Sea of Stars

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 124 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 91 out of 124
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 124
  3. Negative: 19 out of 124

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  1. RowanBlack
    Sep 3, 2023
    5
    When I play Pixel retro games I compare them against my experience playing other graphical similar games from the ps1 aera. This one would be a mid ranking game of that time. While the sea of stars is solid I didn't find anything special enough about it when compared against games made 20 years ago. No voice acting, standard story beats, okay characters. Sea of stars was missing modernWhen I play Pixel retro games I compare them against my experience playing other graphical similar games from the ps1 aera. This one would be a mid ranking game of that time. While the sea of stars is solid I didn't find anything special enough about it when compared against games made 20 years ago. No voice acting, standard story beats, okay characters. Sea of stars was missing modern advancements that could have made it more than a mid tier game that could have been made over 2 decades ago. When compared against final fantasy 7 8 or 9, suikoden, xenogears, parasite eve; sea of stars doesn't shine as bright.… Expand
  2. kjloma
    Sep 3, 2023
    0
    The game is slow and boring with nothing to highlight except for the soundtrack
  3. MaeTico
    Aug 30, 2023
    7
    It's a nice, funny game, with excellent art, and an excellent soundtrack, but there's a lot of missed potential on the mechanics/combat system, and it definitely gets repetitive and you kind of lose interest halfway through just asking yourself, is it worth it?
  4. WithFieryTruth
    Aug 30, 2023
    7
    Fun game with nice pixel graphics and great music, but the text speed is extremely slow and there's no way to increase it. That's the only bad part of the game so far, but it's annoying enough to make me lower the score several points.
  5. eded9999
    Sep 2, 2023
    2
    Another game ruined by a "Dumb down the game for me" toggle on settings... just put that "Tale Relic" in ON and you're invincible... What's the point of play the game?
    Dropped until they add some hard mode or something.
  6. Carlax
    Sep 2, 2023
    1
    A game of which the only thing that stands out are the excellents graphics and art; a childish story with unbearable characters and slow combat without depth that gets very repetitive and boring.
  7. Sammouse
    Aug 31, 2023
    4
    Just finished the game, including all the post game content, true ending etc.

    For the first half, I was definitely enjoying myself. Sure the writing is bad, the story is boring and the characters are.. yeah. But whatever - the game was making up for that in spades with it's charm, beautiful graphics and the combat still felt fresh and interesting to me. Traversing the world was    Just finished the game, including all the post game content, true ending etc.

    For the first half, I was definitely enjoying myself. Sure the writing is bad, the story is boring and the characters are.. yeah. But whatever - the game was making up for that in spades with it's charm, beautiful graphics and the combat still felt fresh and interesting to me. Traversing the world was wonderful, dungeons felt well crafted and I was excited for what would come next. The game promises you a lot in those first few hours.

    By the end though, unfortunately I feel like this is a 5/10 game at most. What you experienced in the first few hours of gameplay is what you will experience for the next 20 something hours, and it is painfully tedious.

    To break it down into points -

    Exploration.
    The game gives you this massive open world to explore, but all you can do is walk around. You aren't amply rewarded for going off the beaten path or backtracking when you have some new abilities to use. Everywhere is completely locked off and you are railroaded to do the main story for the most part. I wasted a good few hours exploring until I realised that it was best to just finish the story and just go back to get what I need for post-game content when everywhere is unlocked. There are no secrets to find or well hidden upgrades until the very end.

    Dungeons.
    As you progress through the game, you get more and more tools with the potential to make dungeons an interesting experience with varied, interesting puzzles. However, the puzzles seem to be made for people with a room-temperature IQ and end up mostly being variations of sliding some boxes across the floor repeated ad nauseum. Literally one of the "puzzles" about 70% through the game is a match the cards game with a whopping 3 pairs of cards. Massive wasted potential here.

    Combat.
    By far the worst offender. The combat by end game is mind numbingly boring. The main reason being that the game is just way too easy, the final boss is about as challenging as the first boss (so, not at all). You can just turn off your brain and just cast spells, melee attack to regain mana and heal throughout the entire game. Another issue is there is just not a lot of depth in the combat system. From about the 40% point onwards, you will be using the same strategy for the rest of the game. I think a big reason for this is that it relies solely on the typing + card interrupt system and nothing else. There are no status effects, no buffs, no unique gear choices or anything to bolster the base system so your experience at the very start of the game is going to be the exact same at the very end.

    In conclusion, Sea of Stars feels like it took the surface details of other classics such as Chrono Trigger and Golden Sun giving you a familiar feeling, but completely misses what made those games actually good. It's a hollow, boring, beautiful shell of an RPG    … Expand
  8. Massraider
    Aug 30, 2023
    5
    A childish, naive plot. Standard mechanics. In my opinion, this game is overrated. I liked only the graphics.
  9. Yura2K
    Aug 30, 2023
    2
    Good sound and art, but no more, story, dialogs and characters are trivial, gameplay is boring 2/10.
  10. Ipurua
    Aug 30, 2023
    10
    Necesitaba este juego para quitarme el mal sabor de boca de Diablo 4, gracias Sabotage Studio por crear algo de calidad y no algo mediocre como el 99% de juegos de hoy en día.
  11. Dash_Bannon
    Sep 2, 2023
    4
    Average game

    the amount of glow-up reviews im seeing just boils my blood ; either by fake bot accounts or ppl shilling HARD for this game ; the combat is fun for the first hour and then its very repetitive soon after ; im like halfway into the game and each character still only has 2 abilities with a very limited mana pool so you can only cast basically once each battle , theres team    Average game

    the amount of glow-up reviews im seeing just boils my blood ; either by fake bot accounts or ppl shilling HARD for this game ; the combat is fun for the first hour and then its very repetitive soon after ; im like halfway into the game and each character still only has 2 abilities with a very limited mana pool so you can only cast basically once each battle , theres team attacks but you have to build up a meter to use them and usually the monsters are already long dead before you can even utilize them at all , basically for bosses its only useful for

    I felt at times I was mashing X to speed up the wall of text I was all too accustomed to not wanting to read to progress the story forward , theres no option to unequip items and accessories and amulets are very missable with areas becoming non-acessible once you've cleared certain story points ; at times it really feels like a playstore android JRPG game behind a 31 $ price tag when those games are for free or very low cost

    I really cant recommend with the limited content the game has , some ppl praise the combat system but really its very shallow and you'll get bored of it almost immediately , how does this draw inspiration from past games when this game has the look, the feel of something you can make out of RPG-MAKER on the Playstation? theres no sidequest, theres a couple of secrets sure but nothing too wow about it , npcs talk on and on and on to the point you just want to progress , the story was so forgettable or barely explained I honestly forgot halfway through what the end goal for the two characers was supposed to be and frankly its a narrative I hardly cared for ; its not worth 30$ for what it is with and that is a very very basic JRPG that doesn't even come close to the 90's JRPG its somewhere in the NES level of content of JRPG and even some NES JRPG's blow this game out the water in content , storetelling, and combat mechanics    … Expand
  12. karnix
    Sep 1, 2023
    3
    The game it's ok, a nice soundtrack and a beautiful pixel art but the text speed is slow and the gameplay is boring with no depth at all.
  13. rubensmunhoz
    Aug 30, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Uma viagem nostálgica para quem gosta de RPG. Gameplay muito fluida e história bem interessante. A parte que achei ruim é que o jogo é relativamente curto.… Expand
  14. w_shine_w
    Aug 30, 2023
    0
    Nice soundrack, thats it. Maybe pixelart is ok, but nothing more, really. Not gonna recommend it to my friends.
  15. gabrieldavid3
    Aug 30, 2023
    10
    These are the games we have to support and the devs we have to protect. Thanks sabotage studio guys for this game. So far this is my indie GOTY.
  16. Glowingice
    Sep 1, 2023
    10
    Sea of Stars is a captivating RPG that excels in storytelling and combat. The intricate narrative is a joy to witness as it unfolds, keeping players engaged throughout. With its charming pixelated visuals, the combat system oozes charm and excitement, making battles a thrilling experience. Don't miss this game if you're looking for a rich, immersive RPG with a unique visual style andSea of Stars is a captivating RPG that excels in storytelling and combat. The intricate narrative is a joy to witness as it unfolds, keeping players engaged throughout. With its charming pixelated visuals, the combat system oozes charm and excitement, making battles a thrilling experience. Don't miss this game if you're looking for a rich, immersive RPG with a unique visual style and engaging gameplay.… Expand
  17. Jaidenbrkl1
    Sep 1, 2023
    9
    So far, Sea of Stars is something interesting to play and one GOTY contender that is underrated to play.
  18. pierreluc102
    Aug 31, 2023
    0
    Sometimes I wish I could comment on people giving games 0/10 just because it ain't their style, or because the name of one character sounds silly, flat out 0/10.

    Bunch of idiots if you ask me!

    Game is completely amazing for those who like the genre. Chrono Trigger but made in 2023! Absolutely fantastic!
  19. Tubey
    Sep 1, 2023
    8
    Very good. Solid in all the right areas, absolutely gorgeous pixel art design, tremendously endearing. The combat is unfortunately the weakest part of it, it never really evolves and it starts to get a bit repetitive past the halfway mark, but the game itself held my interest very well throughout.

    So yeah, very good. Not a game of the year contender, and not up there with the classics    Very good. Solid in all the right areas, absolutely gorgeous pixel art design, tremendously endearing. The combat is unfortunately the weakest part of it, it never really evolves and it starts to get a bit repetitive past the halfway mark, but the game itself held my interest very well throughout.

    So yeah, very good. Not a game of the year contender, and not up there with the classics of the genre, but it's a brilliant homage and well worth your time and money if you're a classic JRPG fan.    … Expand
  20. siggi104
    Aug 31, 2023
    8
    I have been enjoying my time with it as of right now. Nice music and art design. Story seems interesting as well.
  21. Abibboy83
    Aug 31, 2023
    10
    Un Jrpg a la altura de lo que los amantes del genero esperamos, dinamica de combates dinámica y adictiva, personajes carismaticos, una historia que engancha y escenarios preciosos
  22. jorgefuentes13
    Sep 1, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Buena banda sonora diseño increíble y una historia que te invita a jugar una joya de juego… Expand
  23. Scoorpiuz
    Sep 1, 2023
    9
    Es impresionante! Un juego de este género siempre ha sido tema de comparación con Chrono Trigger y ha terminado opacado, pero Sea of Star es un juego que a pesar de las comparaciones es capaz de estar a la par y no quedarse atrás. Con un sistema de combate dinámico, un buen sistema de niveles, sistema de pesca (que trae recuerdos a Battle Chaser), minijuego, historia y todo lo que debe deEs impresionante! Un juego de este género siempre ha sido tema de comparación con Chrono Trigger y ha terminado opacado, pero Sea of Star es un juego que a pesar de las comparaciones es capaz de estar a la par y no quedarse atrás. Con un sistema de combate dinámico, un buen sistema de niveles, sistema de pesca (que trae recuerdos a Battle Chaser), minijuego, historia y todo lo que debe de contener para poder brillar con luz propia. Si bien recoge muchas cosas buenas y deja de lado bastantes malas, que han sufrido este tipo de juego durante años, han sabido conectarlas de manera ejemplar, y han dado cátedra de que juegos de este estilo aún son viables en el 2023! Sea of Star, creo yo, con el tiempo se le dejara de comparar con Chrono Trigger y pasará a estar a la par, e incluso me atrevo a decir que será el juego de comparación para con muchos de los venideros.
    Mi enhorabuena para los creadores del juego, han logrado crear una obra maestra para los juegos de éste genero!    … Expand
  24. Dondvp
    Sep 1, 2023
    10
    Es un juego maravilloso, tanto por diseño, jugabilidad, banda sonora... Era el final fantasy que todos estábamos esperando
  25. Rafael_Lima89
    Aug 31, 2023
    10
    Esse jogo é uma verdadeira volta no tempo, me senti da mesma forma de quando joguei Chrono Trigger pela primeira vez nos anos 90. Trilha sonora excelente, belos gráficos em pixel arte e jogabilidade muito refinada. Vale muito a pena dar uma chance para este jogo.
  26. DanCAV
    Aug 31, 2023
    9
    Um jogo extremamente envolvendo, sendo convidativo até para os que não curtem o gênero
  27. MaxWarrior
    Aug 31, 2023
    8
    Great story with master work of Pixel art and music, the old masterpiece is coming back, a classic JRPG legend!
  28. Elremanija
    Aug 31, 2023
    10
    Habiendo esperando unos años por esta precuela lo vale totalmente. Su sonido y música dinámica de parte del compositor de Chrono Trigger entre otros juegos en conjunto de Eric (The messenger) lograron algo magistral. En cuanto a gráficos cada día me sorprende para bien la mejora técnica y manejo del pixel con iluminación y otra técnicas. El Gameplay ya de por sí está tan bien planteado, laHabiendo esperando unos años por esta precuela lo vale totalmente. Su sonido y música dinámica de parte del compositor de Chrono Trigger entre otros juegos en conjunto de Eric (The messenger) lograron algo magistral. En cuanto a gráficos cada día me sorprende para bien la mejora técnica y manejo del pixel con iluminación y otra técnicas. El Gameplay ya de por sí está tan bien planteado, la variada forma de combatir y el equilibrio entre ataques físico, mágicos y no mágicos hace que se siente bien jugarlo y además de ser adictivo para no perder la emoción. La historia pensé que iba a ser floja pero me lleve la agradable noticia que tiene el mismo tono de humor en ciertos segmentos a lo que ya había visto en The Messenger, y cuando se tiene que poner serio lo logra que hasta me hizo llorar gracias a la coneccion y amistad que tienen los personajes. Aún no lo eh terminado ya que voy 5 horas de juego y con tan pocas horas ya me hizo feliz. Pero acá no acaba, fácil con el desglose de reliquias, secretos y puzzles que probe en la demo nos indica que el juego completo debe ser una locura de varias horas súper entretenidas.… Expand
  29. colaxe3
    Aug 31, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great story with master work of Pixel art and music, the old masterpiece is coming back, a classic JRPG legend!… Expand
  30. AsrielDreemur
    Aug 31, 2023
    8
    If there's a game that pays homage to olden JRPG, the name Sea of Stars comes right into mind. From the art, combat and soundtrack, the game definitely took inspiration from games like Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana. The game has all the fun aspects that I missed from olden JRPG games and Sea of Stars has helped my craving for a good classic pixel rpg game.

    The game despite some of    If there's a game that pays homage to olden JRPG, the name Sea of Stars comes right into mind. From the art, combat and soundtrack, the game definitely took inspiration from games like Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana. The game has all the fun aspects that I missed from olden JRPG games and Sea of Stars has helped my craving for a good classic pixel rpg game.

    The game despite some of its shortcoming such as story pacing and the story isn't as mesmerizing as other rpg games that came out this year, the combat feels fluid and the artwork is gorgeous, not to mention the person who helped to produce the soundtrack is none other then Yasunori Mitsuda and just like his other works, the soundtrack slaps in this game.

    If you're a fan of pixelated rpg games such as Chrono, Golden Sun and Secret of Mana franchise, I would highly recommend this game and I urge people who just want to play a solid rpg game to give this a try as well.    … Expand
  31. Banz5555
    Aug 30, 2023
    10
    Nice Soundtrack. Wonderful pixel graphics and a good fight system. Good written characters and an interesting story.
  32. imnotserge
    Aug 30, 2023
    10
    Really good game, amazing soundtrack, amazing art, amazing story, amazing gameplay. Just really good.
  33. Ismaello
    Aug 31, 2023
    9
    Hablando desde mi experiencia, siendo este mi primera experiencia en un juego rpg por turnos, Sea of Stars es sobresaliente de principio a fin. Su estilo artístico y su música te atraparán desde el minuto uno, mientras que su historia y combate te mantendrán pegado a la silla hasta su desenlace final.
  34. augussto08
    Aug 30, 2023
    10
    Quem curte um RPG de turnos com certeza vai gostar desse jogo. É como se fosse jogos antigos com algumas mecânicas novas. Recomendo.
  35. munkyisbananas
    Aug 30, 2023
    10
    A beautiful RPG inspired by many JRPGs from the 16 bit era. Sea of Stars will mesmerize you with its thoughtful story, creative combat, and fun but not too challenging puzzles. This is a game crafted with passion and love for the genre, by people who are not afraid to follow through on their vision and goals and not sellout to making a profit.
  36. link2787
    Aug 31, 2023
    10
    Amazing game full of the classic elements from the 90s rpg golden era but with a modernized feel, great story and surprising twists, beautiful ost. a must play. !!
  37. V1s13N
    Sep 2, 2023
    10
    Great game 10/10

    + Pixelart is very good + Soundtrack is dope + Gameplay is unique and very demanding and rewarding (maybe to complex for the 0-2/10 warriors here) + Great story + Also beginner friendly with a lot of features you can enable to make the game easier for you (i recommend to NOT enable all the "easy" mode stuff like relics, because thats why people say its "way too    Great game 10/10

    + Pixelart is very good
    + Soundtrack is dope
    + Gameplay is unique and very demanding and rewarding
    (maybe to complex for the 0-2/10 warriors here)
    + Great story
    + Also beginner friendly with a lot of features you can enable to make the game easier for you
    (i recommend to NOT enable all the "easy" mode stuff like relics, because thats why people say its "way too easy", i mean u dont need to be a genius to find out this is intended to help new players, its the same thing with FFXVI where u can equip items that automatically dodge for you etc. turn it off and ur good)
    + Lot of puzzles to solve
    + Lot of hidden stuff
    + Minigames

    Game is pure love. 10/10
    Dont listen to the    … Expand
  38. hulksmash9000
    Sep 3, 2023
    9
    I'm not finished yet, but from my experience about 15 hours in I love this game! It's challenging, it's rewarding, and the music is awesome!!! I played the demo a week after it was announced and it was such a joy, so I was ready to play it amongst release, and it has been nothing short of a pleasure to play. Even my stream was entertained with every puzzle and turn that came along the way.I'm not finished yet, but from my experience about 15 hours in I love this game! It's challenging, it's rewarding, and the music is awesome!!! I played the demo a week after it was announced and it was such a joy, so I was ready to play it amongst release, and it has been nothing short of a pleasure to play. Even my stream was entertained with every puzzle and turn that came along the way. I highly recommend playing this game if you enjoy RPGs at all. It's definitely a top 5 GOTY.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best PC Game of 2023
31
#31 Most Discussed PC Game of 2023

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. SpazioGames
    Sep 3, 2023
    91
    Sea of Stars sits on the same throne occupied by Chained Echoes. This new wave of JRPGs is the perfect example of what the genre needs and what it needs to get rid of. A new Renaissance has begun.
    Read full review
  2. TheSixthAxis
    Sep 1, 2023
    90
    Sea of Stars has clearly been made by people with a deep and abiding love of JRPGs. That level of passion is hard to mimic, and the result is a heavily playable game with morish visuals, a cracking story and deeply considered level design. However, while it is very good, it isn’t quite perfect. Combat needed to be deeper (or at least escapable) and while the dynamism was a great touch, it wasn’t enough to carry it all the way through to the end.
    Read full review
  3. Gfinity
    Aug 29, 2023
    80
    Despite some repetitive combat mechanics that can start to feel stale during its final act, Sea of Stars manages to be an extremely wholesome and gorgeous retro RPG that is bound to keep you smiling all throughout its 30-hour campaign.
    Read full review
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