JRPG fans have a certain affinity for the 1990s, and for a good reason really. Countless classic RPGs released in that decade across myriad consoles, and many of these games provided experiences that we've been trying to recapture for years. Chrono Trigger, a fan favorite title that has cast a long, wide shadow over the genre for thirty years, has served as an inspiration for loads of games, especially in the indie scene. Sea of Stars, developed by the wickedly talented Sabotage Studio, is perhaps the most high profile of these releases, and quickly proved itself to be a modern genre classic.
Set in a ridiculously beautiful fantasy world, Sea of Stars aimed to replicate that timeless Chrono Trigger energy, and as far as I'm concerned, it largely succeeded. The combat is phenomenal, and really serves as the heart of the entire experience. The pixel art graphics are among the prettiest visuals that I've ever seen in a video game. I loved exploring the game's world and seeing all of the gorgeous vistas and wildly creative characters and creatures. The story is bold and grander than what I was expecting, and it spans multiple universes and timelines. The lead characters themselves are the only aspect of the game that had me coming away feeling somewhat underwhelmed.
The story is centered around Zale and Valere, who are Solstice Warriors. They have elemental abilities based around the eclipse: with Zale having solar powers, while Valere is attuned to the Moon. They're trained to use their potent abilities to defeat Dwellers, which are horrific monsters created by The Fleshmancer, an almost deity-like, immensely powerful alchemist. Along their adventure, they gather an entire crew of friends, each with their own motivations. I'm not going to delve into every nook and cranny of the story, as there are some really solid twists and turns throughout. I think my chief complaint is that the accompanying party is much more compelling than Zale and Valere, like by a mile. I can't talk about all of them at depth, because of spoilers, but their childhood friend, Garl, who is the first party member, easily could've been the protagonist of this game, and I actually think there's an intriguing case to be made for that. The powerless, kind-hearted boy who grows up alongside two avatars of their respective elements, and how he compares and contrasts with them and their responsibilities. Garl was an incredible character and easily my favorite from the cast.
While Zale and Valere are awesomely designed characters, they just lack substance. I feel like you could try to make the excuse that it's because Zale and Valere are supposed to have greater ambitions and more important things to worry about, so they could have sheltered, undeveloped personalities; but that was never stated or even implied, so I can't infer that that was the intended way to read the two leads. It feels like they are the protagonists because the plot is written around their powers, not because they're well developed enough characters to carry an ambitious story like this.
Sea of Stars' gameplay is definitely its strongest element. Out in the world, while you're exploring and navigating, there are fun ways to traverse your environments and puzzles to solve, which adds just a little extra personality to the game. While the combat is turn-based, it features button prompts that lend a more dynamic, action-toned edge to the flow. If you've played something like Paper Mario or a Mario & Luigi game, it's somewhat similar to that that style. For instance, when you go to use a default attack, you can press the button again right as your character is landing the blow, and you'll immediately follow the attack up with an additional strike. There are also amazing combo moves that can be used in conjunction with your party members. One of my favorite moves is a team-up between Zale and Garl, where Zale fires a giant ball of solar energy at Garl, who uses his pot lid shield to shatter the ball and deflect the energy back at the boss. Another awesome move involves Zale and a late game alchemist/mage character who combine their abilities to create a giant flame tornado that you can freely move around the battlefield to hit targets.
Another neat feature of Sea of Stars' combat is the Lock system, in which enemies will have an elemental shield that must first be broken by an attack of the corresponding type; like an opponent with a Moon block, would need to be attacked by one Valere's elemental attacks, before that enemy could take damage from anyone else. It's a simple, but satisfying little puzzle that adds something extra to the back and forth dance of combat. I love seeing these types of fresh gameplay innovations in the turn-based RPG, they help breathe new life into one of gaming's oldest, most storied genres.
Sea of Stars also boasts a wonderful, atmospheric soundtrack that perfectly suits the vibrant, diverse locales that you're traveling through. To really add to the game's Chrono Trigger inspiration, Sabotage Studio even recruited Chrono Trigger's acclaimed composer Yasunori Mitsuda to work on some select tracks. The entire soundtrack really comes together in a special way that will add to your enjoyment of the game, and probably keep you listening to it well after you've completed your adventure.
Sea of Stars is an excellent all-around package of a video game. You can feel the passion and love in this game, as Sabotage Studio sought to capture the same lightning in a bottle that led to Chrono Trigger. While I don't think Sea of Stars necessarily reaches those lofty goals, I think it certainly landed higher than many other similar RPGs who tried for the same thing, and it certainly managed to recreate the general experience of playing Chrono Trigger. The energetic, flashy combat, beautiful soundtrack and unique, charming story come together to make a contemporary RPG classic that is definitely worth both your time and your money.
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
Post a Comment