Disclaimer: I Kickstarted this game.
Sea of Stars is a game that takes obvious influence from RPG classics like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG. I had a good time playing through it, but grew tired of it before the end, and wasn't really compelled to put in the extra time required to get the true ending.
This is turn-based RPG gameplay with some clever twists. The characters have attacks and special abilities, each of which (along with defense) can be improved with a well-timed button press or a simple mini-game, as in Mario RPG. Characters also gain special combo maneuvers as you progress through the game, giving you a few more powerful options to leverage. Attacks and abilities also each have a type (or multiple types) that can match enemy special abilities to interrupt them. All of these options create a lot of variation and things to think about in each battle that make things feel dynamic and interesting. The well thought out resource systems also help things a lot -- special attacks use MP and regular attacks generate MP, creating a nice push/pull and combo power is generated by successfully completing the attack/defense mini-games.
I did find that I was getting a bit tired of the combat by the end. The mini-games get repetitive and the type matching becomes fairly rote. A few more abilities that mix things up a bit (one character has an ability to extend the timer on counter matching, but there isn't much else) would have gone a long way.
The art in Sea of Stars is amazing. Well done pixel art with great animations and great audio and effects to go along with it. The environments feel reminiscent of RPGs of the past while still having a charm and personality of their own. I liked exploring these places and interacting with the varied characters and enemies to be found within them.
The narrative has a lot of heart, but goes a bit too saccharine at times. A few major spoilery events are simultaneously extremely predictable and completely unmotivated in a way that stopped the finale from landing with me. Some of the characters are very flat (the main heroes especially) though the rest have some interesting aspects and cute or compelling backstories.
In the end, Sea of Stars overstays its welcome, stretching its systems and story over more game than they can support (as many RPGs do). Dungeons that are all a bit too long, mechanics that get a bit tiring, main plot events that feel unnecessary or vestigial, travel that is a bit too onerous. I liked my time with Sea of Stars but was more than finished by the time the credits rolled on the (non-true) ending.
However, if you want a nostalgic RPG that is well put together with some interesting mechanics, beautiful art, and a story that won't give you too many surprises, Sea of Stars is still a solid choice.
Sea of Stars is a game that takes obvious influence from RPG classics like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG. I had a good time playing through it, but grew tired of it before the end, and wasn't really compelled to put in the extra time required to get the true ending.
This is turn-based RPG gameplay with some clever twists. The characters have attacks and special abilities, each of which (along with defense) can be improved with a well-timed button press or a simple mini-game, as in Mario RPG. Characters also gain special combo maneuvers as you progress through the game, giving you a few more powerful options to leverage. Attacks and abilities also each have a type (or multiple types) that can match enemy special abilities to interrupt them. All of these options create a lot of variation and things to think about in each battle that make things feel dynamic and interesting. The well thought out resource systems also help things a lot -- special attacks use MP and regular attacks generate MP, creating a nice push/pull and combo power is generated by successfully completing the attack/defense mini-games.
I did find that I was getting a bit tired of the combat by the end. The mini-games get repetitive and the type matching becomes fairly rote. A few more abilities that mix things up a bit (one character has an ability to extend the timer on counter matching, but there isn't much else) would have gone a long way.
The art in Sea of Stars is amazing. Well done pixel art with great animations and great audio and effects to go along with it. The environments feel reminiscent of RPGs of the past while still having a charm and personality of their own. I liked exploring these places and interacting with the varied characters and enemies to be found within them.
The narrative has a lot of heart, but goes a bit too saccharine at times. A few major spoilery events are simultaneously extremely predictable and completely unmotivated in a way that stopped the finale from landing with me. Some of the characters are very flat (the main heroes especially) though the rest have some interesting aspects and cute or compelling backstories.
In the end, Sea of Stars overstays its welcome, stretching its systems and story over more game than they can support (as many RPGs do). Dungeons that are all a bit too long, mechanics that get a bit tiring, main plot events that feel unnecessary or vestigial, travel that is a bit too onerous. I liked my time with Sea of Stars but was more than finished by the time the credits rolled on the (non-true) ending.
However, if you want a nostalgic RPG that is well put together with some interesting mechanics, beautiful art, and a story that won't give you too many surprises, Sea of Stars is still a solid choice.