Summary
Alongside all the other genres that have been well-represented in 2023’s absolutely jam-packed release schedule, there’s been a windfall this year of quality RPG releases. One of the most-anticipated of these (and quite possibly a dark horse contender for Game of the Year) is Sabotage Studio’sSea of Stars. This classically-styled RPG ticks all the boxes for fans of the genre that grew up during its heyday in the 16 and 32-bit eras while simultaneously innovating and iterating on a decades-old formula. The result is thatSea of Starsfeels like a game players might have missed on the SNES or PS1, but still retains an identity all its own.
It joins a growing list of incredible indie RPGs that have steadily been dropping over the last few years, each of them showcasing how small development teams with restricted budgets can still craft games that stand toe-to-toe with AAA releases. In terms of last year’s standout indie RPG, that honor belongs toChained Echoes. A fantastic retro throwback that is largely the work of a sole developer,Chained Echoes' is similar toSea of Starsin that it draws from the 16 and 32-bit classics that the team clearly has a fond appreciation for, but its darker tone and mature story set it apart from Sabotage Studio’s newest release.
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Sea of Stars and Chained Echoes Share Common 32-Bit Influences
Outside both being RPGs that clearly adhere to the mechanics and elements of their forebears, bothSea of StarsandChained Echoeshappen to share a common influence in the criminallyunderappreciated PS1 RPGLegend of Dragoon. The ways that each game pulls fromLegend of Dragoonas one of their collective inspirations may differ, but the intent is all the same – to highlight the brilliance of this cult-classic in the genre.Legend of Dragooncame to players from Sony’s first-party team Japan Studio (the same developers of classics such asApe EscapeandGravity Rush) and received plenty of critical and commercial success at the time of its launch before quickly fading into obscurity.
WhileChained Echoesborrows heavily fromThe Legend of Dragoon’s narrative elements and tone,Sea of Starschooses to wear itsDragooninfluence in its turn-based battles that implement real-time commands. Beyond these comparisons, however,Chained Echoeshas more than its fair share of analogues between itself and anotherPS1 classic –Xenogears. Considering thatXenogears' iconic score features the talents of Yasunori Mitsuda, who also worked on not onlyChrono TriggerbutSea of Stars, another thread connecting the two titles becomes apparent.
Both Chained Echoes and Sea of Stars Get Classic RPG Gameplay Right
In terms of each title’s gameplay,bothSea of StarsandChained Echoesdon’t shy away from providing players with a substantial challenge despite being more forgiving than many of the classic games that they share influence from. Party management, prioritization of skills, and calculated progression are the name of the game in both titles, lest players find themselves soft-locked behind nearly impossible encounters thanks to how stat points have been allocated. Both games may be modern spins on the classic RPG, but the quality-of-life upgrades to the genre’s mechanics that each employ don’t extend to either game’s difficulty.
As a result, what fans are left with in both titles is a game that stays true to the foundation laid by its predecessors while also doing enough on its own to not be classified a shameless imitation. The last two years have brought several AAA RPGs to players' screens, butChained EchoesandSea of Starsprovethat there’s still plenty of life left in the formulas of older games, provided that the developers can sufficiently harness the elements that made them successful in the first place. As the saying goes, the classics never go out of style.
Sea of Starsis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
