There is a particular fondness for RPGs of the 1990s. They represent some of the first video games that sought to pull players in with complex narratives, memorable characters, and a host of filmic qualities. While not exclusive to the genre, this more cinematic quality flourished in RPGs, where world building and exposition were given the time needed to create a gaming experience that drew the player into that world. This is what Sabotage Studio is looking to pay homage to with its game, Sea of Stars.
The game is set in the same world as the studio’s previous game, The Messenger, though the two games could not be more stylistically different. The Messenger is an ode to the Ninja Gaiden franchise, a side-scrolling action platformer meant to capture the difficulty of the NES era games with tricky jumps and punishing boss fights. The connection between the two games remains to be seen, but cameos are a possibility, or there could be legends or stories that connect the two worlds. While The Messenger took its inspiration from 80s action video games, Sea of Stars is squarely focused on 90s RPGs, and the love for those games shines through in the early footage shown so far.
Sea of Stars started out as a Kickstarter project that smashed its original (very modest) fundraising goal of $133,000 CDN. The campaign ended with a pledged amount of $1,628,126 CDN, which showed that fans reacted positively to the product Sabotage Studio was proposing. Video game and tabletop Kickstarter projects had an exceptional year, with a number of projects funded with substantial contributions from fans, and Sea of Stars slotted in nicely as the fourth most-funded video game of 2020.
After a period where video game Kickstarter projects sagged, as games like Mighty No. 9 were released and didn’t live up to expectation, it appears that fans are warming up to video game projects on the crowdfunding platform again. Trust was somewhat eroded, but after witnessing the backlash against projects that offered the moon and delivered something substantially less than, developers are more upfront about projects and provide a more clear roadmap for potential backers.
When looking to 90s RPGs for inspiration, it goes without saying that Chrono Trigger should be near the top of the list. Sea of Stars promises to do away with level grinding, a thorn in the side of many 90s JRPGs. Chrono Trigger‘s pacing is such that there is very little need to grind as one plays through the game. It makes for a game that does not drag, which is one of the reasons why Chrono Trigger is revered to this day. By not forcing players to grind levels, focus is kept on the story, keeping the player invested and wanting to continue playing.
In battle, Sea of Stars bears some resemblance to Chrono Trigger as well. The characters rocking back and forth in their fighting pose is a little nod to what Crono, Marle, or Lucca do when in battle. The enemies players will fight appear on screen, and there are no clunky screen transitions, much like Chrono Trigger. Lastly, while it hasn’t been seen in footage yet, multi-character combo attacks are said to be part of Sea of Stars, bringing to mind the Dual and Triple Techs from Chrono Trigger. Taking inspiration from one of the best JRPG battle systems is a wise choice.
When modeling a game based on 90s RPG classics, borrowing from a hidden gem that came along late in the SNES lifecycle is smart, as a game like Terranigma was able to make the most of the hardware it was on. One of the best Action RPGs on the SNES, Terranigma may not be as familiar to most gamers as it was not released in North America, and with attention already focused on the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation by the mid-90s, many folks missed this game. Terranigma features light elements of platforming and allows players to climb, swim, and jump across a number of areas, something that Sea of Stars is doing with its game.
When players take control of main characters Zale or Valere, they are able to move freely about the environment with a number of cliffs to jump off of, rivers and lakes to swim in, and mountains to climb up. This freedom of movement gives players a sense of exploration, something Terranigma also wanted to do with its movement.
One of the first huge collaborations between video game studios came in the form of Super Mario RPG back in 1996, bringing Square and Nintendo together. There are a couple of things pulled from that game that show up in Sea of Stars. Leveling up in Sea of Stars includes a choice for the player to make regarding which stat to boost. This is a fairly common RPG mechanic, but in Sea of Stars it is presented in much the same way as Super Mario RPG did, with the cute icons for each stat that can be boosted. If a player wants to go all in on attack power, they can do so. When this mechanic was revealed, fans immediately made the connection to Super Mario RPG, a game fans are hoping might get a true sequel one day.
Another nod to Super Mario RPG comes in battle where players can buff spells and do additional attack damage with well-timed button presses. Timing a critical attack by tapping a button just before the attack strikes, or mashing a button to make Zale’s Sunball grow bigger, like Mario’s fireball attack in Super Mario RPG. It adds an engaging element to battles, and while a number of games now employ some kind of quick-time attack feature, Super Mario RPG was one of the first to do it.
With little touches taken from a number of 90s RPGs, Sea of Stars feels well rooted in that history, but looks ready to grow into something modern. The environments in Sea of Stars feel alive, with grasses wavering in the breeze, and with day and night cycles a key component of the game, the world has a lot in common with Trials of Mana, arguably the best Mana series game. That game featured some of the finest sprite work on the SNES, and Sea of Stars has a great pixel art style, updated for modern hardware.
From mystic elements and puzzles that could have been pulled from Illusion of Gaia, to the music from composer Eric W. Brown that sounds inspired by Secret of Mana, Star Ocean, Tales of Phantasia, and Chrono Trigger all rolled into one. That last one is no accident, as Chrono Trigger composer Yasunori Mitsuda is slated to work as a guest composer on a few tracks for Sea of Stars.
The game is still in the early days of development, but what has been revealed so far is hitting all the right notes in its homage to 90s RPG classics.
Sea of Stars is in development with an expected release in 2022.
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