Sea of Stars is an ode to classic RPGs. I’m over 30 years old, and when I was about 10, I had access to some JRPGs from the SNES era. I happily played Breath of Fire, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Secret of Mana, etc. I believe there is nostalgia and fondness when we think about these simple yet remarkable works, which might explain why some people adored Sea of Stars, while others considered it a good game but not as bold or robust in its proposal.

Storyline

The game’s storyline is quite simple and straightforward. I won’t include any spoilers, but it’s set in a world with an Order that takes in babies born during the solstice period. Those born during the summer solstice are sponsored by the god Solen, while those born in the winter are sponsored by the goddess Luana. Solen is the solar god, and Luana is the lunar goddess (as we can deduce from their names).

In this context, Zale and Valere are born. It’s not very clear what they are, but they are treated as twins, suggesting some sort of sibling bond, even though there’s a months-long gap between their births. This implies either they don’t have a conventional birth (perhaps created by some deity) or were born to different women, but they are considered “chosen ones” destined to become Solstice Warriors.

In summary, there’s this Order of Solstice Warriors that trains these special children born during the summer and winter solstices. These children are left in the city of Mooncradle by the Great Eagle. It’s the warriors’ duty to fight the monsters in the world, which, if left unchecked, could become world-destroyers.

This is the spark for a series of adventures involving many allied characters who join the journey. The world is full of islands, and players will experience sea voyages to various locations throughout the story.

In the end, it’s safe to say that Zale and Valere go far beyond what conventional Solstice Warriors have done. They face numerous situations involving loyal allies, betrayals, many trials, disappointments, etc., before managing to overcome the desperate plight of their world (and others).

Gameplay

The game’s combat is reminiscent of Super Mario RPG from SNES, as the techniques allow you to press a button to increase damage if pressed in sync with the attack’s hit. There are combos between characters, evoking the style of Chrono Trigger. You can unlock additional combos as the story progresses, but you need to stay alert because combos are found in chests scattered around the world. Like many RPGs, the party can consist of three warriors, while others stay in reserve. The difference here is that the game allows you to switch characters during combat, which helps rotate injured characters or shift tactics depending on the enemies. This is useful due to a lock system (slightly reminiscent of Octopath Traveler) during enemy spellcasting. As long as the enemy has these locks, their defense is much stronger, and attacks won’t work properly.

Movement is smooth, and I didn’t encounter any gameplay issues. With practice, things improve. There isn’t a minimap or similar system. There’s a map, and you can even be guided to the next tasks by a star that appears on an unknown island or location on the map, but it’s not like modern games with a sidebar menu showing where to go and what to do, like a mini-summary of active quests.

Achievements

The game has achievements on Steam and other platforms. I played on Steam (I initially started on Xbox Game Pass, yes, I had to start over, even recovering my save file) and found most of the achievements plausible. Generally, you need to do things like fish all species of fish at least once, beat the Wheels minigame champions in towns across the world, collect all items, etc. I stopped when I was only missing one achievement, which involved defeating 10 bosses with a relic activated. This achievement is easier to obtain in a NewGame+, and since I already replayed everything due to my migration from Xbox Game Pass, a third consecutive playthrough was too much for me, even though I really enjoyed the game.

Note: There was an update in November 2024, a free DLC from the developers. I stopped playing, but I’m very excited. There are also new achievements, so let’s see later how to pursue them.

Graphics

The graphics are stunning. It’s a cartoon-like effect with other visual enhancements that left a great impression on me. I believe many games are returning to this style of graphics, like Hades, Octopath Traveler, etc., exploring visuals from a time when games were simpler but more fun. Realistic graphics aren’t always synonymous with more enjoyment; on the contrary, they can be demotivating because video games aren’t just about imitating reality—they’re about being well-crafted works of fiction.

Music

I loved the soundtrack. Besides Eric W. Brown and Vincent Jones, there were some tracks with special participation from the legendary Yasunori Mitsuda, the very composer of Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. It’s always great to have quality music in more recent works alongside the legendary classics embedded in many players’ imaginations.

Final Thoughts

I understand the game may not appeal to all audiences. I believe players over 30 years old, like me, are more moved by the work. I saw many people saying the story is simple, the game isn’t very challenging (I believe it can be since you can adjust the difficulty by using or not using relics), etc. As a husband, father, and full-time worker, I spent 50 hours practically completing almost everything in the game. So, 50 hours of life for someone in my situation is still a lot. There’s an entire generation of adults who can’t dedicate 120 hours to video games, and there’s also the factor of getting tired of them. I realized I enjoyed simulation games and now sometimes play them to relax (e.g., Flight Simulator or Euro Truck to enjoy beautiful landscapes). That’s my profile, though it may not be everyone’s, even those my age. However, having an extremely nostalgic and high-quality work is enough for me to give it a 10/10. Congratulations to Sabotage Studio for such a well-made and lovingly crafted game.

Sea of Stars is a throwback to SNES era JRPGs. It's seeking to capture the magic of Chrono Trigger, and largely it succeeds.

Sea of Stars looks and sounds incredible. There is amazing attention to detail in the world, the maps, and the aesthetic. Overall, just great.

The characters in Sea of Stars are fantastic, with distinct personalities, roles, and a little development over the course of the game.

The story is passable. I think this is one of the slight stumbles of the game. The story itself is relatively basic, following a predictable structure, and involving a lot of quests that don't always connect. There are moments it rises to greatness, particularly in the ways it depicts some of the more emotional moments, with dialogue-free cut scenes.

However, overall, I think the story is merely good, while most of the rest of the game is great.

I love the use of turn-based gameplay. I personally don't like the active button clicking in combat. I am both bad at it, and I think it interferes with the ways I like to play turn-based games. But, the systems in place work well and provide interesting challenges and choices to the player. Most people I think will love it.

Overall, the gameplay was great. I do think at times the skills and progression of your team can feel a bit off, with long gaps of little change, and then suddenly a new character joins and the whole rotation adapts. For some people this might be a bonus, but for me it did mean a few periods of the game started to feel repetitive.

A final note, I think the length of the game is perfect. You get a meaningful, and enjoyable story, in under 30 hours. If you want to experience the whole story, you get some solid rewards in game, and probably some story changes (I don't know I didn't do this). I loved that this game respected my time, no dungeon over stayed its welcome, the combats were less frequent, but tougher making my play sessions flow nicely.

Overall, if you are a RPG fan you owe it to yourself to try this Indie Gem. It lives up to the hype.