Sea of Stars

🎮 Steam ⏳ 35 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Stunning Retro Presentation #

This title is a beautifully crafted homage to classic 16-bit JRPGs like Chrono Trigger and Golden Sun. Its pixel art is stunning, filled with rich detail, dynamic lighting, and smooth animations that make every location feel alive. The soundtrack, composed by Eric W. Brown and featuring contributions from Yasunori Mitsuda, perfectly complements the game’s nostalgic tone while offering memorable melodies that elevate key moments. Particularly speaking this all may not sound like a big deal, but when it comes to the atmosphere and overall artistic value of this title, this is one of the best out there solely because of it’s presentation and OST.

Modernized Turn-Based Combat #

The turn-based combat adds modern twists to familiar mechanics, such as timed button presses, combo attacks, and a “locks” system that encourages strategic thinking. This mechanic feels a lot like the ones you see on Mario RPG on the SNES or the Paper Mario on the N64 platforms, it is very satisfying and simple enough to make it engaging. Exploration feels rewarding, with optional activities like fishing, cooking, and puzzle-solving breaking up the pace of the main quest. The world design strikes a balance between linear storytelling and moments of freedom that invite curiosity, especially because it uses things like a world map to explore, with a lot of obviously hidden secrets out in the blue for you to try and find a way there.

Shallow Yet Charming #

However, the narrative and character development don’t always reach the same heights as the game’s presentation. This is especially bad because Garl exists, he is so much more charismatic than the rest of the group that it feels unfair. The protagonists are likable but somewhat shallow, and the story’s pacing can feel slow in the early hours. Customization is also limited, with few ways to meaningfully alter your party’s abilities or combat approach over time, though this is a good thing if you prefer focusing on the other elements despite the simplistic combat.

Heartfelt Classic Tribute #

Despite these flaws, this game succeeds as a heartfelt and polished tribute to a beloved era of RPGs. It captures the charm and warmth of its inspirations while offering enough refinement and flair to stand on its own. This is a must-play for anyone who misses the magic of classic adventures told through pixel art and music, especially if you are a fan of the classics. I consider this one of the best RPGs that I’ve played, but I just can’t say “of all time” due to some rough edges, and I know a lot of people ended up disappointed way more than me.

Shared-Universe Adventure #

This title also lives inside of the same universe as “The Messenger”, and it shows, you get immersed on a lot of it’s elements if you are familiar and played this one (which I immensely recommend), and it is a nice nostalgic experience. In my opinion, this title is quite amazing, very few games can tackle the challenge of making simple enough RPGs, with good enough elements. Overall it doesn’t blow you away in any of it’s aspects, but the sum of the elements makes up for an incredible experience. It has some shocking events through the journey but I won’t spoil anything since it would ruin the experience.