Sabotage Studio's turn-based RPG Sea of Stars got an official release date announced along with a playable demo. As part of February 2023's Nintendo Direct, the game was included in a series of announcements regarding updates to several titles. Sea of Stars was announced as early as 2020 and was originally slated to release in June 2022. However, due to several delays, the title was moved to 2023.
While Sea of Stars plays like a typical turn-based RPG, it is also considered a prequel to the 2008 action-platform game The Messenger, which was also developed by Sabotage Studio. While both titles differ in play style, the setting and the universe are the same thereby sharing some in-game concepts, ideas, and locations. Sea of Stars touts itself as having engaging turn-based combat, unshackled traversal, a story-rich adventure, and full-on dynamic lighting that should make it a must-play for fans of the genre. Some fans think that Sea of Stars could be a spiritual successor to Chrono Trigger, which was one of the most successful and influential RPGs of the '90s.
During the February 2023 Nintendo Direct, the feature for Sea of Stars was shown. With some gameplay footage playing, the art style was highlighted along with the announcement that the game will come out on August 29, 2023. With the release date, it was mentioned that an official playable demo is also available for download on the Nintendo eShop. The demo might be a good way to see if Sea of Stars does indeed scratch the Chrono Trigger itch. Small bits such as the graphics, the turn-based combat, having no random encounters, and the attacks which are categorized are skills are just some similarities to the aforementioned game.
Those aren't all the Chrono Trigger references yet.Sea of Stars also added Yasunori Mitsuda as part of the development team. Mitsuda will contribute to the game's soundtrack adding more of his genius to the game's already promising lineup. For those unfamiliar with his work, Mitsuda was the primary composer of Chrono Trigger, so his genius will be heard in-game. With a comparable feel and now a familiar sound, the game is in line to be one of the biggest Kickstarter stories if it is executed successfully.
As Sabotage Studio has taken a lot of inspiration from a lot of '90s RPGs and classics for Sea of Stars, it will be a challenge to be able to translate a lot of good tropes from a lot of these classics to the modern day. However, with such a lot of nostalgic feelings brought about by the game, most fans will be able to enjoy the experience if it faithfully follows its influences. Hopefully, the demo helps the developer market the title more and gives fans more reason to purchase Sea of Stars.
Sea of Stars will be out on August 29, 2023, for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Switch.
