Pick up the game and support the channel at the same time! streaml.ink/pdac-yt-davidvinc Follow me on Twitter! twitter.com/TheDavidVinc Watch me stream! www.twitch.tv/davidvincstreams
after backing the game three years ago and finally getting to play it i think it surpassed my expectations and is my personal goty, that ost as well wow ✨
I backed this game 3 years ago because I loved mario RPG and Chrono trigger and this looked amazing and I loved the idea of having my name in the credits of the game for supporting this one. I loved it so much i bought the limited edition physical copy from it as well. I am glad i took the chance back then as it was my first ever game I have ever backed and it just feels a little extra special to have gotten to be a part of this in a small way.
I'm about 3/4 of the way through now and its too soon for me to call it my RPG of the year because I have no touched BG3 yet, but to say I am in love with this game is an understatement. The story, characters, and writing are WAY better than I expected for a small studio and i love the break the fourth wall jokes as it reminds of me of playing old FF games where there was always one NPC in one random town that would always break story and talk directly to the player. I love and miss that stuff in games. And the music is god tier, Mitsuda has done it again and I can hear that Chrono Cross/Xenogears influence in some of these tunes. If its not my RPG of the year it will definitely be in the top two. This game delivered in spades to the point where I grabbed their old Ninja Gaiden style game "The Messenger" and am playing it simultaneously and loving it too. Sabotage Studios has a fan in this guy for sure. lol
I'm personally waiting for the physical edition to drop next year before I experience it, but I'm really glad this is killing it and is amazing - can't wait to experience it then - might do a back to back with this and Chained Echoes when I do :).
9:14 Yeah, not too many skills or combos, but the Mario RPG button timing keeps it fun. Like Valere's Moonarang skill. I prolly use this skill the most!
I backed it on Kickstarter and currently have about 33 hours of gameplay with (what I assume is) the final dungeon unlocked and I'm just working my way round the world map collecting secrets. Absolutely superb game. Definitely in my top 3 RPGs this year with Trails Into Reverie and Baldur's Gate 3. Sabotage Studio are two for two with Sea of Stars and The Messenger (which is an excellent platformer). I'm definitely looking forward to their next game and expanding their world!
Just finished this game yesterday with the True Ending. I thought it was so worth getting that ending, and I had a ton of fun with the game. I really like the way the game encourages you to use combos and special moves, where in others I feel like I'm hording my MP for the hard fights. I usually hate very limited inventories, but it didn't bother me in this. I think it again encouraged you to use your food items so you can then craft the newest recipe you received to fill its spot. I honestly felt there was a point in the middle where it felt a bit repetitive, but I think that might have been because I was playing a LOT. I started taking small breaks here and there and I think that helped a lot. Either way, it's a great game with an absolutely amazing soundtrack.
Its a great rpg with many throwbacks that takes from and becomes its own thing that... I wouldn't say has the most epic of stories but what they do have has you feeling good. The visuals and music do not disappoint since they are on par and as intricate as the Messenger, tolerances in the puzzles and battle mechanics have smaller windows so by default is not as easy as the games it takes inspiration from, albeit you can find special toggles in the world that change how certain mechanics work if its too much, so it can be as hard or as easy as you want it to be, and it does a good job at letting you know what you have to do without specifically handholding (no waypoints on a map to run to or a msg box telling you how much you have to kill something). Learning how to do things is honestly one of the joys of playing games like these and honestly haven't had this much fun playing a more traditional area exploration game that has you finding treasures everywhere that it neither a hallway nor open world... I guess since Cross Code. Currently a solid 86% on steam but a majority of the bad reviews are people that either don't like turn based games to begin with, complain that its a clone when the description specifically says that its an inspired game, or else have crashing issues where they say they will change their rating if it get fixed (but if I'm being honest never does since people forget 🙄).
I don't see how the negative reviews are even fair here aside from the people who had crashes. 1. Those who don't like turn based RPGs, why are you playing a turn based RPG? 2. In what way is this game a clone of another game?I can certainly see a lot of similarities with some games but this game is uniquely different. Maybe the issue is with the mish-mash of different mechanics from different games? But that's perfectly fine, though.
Honestly it's one of the best jrpgs I've played In a very long time! It keeps you hooked to see what happens next in the story, it's not grindy to the point you want to drop it and the characters are awesome!! Not to mention music and art style are on point too
I did pick up the game on steam Day 1 and 0 regrets so far as I got 13 hours into the game and found a ship. Loving the game alot as it hits the old school vibes just right for me and literally at the start I paused for a moment to take in the music as I felt abit of Chrono Trigger in that Archive room theme. The combat has been fun even if I kinda wish there were abit more skills to learn, but I do like swapping characters around for certain stuff and sorta fine with the level system being the whole party instead of individual as no one feels left out in power. And been kinda enjoying that mini game to collect the pieces and wheels, and especially a special room for kickstarter backers that I found really cool to see!
The game is personally a 9/10 for me. My main issue was I wish there had been more characterization among the party members. A lot of the supporting characters really stood out and had great personalities, but some of your main party members didn't have enough to either distinguish them or did not have enough interpersonal dialogue with other characters. It felt like there were some missed opportunities in that, though I did overall like the character designs. I definitely agree there could've been more creativity in the combat department as well, especially when some enemy locks could not be broken easily without specific combos. Overall however, the positive points listed in this video are also what I enjoyed about it. Gameplay was engaging, puzzles were fun and often made it way easier to backtrack in certain places, and the story was easy to follow along with optional, additional context through the historian's book. It definitely is a fantastic rpg especially for a team with no background in designing them. It's definitely up there with Chained Echoes for a wonderful indie rpg experience, and I hope they choose to do more after they finish up the dlc on this one.
Who knew baking bread would make me cry so much. This game was beautiful from start to finish. I am in the Fated Hour and I am not sure I want it to end :(
I haven’t been able to play much of the demo, but the little I did play got me excited because of the heavy Golden Sun vibes. I do hope that we can eventually see more of the psynergy/djinn style puzzles and mechanics that Golden Sun had. Everything I’ve seen about this game so far has made me want to pick it up, so I might try and pick up a physical version.
I really like how you reviewed this. Of course I’m thrilled with the result (buy it), but the way you talk through the mechanics and various aspects of the game, it gave me a good idea of what to expect and why I might enjoy it. I’m going to check out more of your videos now!
Im playing it now, I’m glad I finished The Messenger beforehand. Also if rumors are true about chrono trigger getting a remake, they will have to bring their S game because Sea of Stars has raised the bar beyond the stratosphere!
Loving Sea of Stars. Yolande is hilarious with her digs at old rpg tropes. And I found Captain Klee' Shae a great name for an rpg character. I revert to my younger self when I play it. Then I revert to my current self when I have to go to work and my back hurts for no reason.
The digs at old RPG tropes would be a lot funnier if this game wasn't uncritically upholding them all. I rolled my eyes so hard at that line about blacksmiths getting better in every town and how weird that is - bro that's LITERALLY the only form of character progression your game has 😭😭
@@cashnelson2306 That's what makes them so funny. They are doing the exact same things they are making fun of. Not taking themselves too seriously. I love it.
I totally agree. First game in a long long time that I just didn't want to stop playing until I was done. A perfect RPG. I really hope Sabotage keep making games like this.
I bought the game a couple nights ago, but I've been eagerly waiting for your review, and I'm glad it didn't disappoint. I'm playing Armored Core 6 first, then I'll get to Sea of Stars, and after that, I can finally get to Baldur's Gate 3. I've deliberately held off on BG3 as I knew it would take over my life.
I wasn't a huge fan of the demo, but all of these glowing reviews make me want to give the real game a shot. I'm going to start The Messenger today so I can fully dive into that world once I start SoS proper.
The Messenger and Chained Echoes and two of my favorites of each category but sea of stars joins them in my opinion as a RPG. Chained Echoes is a little more JRPG and has more min-maxing with different items and stats it seems but I’m only 10 hours into sea of stars. Chained echoes is an 80 hour game if you want it to be.
@@mdl102488 I am looking forward to playing chained echoes in the future. The best description I saw of Sea of Stars described it as something along the lines of "A simple mean cooked to perfection." It doesn't do anything really unique or revolutionary, but it does all the JRPG fundamentals in an exemplary way.
@@DrNecrotech that’s correct. It’s well done. I’ve been playing on the normal mode which is the hard mode more or less. It’s like the perfect amount of challenge and everything is just done very well with a great story to go along with it.
Just got the 5th party member. Really awesome game so far. I revisited a lot areas looking for every treasure and rainbow shell. The incentive to find everything is there.
I just got the platinum trophy for Sea of Stars and I thought it was fantastic! I really want to try Chained Echoes as my next indie turn based RPG. A lot of people seem to compare them lol
@@ShonnDaylee I would if I had the money at the moment haha, I plan to soon though. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Chained Echoes at the 2 RPG’s I’m looking at next
If there is a poll released for RPG of the year, my money is on this game. The writers, creators and developers did this game justice in spades! Had to download it after the demo and im glad a lot of supported them during the initial Kickstarter and we get to enjoy the fruitions. Battle mechanis is fun. Sure, I get game a lot but man, it forces you to pay attention to skills and practice makes perfect mindset. Graphic is really pretty with a lot of small details to enjoy. Square Enix, pay attention - this is how you should be making a game.
My main gripe is that the story is really low-stakes and lighthearted. While I don't need everything to be dark and gritty, certainly, Sea of Stars doesn't get anywhere close to the emotional highs of Chrono Trigger. But it's very pretty and I'm enjoying a chill time going through it!
This game is great, I've also been craving some rpg puzzles that aren't just basic switch puzzles. I especially like when you can alter the dungeon itself like in Golden Sun! I do think the two leads are a bit flat as characters though. Thankfully Garl is there to pick up the slack! Also I totally agree that it would be nice to have more moves. I've been using moonerang and sunball the whole game with very little else. It sucks that there's not much variety, but the lock breaking system helps keep battles from being monotonous. There's also not an overwhelming number of encounters. I reaaally like the bosses in this game too, I always look forward to them!
i'm 25 hours in the game, doing side quest, before go to the last boss. Like the puzzle. I agree with you on the lack of skill, wish they double the skill. But overall is a good RPG.
😂 Saying something has no right to be [insert praise] in this particular context is not the compliment you think you're saying btw. Everybody knew what you meant, but the typical context for that phrase, for posterity's sake, is when people are prepared for something to be middling or mediocre(aka pessimism) and turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Among jrpg fans and supporters, the optimism was sky high for this work of art from kickstart to finish. As always, David, absolute pleasure hearing your thoughts!
I have enjoyed it though I wish there were more abilities for you to choose from, and or upgrade yourself in some way. I felt that was the one thing the game was missing. Great to see games like these getting success!!!!
As someone without nostalgia lenses or nostalgia driven emotions due to being kinda still new in jrpgs. I mean, my first approach to Chrono trigger was like a year ago in ny android phone, so i probably didn't felt the same as the ones who played when was realesed. So I'm gonna play Sea of stars and see for myself, but the art is quite outstanding.
Im loving Sea of Stars. Doesnt break into my top 10 favorites, but I think a lot of that may be due to nostalgia reasons. SoS feels like a great combo of Super Mario RPG, Golden Sun, and a bit of Chrono Trigger.
I like the review as a gamer but also respect the muscles you have as a man. I also like the shirt you are wearing. It gives you a summer vibe while you are in the video.
I backed it on Kickstarter, and just got the platinum trophy on PSN for it yesterday. It is definitely one of, if not my Game of the Year, without question.
Just got this tonight at tour recommend and I love it. I also got it cause of the bright colors. I am starting SMT3 nocturne for the first time as well. I think I needed something like sea of stars in contrast. Thank you again
I actually like both styles of JRPGs, retro and modern with the bonding and dating, but I can't say I didn't sorely miss a good retro JRPG. The last truly amazing one was Dragon Quest XI, I feel, and this game kinda blows that one out of the water.
Finished it yesterday and it was definitely as good as I'd hoped. I really liked The Messenger and Sea of Stars was just as good. They really struck a good balance between firmly tying the games' settings together and not turning off those who hadn't played The Messenger too, I think. I have some of the same minor complaints as the others - combat gets pretty repetitive, Garl and Seraï are amazing while everyone else is pretty boring, etc. - but they are very minor compared to how well made everything else is. It has just the right amount of everything too, side quests, puzzles, collectibles, it all felt like any more or less would have been too much or not enough. A lot of people talk about the visuals in general, or the lighting (which is very nice) but I think the real stand-out visual was the animations. They're some of the best if not the absolute best I've seen in pixel art, particularly with the big bosses. They also did a good job of honoring their Kickstarter backer promises without ruining a major area of the game with a bunch of portraits like so many others. Well except for that one part where they did exactly that by putting some dumb UA-camr's face in there. So close!
Loving this game. Approaching the end; well into act 3. There aren't chapters or acts per se, but they're easily defined within the story. Classic 3 act structure.
Just started playing this week! It’s taking me a second to get used to the timed attacks and blocks but I’m loving the music, story, background, battle and leveling up system, puzzles, and so on 😅
David could I recommend a future video idea? Just seeing as sea of stars and chained echoes are both love letters to the 16 bit golden age of rpgs and arguably both sit at the top of the list with the very best of them and were both released within a year of each other, what are your thoughts on a chained echoes vs sea of stars video with insight into your personal favourite out of the two (I know it's difficult but if you absolutely had to choose) or if that's impossible to decide maybe an analysis of what you think each one does better and worse? Just a thought!
I think Cross Code needs to be a part of the conversation too because imo Cross Code, Sea of Stars, and Chained Echoes are the holy trinity if indy RPGs and three of my favorite games period over the last few years.
I completed the game 100%, and this review is correct. If you get it, you get it. I was nodding aggressively when you talked about the things that annoy you about other open world games and modern jrpgs. Too many of them are rehashing things that DONT need to be redone. I guess where I’d slightly disagree is in the difficulty. I found the game to be a little too easy, especially because of another point you make~ the limitation on abilities that each character has. I thought it was always pretty obvious which character/ability to use, because there’s usually only one option that makes the most sense. It was just about determining the order of priority on which enemy to hit first. And I’m pretty good with timed button presses, so that just wasn’t an issue for me personally, at least I also really like simple puzzles, and while I thought maybe the puzzles were still a bit TOO simple in this game, at least they kept you engaged. Reminded me of wild arms, which I love. I think a DLC could do wonders for this game. They just need to give each character 3 more abilities, a few more combos, and some extra side content that expands on the story, and they’ve got something almost perfect here. I think it was kind of a missed opportunity to use the accessory slots to give each character more abilities. For example- an accessory that would boost your atk by a few points, but also gives you a poison spell, so that you had more ways of breaking locks on different characters. Or even a status ailment system so that each character could get some recovery spells, or more ways to break locks. It could’ve been more intricate
For me, it is one of the best games of my Life, because it ticks all the boxes I expect from games and even more. And it can be felt from every tiny detail that it was made with Love and it shows.
Just got the game and just got through the three trials thing that happens early on. Really enjoying this game considering golden sun was by far one of my favorites. I also love doing valere moonerang move 😂
Honestly it’s one of the best games I’ve ever played. I have been using the pendants to make the game easier as I don’t like too much of a challenge and it’s perfect. Great characters and adventure, wonderful graphics and music, exemplary map/level design, fun engaging combat. 10/10
I want ot make a short note on the combat. I feel like it was the weakest aspect of the game but for a studio that just made their first RPG its a great bare bones system to build off of an expand upon. Like everything I have seen through this game makes me excited for what they make next to see what kind of changes and additions they make. And even the combat was monotonous to a degree, it didn't ruin the experience because I never felt the battles over stayed their welcome.
I played chained echoes earlier this year and i tought that there was no way that sea of star could be better. Cant wait to try it myself .thx for the review !
Hi David! Been REALLY looking forward to Sea of Stars. It's one of my most anticipated games of the year (along with BG3). Can't wait to get this one. I've been craving a Chrono Trigger-inspired game for years. I agree 100% that some games nowadays are almost TOO big and bloated. The idea of a simple, fun, rpg with a cool combat mechanic and exploration is very appealing. Any word on a physical release? Also, David describing how he kept notes and made maps of the games he played as a kid was pure joy and wholesomeness. (I did the same thing 😀.) Thanks for another awesome video David, and have a blessed day everyone!
If you've been craving a Chrono Trigger inspired game for years, you want Chained Echoes. It's actually a masterpiece, not an overhyped dead-simple NES rpg with a funny mustache like SoS
Just finished it yesterday, true ending and all. I had a great time with it, but I feel the narrative is a bit rough in some parts, along with some questionable grammar choices. If I were to compare it to Chained Echoes, I'd say Chained Echoes beats it hands down.
This looks really good! I haven't played JRPGs in forever and a day, but I really want to check this out. @davidvinc, do you know about how many hours it runs? Also, did you play The Messenger? There was a good combo sale on Steam for both of them, so I'm wondering if I should pick up both of them.
Yeah, I'm at the part where we see l shiel without her mask. I think the game is one of the better RPGs out there with a modern twist. Combat is a little stale, and I found myself quickly putting the relic on for +40% enemy damage, and still finding the game easy tbh. I've only died like once or twice from not hitting timed blocks. I wish there was more strategy in the combat, or maybe status ailments to consider. No sleep, confusion, DoT, etc. I wish it had that
I'm in love with this game. The story is simple, but interesting enough to keep you hooked. Garl is adorable. This game enters my Gotys along with FF XVI and surely BG3, Lies of P and Lords of the Fallen. What a great year we are having 😁
Got it on game pass and completed it, was hooked all the way and really enjoyed the story. Just be aware there is an ending and then a true ending. The normal ending i felt a little let down and went from a 9/10 to a 8.5/10 and also just another minor complaint being a few characters were not as useful in battle. But the true ending bumped it back to a 9/10. Pixel art/interactive battle elements were so damn good.
I played the demo. Hopefully the final version is a bit tighter, because more than a few times I definitely timed correctly but didn't get the bonus. I wish the star relic thing fired off to indicate the timing, rather than telling you "good job," because by then you've already done it.
Omg I love your shirt! Amazing. My brother and I just got Sea of Stars on Playstation with a shared account so we can both play it 😊 looking forward to it!
My only complaint with this game: the cinema scene/ character portraits art style. It's just a bit too bland and generic. Tho maybe this was impossible to succeed in. The game looks and plays like Chrono Trigger, but without the unique Toriyama art style. But all the pros definitely outweigh this con.
This game initially reminded me of Chained Echos, and if it is anything close to how much fun that game was, this will be an amazing game. I am so looking forward to playing it. Thanks for telling us all about it!
I thought I was imagining the Golden Sun influence. Glad I'm not the only one. Was it just me or was there a reference to that horrible sliding tile floor puzzle from Beyond The Beyond just before getting a certain amumet?
I'm only a few hours in myself, but I am really enjoying this game. I hope it sells well and makes the impact the quality deserves. Also, your Barbie Barbarian shirt is AWESOME!
If this game is better than Octopath II like you say, this has the potential to be one of my favorite games of all time! I adore golden sun and mario rpg and all the ganes you mentioned, so im so excited to play this!
I really enjoyed the demo of Sea of Stars, but I'm going to wait for the physical edition while I finish chipping away at my backlog. Just finished Trails from Zero and can't wait to start Azure.
Pick up the game and support the channel at the same time! streaml.ink/pdac-yt-davidvinc
Follow me on Twitter! twitter.com/TheDavidVinc
Watch me stream! www.twitch.tv/davidvincstreams
Is this review sponsored?
Nice Barbarian shirt!
The review we've been waiting for!
after backing the game three years ago and finally getting to play it i think it surpassed my expectations and is my personal goty, that ost as well wow ✨
I know. The first thing I commented about was how beautiful the music was...
I totally forgot about kick starting this game until I got the survey for my copy.
You helped fund this? Thank you sooo sooo very much. This game was such a positive impact on my life! Garl is amazing and I want to be just like him!
I backed this game 3 years ago because I loved mario RPG and Chrono trigger and this looked amazing and I loved the idea of having my name in the credits of the game for supporting this one. I loved it so much i bought the limited edition physical copy from it as well. I am glad i took the chance back then as it was my first ever game I have ever backed and it just feels a little extra special to have gotten to be a part of this in a small way.
I'm about 3/4 of the way through now and its too soon for me to call it my RPG of the year because I have no touched BG3 yet, but to say I am in love with this game is an understatement. The story, characters, and writing are WAY better than I expected for a small studio and i love the break the fourth wall jokes as it reminds of me of playing old FF games where there was always one NPC in one random town that would always break story and talk directly to the player. I love and miss that stuff in games. And the music is god tier, Mitsuda has done it again and I can hear that Chrono Cross/Xenogears influence in some of these tunes. If its not my RPG of the year it will definitely be in the top two. This game delivered in spades to the point where I grabbed their old Ninja Gaiden style game "The Messenger" and am playing it simultaneously and loving it too. Sabotage Studios has a fan in this guy for sure. lol
Well said, I’ve picked up the messenger too because of this game
I'm personally waiting for the physical edition to drop next year before I experience it, but I'm really glad this is killing it and is amazing - can't wait to experience it then - might do a back to back with this and Chained Echoes when I do :).
I backed Sea of Stars, and I’m happy that it’s getting great reviews, but this is the review I was waiting for above all others.
Awwww thank you so much for that!!
Are you the love child of Ken & Barbie ? ❤....Asking for a friend
9:14 Yeah, not too many skills or combos, but the Mario RPG button timing keeps it fun. Like Valere's Moonarang skill. I prolly use this skill the most!
I backed it on Kickstarter and currently have about 33 hours of gameplay with (what I assume is) the final dungeon unlocked and I'm just working my way round the world map collecting secrets.
Absolutely superb game. Definitely in my top 3 RPGs this year with Trails Into Reverie and Baldur's Gate 3.
Sabotage Studio are two for two with Sea of Stars and The Messenger (which is an excellent platformer). I'm definitely looking forward to their next game and expanding their world!
Just finished this game yesterday with the True Ending. I thought it was so worth getting that ending, and I had a ton of fun with the game. I really like the way the game encourages you to use combos and special moves, where in others I feel like I'm hording my MP for the hard fights.
I usually hate very limited inventories, but it didn't bother me in this. I think it again encouraged you to use your food items so you can then craft the newest recipe you received to fill its spot.
I honestly felt there was a point in the middle where it felt a bit repetitive, but I think that might have been because I was playing a LOT. I started taking small breaks here and there and I think that helped a lot. Either way, it's a great game with an absolutely amazing soundtrack.
It's very likely the repetition came from the shell collecting...
Its a great rpg with many throwbacks that takes from and becomes its own thing that... I wouldn't say has the most epic of stories but what they do have has you feeling good. The visuals and music do not disappoint since they are on par and as intricate as the Messenger, tolerances in the puzzles and battle mechanics have smaller windows so by default is not as easy as the games it takes inspiration from, albeit you can find special toggles in the world that change how certain mechanics work if its too much, so it can be as hard or as easy as you want it to be, and it does a good job at letting you know what you have to do without specifically handholding (no waypoints on a map to run to or a msg box telling you how much you have to kill something). Learning how to do things is honestly one of the joys of playing games like these and honestly haven't had this much fun playing a more traditional area exploration game that has you finding treasures everywhere that it neither a hallway nor open world... I guess since Cross Code.
Currently a solid 86% on steam but a majority of the bad reviews are people that either don't like turn based games to begin with, complain that its a clone when the description specifically says that its an inspired game, or else have crashing issues where they say they will change their rating if it get fixed (but if I'm being honest never does since people forget 🙄).
I don't see how the negative reviews are even fair here aside from the people who had crashes. 1. Those who don't like turn based RPGs, why are you playing a turn based RPG? 2. In what way is this game a clone of another game?I can certainly see a lot of similarities with some games but this game is uniquely different. Maybe the issue is with the mish-mash of different mechanics from different games? But that's perfectly fine, though.
Honestly it's one of the best jrpgs I've played In a very long time! It keeps you hooked to see what happens next in the story, it's not grindy to the point you want to drop it and the characters are awesome!! Not to mention music and art style are on point too
I did pick up the game on steam Day 1 and 0 regrets so far as I got 13 hours into the game and found a ship. Loving the game alot as it hits the old school vibes just right for me and literally at the start I paused for a moment to take in the music as I felt abit of Chrono Trigger in that Archive room theme. The combat has been fun even if I kinda wish there were abit more skills to learn, but I do like swapping characters around for certain stuff and sorta fine with the level system being the whole party instead of individual as no one feels left out in power. And been kinda enjoying that mini game to collect the pieces and wheels, and especially a special room for kickstarter backers that I found really cool to see!
The game is personally a 9/10 for me. My main issue was I wish there had been more characterization among the party members. A lot of the supporting characters really stood out and had great personalities, but some of your main party members didn't have enough to either distinguish them or did not have enough interpersonal dialogue with other characters. It felt like there were some missed opportunities in that, though I did overall like the character designs. I definitely agree there could've been more creativity in the combat department as well, especially when some enemy locks could not be broken easily without specific combos.
Overall however, the positive points listed in this video are also what I enjoyed about it. Gameplay was engaging, puzzles were fun and often made it way easier to backtrack in certain places, and the story was easy to follow along with optional, additional context through the historian's book. It definitely is a fantastic rpg especially for a team with no background in designing them. It's definitely up there with Chained Echoes for a wonderful indie rpg experience, and I hope they choose to do more after they finish up the dlc on this one.
Who knew baking bread would make me cry so much. This game was beautiful from start to finish. I am in the Fated Hour and I am not sure I want it to end :(
I haven’t been able to play much of the demo, but the little I did play got me excited because of the heavy Golden Sun vibes. I do hope that we can eventually see more of the psynergy/djinn style puzzles and mechanics that Golden Sun had. Everything I’ve seen about this game so far has made me want to pick it up, so I might try and pick up a physical version.
Golden Sun 🥰
I really like how you reviewed this. Of course I’m thrilled with the result (buy it), but the way you talk through the mechanics and various aspects of the game, it gave me a good idea of what to expect and why I might enjoy it. I’m going to check out more of your videos now!
Glad it was helpful!
Im playing it now, I’m glad I finished The Messenger beforehand. Also if rumors are true about chrono trigger getting a remake, they will have to bring their S game because Sea of Stars has raised the bar beyond the stratosphere!
I was looking forward to your review of this. Between Sea of Stars and Chained Echoes, it feels like we're in a mini golden age for retro RPGs.
Reluctant to actually call it a JRPG given the developer is based in Canada.
Loving Sea of Stars. Yolande is hilarious with her digs at old rpg tropes. And I found Captain Klee' Shae a great name for an rpg character. I revert to my younger self when I play it.
Then I revert to my current self when I have to go to work and my back hurts for no reason.
The digs at old RPG tropes would be a lot funnier if this game wasn't uncritically upholding them all. I rolled my eyes so hard at that line about blacksmiths getting better in every town and how weird that is - bro that's LITERALLY the only form of character progression your game has 😭😭
@@cashnelson2306 That's what makes them so funny. They are doing the exact same things they are making fun of. Not taking themselves too seriously. I love it.
@@sphixion "haha doesn't this thing I'm doing SUCK" is a lazy bad joke always, lampshading as a replacement for a joke
Amazing game. Amazing review. When you talked about your gaming notebook, you spoke straight to my soul
I'm loving the game. It's linear. Very linear, but I like the world building, dialogue, and story. And every battle plays like a puzzle in a way.
You just explained what I love about this game , Retro RPG just like back in old days
I totally agree. First game in a long long time that I just didn't want to stop playing until I was done. A perfect RPG. I really hope Sabotage keep making games like this.
This game was great i just spent the labor day weekend playing it like crazy 🤪 can definitely see a 2nd playthrough happening in the future 😀
I'm only an hour in and I'm enjoying it but I'm not sure I will like it more than Octopath 2.
Playing this on my OLED is so beautiful. This and Baulders Gate have been my Favorite RPGs this year.
I bought the game a couple nights ago, but I've been eagerly waiting for your review, and I'm glad it didn't disappoint. I'm playing Armored Core 6 first, then I'll get to Sea of Stars, and after that, I can finally get to Baldur's Gate 3. I've deliberately held off on BG3 as I knew it would take over my life.
I wasn't a huge fan of the demo, but all of these glowing reviews make me want to give the real game a shot. I'm going to start The Messenger today so I can fully dive into that world once I start SoS proper.
The Messenger was such a great game. I hope you enjoy it!
The Messenger and Chained Echoes and two of my favorites of each category but sea of stars joins them in my opinion as a RPG. Chained Echoes is a little more JRPG and has more min-maxing with different items and stats it seems but I’m only 10 hours into sea of stars. Chained echoes is an 80 hour game if you want it to be.
@@mdl102488 I am looking forward to playing chained echoes in the future. The best description I saw of Sea of Stars described it as something along the lines of "A simple mean cooked to perfection." It doesn't do anything really unique or revolutionary, but it does all the JRPG fundamentals in an exemplary way.
@@DrNecrotech that’s correct. It’s well done. I’ve been playing on the normal mode which is the hard mode more or less. It’s like the perfect amount of challenge and everything is just done very well with a great story to go along with it.
Just got the 5th party member. Really awesome game so far. I revisited a lot areas looking for every treasure and rainbow shell. The incentive to find everything is there.
Is there 5 playable characters?
@@me8751 yes.
@@me8751six in total :). I don't think that's a spoiler.
I just got the platinum trophy for Sea of Stars and I thought it was fantastic!
I really want to try Chained Echoes as my next indie turn based RPG. A lot of people seem to compare them lol
@@ShonnDaylee I would if I had the money at the moment haha, I plan to soon though. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Chained Echoes at the 2 RPG’s I’m looking at next
If there is a poll released for RPG of the year, my money is on this game. The writers, creators and developers did this game justice in spades! Had to download it after the demo and im glad a lot of supported them during the initial Kickstarter and we get to enjoy the fruitions. Battle mechanis is fun. Sure, I get game a lot but man, it forces you to pay attention to skills and practice makes perfect mindset. Graphic is really pretty with a lot of small details to enjoy. Square Enix, pay attention - this is how you should be making a game.
My main gripe is that the story is really low-stakes and lighthearted. While I don't need everything to be dark and gritty, certainly, Sea of Stars doesn't get anywhere close to the emotional highs of Chrono Trigger.
But it's very pretty and I'm enjoying a chill time going through it!
This game is great, I've also been craving some rpg puzzles that aren't just basic switch puzzles. I especially like when you can alter the dungeon itself like in Golden Sun! I do think the two leads are a bit flat as characters though. Thankfully Garl is there to pick up the slack! Also I totally agree that it would be nice to have more moves. I've been using moonerang and sunball the whole game with very little else. It sucks that there's not much variety, but the lock breaking system helps keep battles from being monotonous. There's also not an overwhelming number of encounters. I reaaally like the bosses in this game too, I always look forward to them!
i'm 25 hours in the game, doing side quest, before go to the last boss. Like the puzzle. I agree with you on the lack of skill, wish they double the skill. But overall is a good RPG.
😂 Saying something has no right to be [insert praise] in this particular context is not the compliment you think you're saying btw.
Everybody knew what you meant, but the typical context for that phrase, for posterity's sake, is when people are prepared for something to be middling or mediocre(aka pessimism) and turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Among jrpg fans and supporters, the optimism was sky high for this work of art from kickstart to finish.
As always, David, absolute pleasure hearing your thoughts!
I have enjoyed it though I wish there were more abilities for you to choose from, and or upgrade yourself in some way. I felt that was the one thing the game was missing. Great to see games like these getting success!!!!
Jrpg of the year I can't put over octpath traveler 2 and baldurs gate 3 may have been rpg of the year and game of the year.
Trails catching strays. Ha! Love that series. But you nailed this review. Such a fun game and one of my favorites of the year.
For someone even a month ago I hadn't even heard of, you are quickly becoming one of my favorite rpg reviewers.
Awww thank you!
As someone without nostalgia lenses or nostalgia driven emotions due to being kinda still new in jrpgs. I mean, my first approach to Chrono trigger was like a year ago in ny android phone, so i probably didn't felt the same as the ones who played when was realesed. So I'm gonna play Sea of stars and see for myself, but the art is quite outstanding.
I'm absolutely getting this. I loved Lufia 2s puzzles. I can solve everything with no guides.
Im loving Sea of Stars. Doesnt break into my top 10 favorites, but I think a lot of that may be due to nostalgia reasons. SoS feels like a great combo of Super Mario RPG, Golden Sun, and a bit of Chrono Trigger.
@@user-yu9nx4id6p thanks for providing no valuable input
@@user-yu9nx4id6p I like both, and it's pointless to go around telling people turn based is garbage lmfao.
I'm trying to hold out for the physical release next year, but man I am so looking forward to playing this!
I am so excited to play this! Thanks for the great review! 😊I look forward to getting the physical version for switch when it releases!
Been waiting to see your opinion on this one!
Trying to experience this game as blind as I can, but I'll definitely come back to this once I've finished
I tried to include as little spoilers as humanly possible here :)
It's been busy at work, but later this week, I'll finally have the time to dive into this one. I'm so happy to hear a good report.
I like the review as a gamer but also respect the muscles you have as a man. I also like the shirt you are wearing. It gives you a summer vibe while you are in the video.
Well thank you so much for that!
This is by far the best review of this game. I've watched about a dozen others, and they seem incapable of explaining why they like the game.
oh thank you for saying that!
I backed it on Kickstarter, and just got the platinum trophy on PSN for it yesterday. It is definitely one of, if not my Game of the Year, without question.
love your content, dude. since the 'top ds rpgs' vids. good vibrations all over you, david ❣
Its on my wishlist. Seriously, Im going to wait a bit for the physical edition. But super happy its that good!
Awesome review! It looks fantastic and I cannot wait to get it. I'm holding out for the physical!
I backed it on kickstarter so I’m getting that physical regardless:)
Just got this tonight at tour recommend and I love it. I also got it cause of the bright colors. I am starting SMT3 nocturne for the first time as well. I think I needed something like sea of stars in contrast. Thank you again
Hope you enjoy it!
I actually like both styles of JRPGs, retro and modern with the bonding and dating, but I can't say I didn't sorely miss a good retro JRPG. The last truly amazing one was Dragon Quest XI, I feel, and this game kinda blows that one out of the water.
Finished it yesterday and it was definitely as good as I'd hoped. I really liked The Messenger and Sea of Stars was just as good. They really struck a good balance between firmly tying the games' settings together and not turning off those who hadn't played The Messenger too, I think.
I have some of the same minor complaints as the others - combat gets pretty repetitive, Garl and Seraï are amazing while everyone else is pretty boring, etc. - but they are very minor compared to how well made everything else is. It has just the right amount of everything too, side quests, puzzles, collectibles, it all felt like any more or less would have been too much or not enough. A lot of people talk about the visuals in general, or the lighting (which is very nice) but I think the real stand-out visual was the animations. They're some of the best if not the absolute best I've seen in pixel art, particularly with the big bosses.
They also did a good job of honoring their Kickstarter backer promises without ruining a major area of the game with a bunch of portraits like so many others. Well except for that one part where they did exactly that by putting some dumb UA-camr's face in there. So close!
Loving this game. Approaching the end; well into act 3. There aren't chapters or acts per se, but they're easily defined within the story. Classic 3 act structure.
Just started playing this week! It’s taking me a second to get used to the timed attacks and blocks but I’m loving the music, story, background, battle and leveling up system, puzzles, and so on 😅
Started it this weekend and having alot of fun so far! Still had to see your review though
David could I recommend a future video idea? Just seeing as sea of stars and chained echoes are both love letters to the 16 bit golden age of rpgs and arguably both sit at the top of the list with the very best of them and were both released within a year of each other, what are your thoughts on a chained echoes vs sea of stars video with insight into your personal favourite out of the two (I know it's difficult but if you absolutely had to choose) or if that's impossible to decide maybe an analysis of what you think each one does better and worse?
Just a thought!
I think Cross Code needs to be a part of the conversation too because imo Cross Code, Sea of Stars, and Chained Echoes are the holy trinity if indy RPGs and three of my favorite games period over the last few years.
@@NeutralGloomBot I haven't actually heard of cross code I'll have to take a look!
Sold! I should finish SMT V this week and then I'm moving SoS to the top of the queue.
I completed the game 100%, and this review is correct. If you get it, you get it. I was nodding aggressively when you talked about the things that annoy you about other open world games and modern jrpgs. Too many of them are rehashing things that DONT need to be redone.
I guess where I’d slightly disagree is in the difficulty. I found the game to be a little too easy, especially because of another point you make~ the limitation on abilities that each character has. I thought it was always pretty obvious which character/ability to use, because there’s usually only one option that makes the most sense. It was just about determining the order of priority on which enemy to hit first. And I’m pretty good with timed button presses, so that just wasn’t an issue for me personally, at least
I also really like simple puzzles, and while I thought maybe the puzzles were still a bit TOO simple in this game, at least they kept you engaged. Reminded me of wild arms, which I love.
I think a DLC could do wonders for this game. They just need to give each character 3 more abilities, a few more combos, and some extra side content that expands on the story, and they’ve got something almost perfect here.
I think it was kind of a missed opportunity to use the accessory slots to give each character more abilities. For example- an accessory that would boost your atk by a few points, but also gives you a poison spell, so that you had more ways of breaking locks on different characters. Or even a status ailment system so that each character could get some recovery spells, or more ways to break locks. It could’ve been more intricate
For me, it is one of the best games of my Life, because it ticks all the boxes I expect from games and even more. And it can be felt from every tiny detail that it was made with Love and it shows.
Tx David enjoying it so far on Switch.
Just got the game and just got through the three trials thing that happens early on. Really enjoying this game considering golden sun was by far one of my favorites.
I also love doing valere moonerang move 😂
Glad you enjoy it!
Honestly it’s one of the best games I’ve ever played. I have been using the pendants to make the game easier as I don’t like too much of a challenge and it’s perfect. Great characters and adventure, wonderful graphics and music, exemplary map/level design, fun engaging combat. 10/10
I want ot make a short note on the combat. I feel like it was the weakest aspect of the game but for a studio that just made their first RPG its a great bare bones system to build off of an expand upon. Like everything I have seen through this game makes me excited for what they make next to see what kind of changes and additions they make. And even the combat was monotonous to a degree, it didn't ruin the experience because I never felt the battles over stayed their welcome.
I played chained echoes earlier this year and i tought that there was no way that sea of star could be better. Cant wait to try it myself .thx for the review !
I have been SO excited for this game. Side note: I really like your shirt, David. It made my wife and me laugh.
I was desperately waiting for your review to take it. Love from Belgium 🇧🇪 ❤
Hope you like it!
I haven't watched one of David's videos in a while but I swear he gets more jacked every time I see him.
I'm excited to see what they do with the recently announced DLC!
I never thought I'd find anyone as perfect as you
Hi David! Been REALLY looking forward to Sea of Stars. It's one of my most anticipated games of the year (along with BG3). Can't wait to get this one. I've been craving a Chrono Trigger-inspired game for years.
I agree 100% that some games nowadays are almost TOO big and bloated. The idea of a simple, fun, rpg with a cool combat mechanic and exploration is very appealing. Any word on a physical release?
Also, David describing how he kept notes and made maps of the games he played as a kid was pure joy and wholesomeness. (I did the same thing 😀.)
Thanks for another awesome video David, and have a blessed day everyone!
If you've been craving a Chrono Trigger inspired game for years, you want Chained Echoes. It's actually a masterpiece, not an overhyped dead-simple NES rpg with a funny mustache like SoS
I like getting physical copies of the games I play, should I wait until a physical version drops first?
Just finished it yesterday, true ending and all. I had a great time with it, but I feel the narrative is a bit rough in some parts, along with some questionable grammar choices. If I were to compare it to Chained Echoes, I'd say Chained Echoes beats it hands down.
This looks really good! I haven't played JRPGs in forever and a day, but I really want to check this out. @davidvinc, do you know about how many hours it runs? Also, did you play The Messenger? There was a good combo sale on Steam for both of them, so I'm wondering if I should pick up both of them.
I've already played a bit of it myself on Switch. Definitely hoping to find opportunities to put more time in.
Absolutely loving this game too!! I also agree with you about missing puzzles like they used to have in old games ☺️ great review
Just preordered my physical from playasia 🎉 roll on December ❤
Good puzzles are always cool. I want the physical copy
Yeah, I'm at the part where we see l shiel without her mask. I think the game is one of the better RPGs out there with a modern twist. Combat is a little stale, and I found myself quickly putting the relic on for +40% enemy damage, and still finding the game easy tbh. I've only died like once or twice from not hitting timed blocks. I wish there was more strategy in the combat, or maybe status ailments to consider. No sleep, confusion, DoT, etc. I wish it had that
I'm in love with this game. The story is simple, but interesting enough to keep you hooked. Garl is adorable.
This game enters my Gotys along with FF XVI and surely BG3, Lies of P and Lords of the Fallen. What a great year we are having 😁
The latter 2 havent even released yet
Got it on game pass and completed it, was hooked all the way and really enjoyed the story. Just be aware there is an ending and then a true ending. The normal ending i felt a little let down and went from a 9/10 to a 8.5/10 and also just another minor complaint being a few characters were not as useful in battle. But the true ending bumped it back to a 9/10. Pixel art/interactive battle elements were so damn good.
Thanks for the review, love your top btw 😂
I played the demo. Hopefully the final version is a bit tighter, because more than a few times I definitely timed correctly but didn't get the bonus. I wish the star relic thing fired off to indicate the timing, rather than telling you "good job," because by then you've already done it.
Omg I love your shirt! Amazing.
My brother and I just got Sea of Stars on Playstation with a shared account so we can both play it 😊 looking forward to it!
Armored core 6 is my goty, but Sea of Stars is 2nd. Such badass games
Amazing review David, I was gonna pick up this game regardless, but this video has cemented that decision even more!
My only complaint with this game: the cinema scene/ character portraits art style. It's just a bit too bland and generic. Tho maybe this was impossible to succeed in. The game looks and plays like Chrono Trigger, but without the unique Toriyama art style. But all the pros definitely outweigh this con.
I'm a sucker for physical releases, so I'm buying this game twice!! Its a near 10/10.
How does it stand in comparison with Chained Echoes? Is it as amazing as that one?
This game initially reminded me of Chained Echos, and if it is anything close to how much fun that game was, this will be an amazing game. I am so looking forward to playing it. Thanks for telling us all about it!
Couldn't agree more!
Fantastic review and also your tank top is amazing
I thought I was imagining the Golden Sun influence. Glad I'm not the only one. Was it just me or was there a reference to that horrible sliding tile floor puzzle from Beyond The Beyond just before getting a certain amumet?
I'm only a few hours in myself, but I am really enjoying this game. I hope it sells well and makes the impact the quality deserves. Also, your Barbie Barbarian shirt is AWESOME!
If this game is better than Octopath II like you say, this has the potential to be one of my favorite games of all time! I adore golden sun and mario rpg and all the ganes you mentioned, so im so excited to play this!
I really enjoyed the demo of Sea of Stars, but I'm going to wait for the physical edition while I finish chipping away at my backlog. Just finished Trails from Zero and can't wait to start Azure.