Developed as a "Dream Team" project among legendary Japanese developers in the 16-bit era, Chrono Trigger has stood the test of time as arguably one of the best video games ever made. Part of Chrono Trigger's enduring legacy shines through in how, almost 30 years later, it continues to inspire a new generation of game developers to create their own titles calling back to its design. Sea of Stars, The Messenger developer Sabotage Studio's next project releasing this August, is one such project that wears its inspiration proudly.
Sabotage CEO and creative director Thierry Boulanger reportedly began imagining the world in which Sea of Stars and The Messenger take place during elementary school. Thus, it's an apt comparison to look at Sea of Stars and immediately think of Chrono Trigger. After beginning as a successful Kickstarter and securing funding within seven hours thanks to The Messenger's success and reception, the wait for Sea of Stars is almost over, and a recent demo puts its Chrono Trigger inspirations on full display.
Talent From the Chrono Trigger Team is Helping With Sea of Stars
In its quest to make an RPG that "ticked all the boxes" for fans of the now-legendary titles of the 16-bit era, Sabotage Studios recruited the help of a critical developer: composer Yasunori Mitsuda, whose body of work includes Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Xenogears, and other classics. The score of Chronno Trigger is one element that makes the title stand out in players' memories, so having Mitsuda as a composer on Sea of Stars bodes well for the upcoming indie game.
The development history of Chrono Trigger featured the formation of what Square Enix dubbed the "Dream Team," including Hironobu Sakaguchi (creator of Final Fantasy), Yuji Horii (creator of Dragon Quest), and Akira Toriyama (designer for Dragon Quest and creator of Dragon Ball). Although not an "official" member of the Dream Team, Mitsuda's contributions to Chrono Trigger's legacy are indisputable, so Sea of Stars using his talents is a badge of honor.
Sea of Stars' Demo Showcases Its Use of Chrono Trigger's DNA
The recent demo for Sea of Stars solidifies Chrono Trigger as the game's primary inspiration in terms of its world map, exploration, and combat. Right off the bat, players will notice that Sea of Stars features large, detailed sprites and whimsical enemy designs. The world map is an almost perfect mirror of Chrono Trigger's, with character sprites reduced to a smaller size for navigating along pre-carved roads to their destinations. For anyone who grew up with Square Enix's SNES output, the nostalgia factor is a huge selling point.
Combat is another area in which Sea of Stars carries over design from Chrono Trigger into the modern age. Players control a party of three characters who are able to either attack individually or synergize their moves for a greater effect, much like the system found in Chrono Trigger. The demo for Sea of Stars also suggests that the game will be challenging enough to require players to consider party composition - something that was necessary for later-game boss fights in Chrono Trigger. It's said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Sea of Stars is shaping up to go beyond merely aping classics like Chrono Trigger; instead adapting the best elements for a new generation of players.
Sea of Stars releases August 29, 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A demo is available now on Switch.