The latest from Sabotage, the creators of 2018's The Messenger, is a fantastic throwback that takes lessons from the best 16-bit RPGs of the past while ignoring all the annoying elements that makes some of those games hard to go back to. You can absolutely dive in blind, but I highly recommend reading this update on the game's Kickstarter page. Titled Prologue - The Two Alchemists, it basically lays the groundwork for the universe Sea of Stars takes place in and establishes two important characters I was grateful to have known more about when I started the game.
The world of Sea of Stars is beset by an evil, immortal alchemist known as the Fleshmancer and his minions, powerful monsters called Dwellers. The only people who can fight these terrible, nightmare-inducing bad guys are Solstice Warriors, children born on the summer or winter solstice who grow up learning how to harness their respective solar and lunar magic. Enter Zale and Valere, two brand new Solstice Warriors who set out on a journey to stop a powerful Dweller with their best friend and talented chef, Garl. As they traverse the many islands of their world, they meet an endearing cast of characters, some who join their party and others who play a supporting role. My favorite character wound up being Seraï, a mysterious assassin whose eventual backstory reveal comes alongside one of the coolest plot twists of the game.
It is, in effect, exactly like those 16-bit games many of us played in our youth, albeit with a 2023 tech glow-up, and that is perfectly okay. For some, this will be their favourite game of the year, and all the more power to you. For me, though, it's just lacking that little extra crunch to make it truly special. It's still the best game like Chrono Trigger I've played in a good long while, but to take a more modern example, it's also a bit Final Fantasy 16, in that it's exceedingly polished and well put together compared to what came before it, but it also lacks those weirder, rougher edges like those in Final Fantasy 15, say, to give it that loveable, quirkier sense of personality. There's certainly a lot to like about Sea Of Stars, and it does indeed capture those JRPG golden years to an absolute tee. But if you're less beholden to the glory of the genre's past, then you may wish its star burned just a little bit brighter.
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