Sea of Stars

Sea of Stars is an old school RPG, which, although it takes its inspiration from the scheme developed by the iconic 8- and 16-bit era, enriches it with completely new solutions taken from action games and even platformer games. The game is a prequel to the warm welcomed The Messenger, and was developed by its authors, the independent Sabotage Studio. The project was created thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign.

Plot

Sea of Stars was set long before the events presented in The Messenger. In the course of the game we take control two Children of the Solstice. The protagonists who wield the Eclipse Magic are the only ones who have the power to stop the The Fleshmancer and his army of monsters threatening the land they inhabit.

Mechanics

Sea of Stars starts with choosing two heroes from six available characters. Each of the heroes has unique abilities, as well as a set of individual strengths. Then there is nothing else left to do but to start a proper game, during which the action is shown from the bird's eye view.

The vast world consists of various islands, between which we move on the boat. It is not only a means of transport, but also our base of departure, where we can, for example, cut off the chitchat with our companions. After reaching the shore, we enjoy a free exploration diversified by platform sections that require jumping over chasms and avoiding traps. Moreover, during the game we meet numerous characters (some of them we could meet in The Messenger, while the others are completely new), for whom we perform various tasks pushing the plot forward and side missions. As we progress, we gain experience points and advance to the next levels, gradually developing the character's skills and thus increasing their combat potential.

Fighting with enemies plays an important role in the Sea of Stars. The fights take place in turn, during which more emphasis is placed on our tactics than on character level. So if we don't manage in a fight, the solution is not to grind, but to change the approach and try out new ways. The fights take place in the same places where we meet our opponents.

The developers enriched the fights mechanics with a number of elements that bring a breath of fresh to it. The first of these is the Synergy system, which allows to combine attacks in effective (and efficient) way, and the next one - the need to strike at the right time (which increases their strength). In addition, as combat progresses, the strength of standard attacks gradually increases, and certain strikes can be "loaded" by several turns, resulting in massive damage to the enemy. It is worth remembering that enemies also have the same possibility, and in order to deprive them of it, we have to inflict certain types of damage on them (often several times in a row). It should also be mentioned that both regular enemies stand in our way, as well as bosses who are much more powerful and resistant to damage than them. Fights with them are often long and divided into several phases, and it helps to carefully observe their movements and find their weak points.

Technical aspects

Sea of Stars is based on Unity technology. Despite the fact that its graphic design was maintained in retro style and made in pixel art technique, it has been enriched with a number of contemporary effects, including dynamic lighting. The gameplay is accompanied by an atmospheric soundtrack composed by Eric W. Brown, also known as Rainbowdragoneyes.

Last updated on 15 March 2023