Sabotage Studio (The Messenger) today announced that Sea of Stars, the acclaimed turn-based RPG inspired by the heights of ‘90s role-playing classics, has seen more than 4 million players embark on its grand adventure since debuting this year on Aug. 28. Sea of Stars is available across PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 (check out our review!), PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One for $34.99; it’s also free to subscribers to Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, as well as PlayStation Plus’ Extra and Premium membership tiers.
This astonishing reception by the community accompanies Sea of Stars’ recognition with the games industry’s most sought-after accolades, including Best Indie Game at The Game Awards, Best Indie Game at the Golden Joysticks and recognition by the British Academy Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) as one of the best games from 2023. The ambitious RPG continues to appear as a top pick within critics’ Best of 2023 selections following its August debut with more than 25 perfect review scores.
“Sea of Stars is the game of my dreams, and seeing its quest resonate so strongly with players and critics means the world to everyone at Sabotage,” said Thierry Boulanger, co-founder of Sabotage Studio and game director on Sea of Stars. “The team behind this game is the most talented and dedicated group I could have ever hoped to create Sea of Stars with, and I’m again reminded of their brilliance as we progress with creating Sea of Stars’ upcoming DLC, Throes of the Watchmaker. For fans to have recognized our adventure in such an incredibly prosperous year for RPGs alongside new arrivals from the genre’s biggest franchises … we simply just cannot thank you enough for supporting us, and we can’t wait to show you what’s next for Sea of Stars.”
Sea of Stars is the second game from Sabotage Studio and takes place in the same universe as The Messenger, the studio’s award-winning debut. Legendary composer Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger) joined composer Eric W. Brown on Sea of Stars to produce a rousing original soundtrack, which was released this month via Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.
iam8bit will also be releasing exclusive physical editions of Sea of Stars for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2024.
Sea of Stars Key Features:
- Active Turn-Based Combat: Pressing the action button in sync with battle animations strengthens a hero’s attacks and reduces incoming damage during defense. Along with interactive timed attacks, combat features boosting and a strategic “locks” system, providing options for leveraging different damage types in order to hinder enemies while they are preparing powerful attacks or spells, all in an immersive take on the RPG genre; no random encounters, transitions to separate battlefields or grinding.
- Unshackled Traversal: Swim, climb, vault, jump off or scale ledges while seamlessly traversing through the world with a navigation system based on platformer expertise that breaks free from classic, bound-to-the-ground tileset movement.
- A Story-Rich Adventure: Meet dozens of original characters and progress memorable narrative arcs throughout a captivating journey. Sometimes epic, sometimes silly, and other times emotional, Sea of Stars explores classic themes of adventure and friendship with heart, while also being chock-full of the unexpected twists and events you’d expect from a Sabotage Studio production.
- All Fun, No Tedium: Enjoy experimenting in combat without fear of hitting a wall requiring grinding or farming for unique items; in Sea of Stars, defeat calls for a change in battle plans, not hours of repetition to better the odds in a rematch.
- A World You Can Touch: There are many ways to hang out in the world of Sea of Stars if you feel inclined to change the pace during your adventures. Sailing, cooking, fishing, stopping by a tavern to listen to a song, or playing the beloved tabletop game known as “Wheels” … every system has been designed to deliver a journey that pays tribute to retro classics, while rethinking conventional elements to offer a smooth and refreshingly modernized experience.
- Radiant Lighting: Dynamic lighting effects pair with a world-influencing day/night cycle to make every area feel truly alive, pushing the traditional visual limits of classically stylized 2D pixel art games – the only way to properly tell the story of heroes conjuring the powers of the Sun and the Moon.
For complete game information, please visit www.seaofstarsgame.co.
Related: Sea of Stars Review for PlayStation 5
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