Sea of Stars Is a Satisfying, Retro-Inspired RPG Sure to Delight Both New and Old Fans

I've never considered RPGs to be one of my top game genres, but the moment I saw a trailer for Sea of Stars, I knew I needed to play it.

The crisp and gorgeously animated pixel art looked fantastic, the music by Chrono Trigger composer Yasunori Mitsuda was exciting and evocative and best of all, the combat looked pretty fun—something that is usually make-or-break for me in an RPG. Since it was coming from the creators of the highly acclaimed action-platformer The Messenger, I knew it'd be surprising and polished while making fans of old-school RPGs very happy.

As of yesterday, Aug. 29, the game is finally out, and I can see the title lives up to the expectations I'd set and more. The team behind the game was kind enough to give me a Nintendo Switch key for review. Keep reading for what you should know about Sea of Stars.

Meeting the Solstice Warriors

Sea of Stars begins with the budding Solstice Warriors, the solar blade dancer Zale and the lunar monk Valere, who are each training to hone their powers of the sun and moon, respectively. They undergo their education at a special academy, where they (and they alone) hone the skills to face off against the powerful and malevolent Fleshmancer—should he ever return to their world after wreaking havoc many, many years ago.

When a powerful Dweller is unleashed, the duo team up with their best friend, the warrior cook Garl, to defeat it, eventually journeying all across the land, meeting new friends and foes and unlocking their full abilities along the way. What unfolds is a masterful tale of betrayal, dedication and the power of friendship, all told within an ever-expanding and increasingly fascinating world.

 

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Learning to Fight

I don't play a ton of RPGs, personally, since they're usually big time commitments and I'm often intimidated by more complex RPG systems, but Sea of Stars was easy to learn while taking a bit of time and dedication to master. Though there's complexity to the combat system, it's also pretty stripped down compared to other series, with no buffs and debuffs, and an emphasis on damage types.

It all starts off pretty simple. All of the battle action is turned-based, and both Zale and Valere have their basic melee attack, as well as magic-based skills that require MP to use and channel their sun and moon powers, respectively. The power of most moves can be enhanced with well-timed button presses, and you can prevent some of the damage done by enemy attacks by doing the same. Enemies also have numbers above their heads counting down turns until their next move, so you can strategically target enemies or predict incoming attacks. Sometimes, they'll also have symbols above their head letting players know which types of damage can be used to stun them temporarily, which can be hugely advantageous in dealing with heavy hitters. It's all about coming to understand enemies' weaknesses, as well as resistances, and knowing when to use which move or skill, and on which enemy, when.

(Sea of Stars via Sabotage Studio)

Of course, it's not always about being on the offensive. Healing and protective moves are also essential, and you'll want to balance spending your MP on attacks as well as defense. You can also cook up meals at bonfires that will restore health or MP, though using one will also use up one of your turns.

Over the course of the game, you'll also unlock combos, which see team members teaming up for stronger movies, as well as Ultimate moves, which open up after you take enough actions within a battle. These moves are mighty, with incredible animations that accompany them—though I will say the animations sometimes feel overlong, especially when you're using three or four of them across the span of a difficult and taxing battle. I'd love to be able to skip them from time to time, but the visuals are so great I never minded sitting through them too much.

(Sea of Stars via Sabotage Studio)

As you play, your party will also grow and change, but the fact you can only pick three characters for your battling party makes for all kinds of interesting battle scenarios. Every party member also has their own unique abilities and even elemental aspects that make their gameplay unique and their usage critical. While I'm the type of person who generally likes to stick with my favorite characters, I did find myself swapping often between them, especially as battles got more challenging and damage types became more important.

Every time you level up, all of your characters' stats also increase, and you get to pick a bonus stat to enhance to better tailor your characters to your style of play. Conveniently, since experience is shared, you don't have to worry about using your characters in equal measure to ensure they stay at a competitive level. Certain combos will also allow you to swap party members mid-fight, which adds another fun layer of complexity.

You can also strengthen your characters by swapping out their equipment, from new weapons and armor, as well as various accessories. Each has pros and cons while further allowing you to customize these characters. They can also be found or purchased in shops, so make sure to manage your gold wisely. This includes knowing that your money is capped out at 999, so you do not want that extra cash to go to waste.

(Sea of Stars via Sabotage Studio)

And speaking of money, ingredients and dishes are also a critical part of the journey. Whether you find them in picnic baskets, purchase or cook them, you can carry up to 10 at a time, and they have the power to restore health or MP or even revive a KO'd party member. While I often find myself hoarding these types of healing items in other games, never getting around to using them, I felt that the system in Sea of Stars compelled me to use food items often, not just by giving me ample ingredients but by promising newer, better dishes and forcing me to eat something from my full inventory to make room for them.

 

Getting Around

While the core battle mechanics of an RPG are super important, what you do as a player outside of fighting is also crucial, and the exploration in Sea of Stars is somehow just as memorable as the combat itself. It only took moments for me to be hooked on just getting around, and I've never played an RPG with such fluid movement, within a world that was so fun to navigate in and of itself.

In addition to running and jumping about, there's a bit of Uncharted-style climbing and wall-strafing that make the world seem that much more alive, in addition to crossing narrow paths, with a bunch of puzzle-solving thrown in for good measure. Traversal consistently feels slick, and the game never requires super fast response times or platforming abilities, and succeeding—both in and out of battles—always feels knowledge-based rather than technically skilled-based.

(Sea of Stars via Sabotage Studio)

Even better, the further you get into the game, there's even more to do as you acquire new abilities. The Mistral Bracelet allows for moving blocks, while the Graplou grappling hook lets you cross chasms, grab switches or even shoot at enemies for a slight advantage going into a battle. Eventually, you'll even be able to manipulate time, and therefore the positions of the sun and moon in the sky, in order to solve various puzzles. 

(Sea of Stars via Sabotage Studio)

 

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Coming Alive Within the Sea of Stars

I'll admit that for the first couple of hours, though the story was cute, I was slightly irritated with how slowly it moved and how the beats weren't doing anything groundbreaking. It wasn't long before I got through it all and my patience had paid off. Once the story and gameplay get rolling, they don't stop, and even the extended narrative beats are worth the time (though I do wish there was a way to get through them faster and get back to kicking monster butt).

This is a narrative that's also fully aware of when it's being predictable and following all of the classic RPG clichés, taking a tongue-in-cheek approach.  There's even a character called Captain Klee'shaë. Of course, it does an even better job of subverting tropes and doing the unexpected in a way that's genuinely gripping. Over the course of the game, I came to care for so many of the characters in a way I didn't expect, and the story broke my heart on more than one occasion.

(Sea of Stars via Sabotage Studio)

It also helps that this is one of the best-looking titles I've seen all year. Every aspect of this game looks incredible. The characters are adorable and super expressive, the lands are often awe-inspiring and enemies range from small and cute to massive and legitimately terrifying. The dynamic and beautiful pixel art was one of the main things that initially drew me to Sea of Stars, and throughout my long playthrough, it never failed to impress me.

(Sea of Stars via Sabotage Studio)

The overworld map is also extra charming. Not only does it serve as a way to get characters from place to place, but it also allows for some unexpected methods of movement. For example, giant rock statues might toss (or kick) you across the map, and later, a sailing ship is used to move from place to place.

(Sea of Stars via Sabotage Studio)

The music is also top-notch, with each new area coming alive thanks to lively tracks that get the heart pumping. The main battle tune is especially memorable, and getting into it still felt exciting no matter how long I kept playing.

It also feels more fair than most RPGs I've played. Anytime I got stuck on a tricky boss, I felt that I just had to play more smartly to succeed. It's not a grindy game, and while you could hang out in one area to farm experience, it's so much more beneficial to simply move ahead and watch the story unfold (while fighting enemies that grant experience that correlates with your level growth).

If at any point the game is proving to be too much of a challenge, there are also various Amulets you can purchase and activate for different helpful effects. The Amulet of Storytelling, for example, drastically increases your max HP and automatically heals you after every battle, whereas the Guardian Aura makes enemies' attacks do 30% less damage. Once I acquired the Sequent Flare, which lets you know when you've correctly timed an attack or block with a little star and sound effect, I never turned it off because I found it so useful.

And if you ever find yourself a little stuck on where to go next, the map will mark your destination with a star, and you can set up a camp near any bonfire and talk to your crew for hints on what you should do or who you need to speak with to further your adventure.

(Sea of Stars via Sabotage Studio)

At one point, the game opens wide, allowing players to either explore to their hearts' content and unlock further mysteries of the world or to head straight to the final confrontation. Eager to see where everything was headed, I opted for the latter, and I was not disappointed.

Not only did the ending area feel like a great culmination of the game, bringing together its puzzles, battles and narrative in a really rewarding way, but the finale was a complete surprise, turning the game on its head in a way that was fast-paced, fun and super satisfying. I got to the end credits in just over 23 hours, but since then, I've gone back in and sunk another three-ish hours into the game, and I feel like there's a ton more for me to dig into. There's also a whole New Game+ I haven't even touched—and I still need to find out what the collectible Rainbow Conchs do!

 

Sea of Stars is out now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles and Windows for $34.99. If you're not ready to commit just yet, demos are also available on all platforms.

 

For more on the games I've loved this month, click HERE to read my review of The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood.