2023-09-01 13:53:14
Sabotage Studio publishes its new title Sea of Stars on Xbox Game Pass.
Japanese RPGs of yesteryear they are something that, to this day, continues to create nostalgia in old-school gamers around the world. titles like Final Fantasy, Dragon Age o Golden Sun they created a school and formed a genre that is still valid today. So that, Sabotage Studio He decided to take note of this and create a title that would honor all of those, but adapting it to modern times. And that’s how it came about Sea of Starsthe title that has come to Xbox y Xbox Game Pass recently.
As we say, Sabotage Studio has been inspired by all that JRPG material available to create its own version of old-school turn-based RPGs. This is something they already did with The Messenger, inspired by titles like Shinobi or Ninja Gaiden. With a impressive art section, a lot of deep characters and an above average plotas well as all that classic gameplay you remember, Sea of Stars marks a return in style to one of the oldest game styles out there..
Children of the sun and the moon
Sea of Stars tells the story of two children named Valere and Zale. Both have been born with the powers of the sun and the moon, which makes them known as the Children of the Solstice. This fact means that both are destined to join a famous school of warriors who defend the world from monstrous creatures. Raised from childhood, learning to master the art of combat through the use of weapons and magic, our leading duo is entrusted with the task of face the Fleshmancer and his army of creations before they are able to devastate the world.
Although the history of Sea of Stars is full of clichés of the genre, especially if you’re a fan of the many JRPGs that have been released over 20 years ago, the classic story of good versus evil is one that never fails to narrate anything. Much of the story may sound familiar to us, but the rich character building that starts off right with the kids’ best friend, Garland it continues throughout each moment makes the narrative worthwhile and at times a little above average.
old school combat
At a playable level we are faced with a title that makes use of the turn-based combatbut innovate enough in order to reach the modern audience, which is certainly appreciated. With the usual options attack, skills, combos and itemsthe block system (which forces you to perform a series of blade, forceful or magical attacks based on the symbols placed on the heads of the enemies) It’s an interesting way to break the monotony of combatas it forces you to change your attack combinations to prevent the enemy from performing their own series of powerful attacks.
If we add to this the combined attacks that can be performed between the members of the group and the set of magical attacks, we have a whole repertoire at our disposal. Added to this is the ability to press the A button at the right time, which increases damage or blocks enemy attacks. This is something that we have already seen in other current role-playing games like Like a Dragon or Persona 5 Royal.
Following the line of modernizing this proven formula, Sea of Stars eliminates an aspect that has been highly criticized in RPGs of the past, such as random encounters. These have been removed, keeping most of the leveling up through story progression and combat against enemies that we see in the world. As someone who tries to play as many games as possible, the fact that Sea of Stars values the time the player spends in the game It is a much more than positive aspect and to be valued.
A world to explore
Traveling the world itself is a delight, thanks to the impressive pixel-art style graphics and dynamic lighting. We will be able to swim, climb and jump, allowing us to move more freely than in most RPGs.
Sailing, cooking and fishing They round out the core experience with some interesting mini-games and mechanics that definitely enhance Sea of Stars in a positive way. I especially like spending time fishing, as the simple but effective way in which Sabotage Studio has created its own form of this much-used secondary mechanic is perfect. After casting the hook, it is enough to direct the rod towards the shadows of the unsuspecting fish, which once hooked, we only have to keep the fish in a certain area to capture it.
conclusions
Sea of Stars is without a doubt one of the indie games of the year. He achieves everything he sets out to do, with Sabotage Studio managing to create a nostalgic and at the same time modern version of the classic RPG of a lifetime that fans of the genre will greatly enjoy (especially those of Golden Sun, the title of which he drinks and for the most part). Although some of the mechanics such as the puzzles may not be quite polished and the story is still somewhat cliché, the deep and well-developed characters, the impressive retro visuals and the great mix of combat mechanics make Sea of Stars a highly recommended game for anyone looking for this type of experience.
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Sea of Stars
34,99€
Pros
Wonderful art style Deep and well-built characters Fast and fun combat Launching day 1 on Game Pass
Cons
The plot pulls from many clichés of the genre Some not entirely polished mechanics
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