An Old School RPG with a Wonderful Twist

A review of Sea of Stars, an RPG with tun-based combat and lots of puzzles

Hyderabad: 2023 is turning out to be a year of great indies, we have been already spoilt by the wonderful Tchia and Venba and now Sea of Stars joins the list with its spectacularly designed retro RPG experience. A game with turn-based combat, layers of exploration, and some wonderfully designed challenges – there is a lot here that differentiates the game from classic turn-based RPGs. For example, Sea of Stars excels at gradually unveiling its world and narrative to players as they embark on the adventures of two “solstice” warriors, wielding the powers of the sun and moon to battle monsters across the land.

Sea of Stars skillfully combines party-based combat with exploratory dimensions and intriguing puzzles, offering players a variety of biomes to explore as the solstice warriors journey across the map. In terms of combat, each character possesses distinct abilities, requiring players not only to launch attacks but also to defend against incoming strikes. The game achieves this through a time-based mechanism where precise button timing results in more potent attacks and defenses.

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While mastering the timing can be a bit challenging, with this mechanic, the game’s makers have ensured that players simply don’t just spam buttons and each round of combat has meaning. The enemies are quite varied and versatile too and their unique skills need players to strategize quickly and on the move.

In terms of the audio and visuals, Sea of Stars excels in both aspects. The quality is top-notch, and the music, which can be both buoyant and eerie depending on the in-game setting, enhances the overall experience.

As I progressed in the game, I found it becoming increasingly captivating, with time seeming to fly by as I fine-tuned my weapons, managed my inventory, and planned my attacks.

In my judgement, Sea of Stars stands shoulder to shoulder with similar games like I am Setsuna, and it’s truly refreshing to see a Kickstarter-supported project deliver such a high-quality gaming experience (I’m looking at you, the other crowdfunded game with a Star in its name).
I recommend you give this a try even though most of you might be ready for interstellar exploration with Starfield come next week.

Sneak Peek:  

Title	Sea of Stars
Developer	Sabotage Studio
Game Type	Single Player RPG with turn-based combat
Platforms	Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Price	INR 1,350 on Steam. Free on PS Plus Deluxe and Extra and Xbox Game Pass

Verdict (all scores out of 10):

Innovative Gameplay:	8
Game Handling & Quality	8
Value for Time	9
Value for Money	9
Overall	8.5

 

What Stands Out C	Fails to impress D
The characters, areas of the map, combat, and strategy are all top-notch here. The game is equal parts difficult and fun.	There’s very little here that isn’t good, but I would have liked some in-character dialogue during combat sequences because they are quite long.

There are very interesting non-playing elements here and the dialogue at times is fantastic. Elements of fishing, cooking, and stories by the fire are wonderfully told.

I simply couldn’t find anything else to nitpick over.