I enjoyed this game overall but it's not flawless and while it attempts to reach the heights of classic JRPGs, namely invoking Chrono Trigger, it falls short.
Graphically this game is top tier and it's wonderful to look at from it's characters to varied environments. It's a feast for the eyes.
Music is overall good, it fits the game and you can tell they were trying to make it feel like a 16 bit inspired soundtrack which they did but at times I wonder if that actually held them back.
Gameplay and combat was ok. There's a lot of pressing A to get around the environments like the devs felt your thumb needed the additional workout outside of combat. Overall the areas are relatively linear and filled with light puzzles, nothing particularly exciting from a design perspective (graphically look great)
Combat is inspired by Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG with timed button presses that become relatively key to navigate bosses and enemies at time to interrupt their casting. It also helps keep you engaged but at times feels more like another puzzle that needs to be solved without much variety. Also later bosses become HP sponges with little move variety which makes them become stale as the combat basically never evolves past the 6 hour mark.
Story and characters is overall poor. The actual bullet points of the story and characters are fine but the actual writing and expansion of those ideas is incredibly poor. Most of the characters have very little personality which automatically turns Garl into the main characters most of the game having the only personality it seems and is the face. As the game goes on too the writing makes less sense, lacks explanation and feels ham-fisted in a lot of areas.
If you're a fan of old school JRPG's Sea of Stars is worth checking out but it's probably not a game you'll return to again like you would Final Fantasy 4/6 or Chrono Trigger.
Graphically this game is top tier and it's wonderful to look at from it's characters to varied environments. It's a feast for the eyes.
Music is overall good, it fits the game and you can tell they were trying to make it feel like a 16 bit inspired soundtrack which they did but at times I wonder if that actually held them back.
Gameplay and combat was ok. There's a lot of pressing A to get around the environments like the devs felt your thumb needed the additional workout outside of combat. Overall the areas are relatively linear and filled with light puzzles, nothing particularly exciting from a design perspective (graphically look great)
Combat is inspired by Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG with timed button presses that become relatively key to navigate bosses and enemies at time to interrupt their casting. It also helps keep you engaged but at times feels more like another puzzle that needs to be solved without much variety. Also later bosses become HP sponges with little move variety which makes them become stale as the combat basically never evolves past the 6 hour mark.
Story and characters is overall poor. The actual bullet points of the story and characters are fine but the actual writing and expansion of those ideas is incredibly poor. Most of the characters have very little personality which automatically turns Garl into the main characters most of the game having the only personality it seems and is the face. As the game goes on too the writing makes less sense, lacks explanation and feels ham-fisted in a lot of areas.
If you're a fan of old school JRPG's Sea of Stars is worth checking out but it's probably not a game you'll return to again like you would Final Fantasy 4/6 or Chrono Trigger.