Sea of Stars shines at times, but falls short of its inspirations

28.08.2023 - 14:17 / polygon.com / Of Its

Sea of Stars lives up to its sun-and-moon concept of duality in ways that developer Sabotage Studio probably didn’t intend. The team has cited Chrono Trigger and other classic SNES games as inspiration for Sea of Stars, but while playing the game I quickly realized those ambitions didn’t quite extend to its characters and writing. Characters resolve major conflicts and relationship stumbling blocks with ease — they simply stop talking about them — and over the course of what tries to be a grand epic, no one really changes or grows. Yet out on the battlefield, Sea of Stars often shines more brilliantly than the luminaries around it.

Sea of Stars’ narrative has a lot in common with Dragon Quest and other straightforward, good-versus-evil setups. The main story centers on a pair named Zale and Valere who harness the power of the sun and moon, respectively, on their quest to fight an evil being known by the slightly awkward name of The Fleshmancer. There’s intrigue, betrayal, and revelations that shatter the characters’ worldviews as the story unfolds, all telegraphed so clearly that it’s hard to feel surprised when they happen.

The game is also almost universally populated with one-note personalities. Valere and Zale are interchangeable to the point where, if you covered their character portraits, it would be almost impossible to tell who’s talking. Their dynamic feels like a missed opportunity as well. The relationship between the two is shallow and underdeveloped for most of the game, as the focus remains firmly on the events they’re part of rather than the characters themselves. The same is true for their allies and enemies.

The end result is something that resembles Golden Sun more than the story-driven RPGs of the ’90s. The ideaof the characters and their journey is more interesting than the reality, and inconsistencies in writing tone and style also make it difficult to fully invest in that idea for long.

Sea of Stars does an excellent job selling the idea of adventure, though. Its world is beautifully rendered and brimming with magic, from hill-sized catapults and dragons cozily draped around mountains to brightly lit fungal tunnels, haunted forests filled with sickly green miasma, and colorful towns perched precariously on the ocean’s edge. Even your standard, early-game regions feel fresh and exciting, helped in part by the creativity of monster designs and their behavior in combat.

Battles in Sea of Stars feel like those in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, even down to Valere and Zale’s first skills, which are almost identical to Superstar Saga’s shell kick and fireball. The three members of your party have basic attacks and special skills, both of which deal extra damage if you press a button at