art style.
Timed hits, combo attacks, boosting and spellbreaking are some of the many features that will make battles in Sea of Stars fun and exciting. Enemies attack independently, but a row of locks will sometimes appear above them that show the types of attacks they will unleash next. Breaking these locks will weaken or cancel their attacks, making it easier to deal damage.
Boss fights will also have their own unique challenges that will prevent them from becoming rote and boring. These will include manually scripted phases and events that can dramatically alter their attack patterns.
Leveling up
Sea of Stars Game is the latest indie console turn-based RPG from Sabotage Studio, creators of 2018’s retro platformer The Messenger. Featured in the latest Nintendo Direct alongside Dead Cells and Castlevania, it’s an adventure with a unique charm that brings back the feeling of classic JRPGs.
Its combat challenges players to coordinate adaptive strategies while thwarting opponents with pre-emptive attacks. There’s no grind to unlock a character’s true potential, as progression is balanced to flow along the story’s events and prioritize meaningful encounters over enduring dozens of the same fight.
Its world of mystical creatures and colorful characters is explored with untethered traversal. Swim, climb, vault and hoist off ledges with a navigation system rooted in platformer expertise that breaks free from the traditional bound-to-the-grid tile-based movement.
Skills
Sea of Stars wears its inspirations on its sleeve with a turn-based combat design that features a unique multi-character combo attack. It also boasts a navigation system that relies on platformer expertise to break free of the classic bound-to-the-grid tile-based movement of most JRPGs, allowing you to swim, climb, vault and hoist yourself up ledges as you traverse the world.
Some attacks require a timed button press to increase damage, encouraging the player to be an active part of each battle. Sea of Stars also boasts a variety of puzzles that mix traversal and brain power to be solved.
The game does not feature a traditional grind and character progression flows naturally alongside the story, though your party can level up and increase their Stats during battles.
Items
Sea of Stars Game is set in the same universe as The Messenger, though Boulanger wouldn’t share much more about how the two games are linked either thematically or narratively. It’s also set to feature a day/night cycle that players can manipulate manually, which will help with puzzles and further tie the world together.
The retro-inspired pixel art visuals in Sea of Stars Game are augmented with modern techniques such as dynamic lighting. For instance, certain attacks will explode with light, and walking past lamps will cast jumpy shadows on the characters’ faces.
Valere and Zale can climb ledges, swim in water, and push blocks to traverse environments more easily than traditional RPGs. This level of movement helps mitigate the attrition that results from frequent combat encounters and allows players to enjoy the world more fully.
Endless Adventure
The game’s pixel art visuals are one of its key selling points, but Sea of Stars also takes some cues from more modern games. Dynamic lighting, weather effects and even the manipulation of the sun and moon make the world feel alive.
While the game wears its Chrono Trigger inspiration on its sleeve, Sabotage Studio wants to give players an experience that feels fresh. This includes a break from grid-based movement and unique battle mechanics like multi-character combo attacks.
Players will take on the role of Valere and Zale, Children of the Solstice who can perform Eclipse Magic to defeat the evil Fleshmancer. They will embark on an epic adventure across parallel worlds to unravel a grand story and its mysteries. Sea of Stars will launch on August 29 on PC (via Steam) and consoles. It will be a free day-one release for PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra members.