After platformers, Metroidvanias and Roguelikes, it appears to be time for JRPGs to undergo a renaissance, as developers look not only to honour genre favourites, but to elevate them. Following Mathias Linda’s admired Chained Echoes, Sea Of Stars is The Messenger developer Sabotage Studios’ latest attempt to tap into that rich seam of 16bit nostalgia.
Which isn’t to say it doesn’t contain ideas of its own. Each enemy has their own turn clock: one opponent may take two turns to ready an attack, another just one, and since your party can’t absorb a great deal of damage, taking them out efficiently is paramount. Symbols corresponding to specific skills appear while enemies are preparing a major attack; land them all and you’ll interrupt their charge. Further complexity is added by the need to land regular blows to power melee attacks; additionally, there are Mario & Luigi-style timed button presses to boost damage dealt and minimise injury in return. This all serves to make battles more dynamic – though while different combinations of enemies force you to adjust your approach regularly, the playable cast is rather small and their skills are lacking in variety.
The story, meanwhile, centres on Valere and Zale, children born on the winter and summer solstice respectively, w
