Developed by Sabotage Studio, Sea of Stars was another crowd funded Kickstarter success and a solid standout entry in the heavy hitting line up of 2023 game releases.
Gameplay
A heavily inspired title, Sea of Stars draws influence from excellent retro titles such as Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG. You can expect to see enemies on the area maps and engage in turn-based combat directly on the scene. The usage of timed hits and defends makes for engaging and often tense battles. Though, rarely did I feel the need to grind, you are able to respawn enemies by leaving and re-entering an area. Players can expect to level up and make choices in building their characters abilities to their liking. The game does offer open-world exploration but it is designed as a linear experience. You will utilize items, gear and cooking recipes to make the best of your adventures. Sea of Stars has a large amount of boss fights that are fair and balanced and will put your abilities to the test. Similar to Chrono Trigger you can use combo attacks with your party members however, unlike Chrono Trigger you can swap party members in and out during combat much like you would in Pokemon. My personal feelings are I wish there were a few more abilities to use because I often ended up only using a few main abilities myself for each character. You can take advantage of a bonfire mechanic to replenish your party's health and mana.
Music & Sound
Sabotage studios was able to get legendary composer Yasunori Mitsuda to contribute a number of tracks to Sea of Stars which really helped encapsulate the nostalgic feel and vibe of the game. In combination with in-house composer Eric W. Brown the music is on point and gives a great soundscape that is a pleasure to listen to through each area and boss fight. You never feel the music unsuiting and you're always excited to hear the next track when it comes in. The sounds are satisfying and every timed hit is punctuated by a timing indicator noise that sits just right in the mix. I loved the sounds of Sea of Stars and the music especially compliments this beautifully rendered game.
Story
Taking place within The Messenger universe, Sea of Stars story visits a few different themes including: grief, growth, friendship, pirates and of course the always cliche - saving the world. Your adventure will take you to a variety of locations and biomes including snow, dessert, tropical islands deep deep under the ocean and many more! You follow the story of two heroes named Valere and Zale who possess the powers of the moon and the sun which they harness to fight evil forces. Your journey is adjoined by several companions you meet along the way. I think my personal favourite was Garl who is the childhood friend of the main characters and is the main chef of the party and an enthusiastic and positive influence on the group throughout. Sea of Stars does a great job of incorporating a few mind bending elements such as time travel along the way to create a rich and entertaining experience for the player. The storytelling is strong and delivers the point but can often be a bit overly cheery and some of the character development was not mature enough for my taste but there are many parts that left a great impact as a whole.
