Sea of Stars (PC/PS5/PS4/NSW) - Sequel to The Messenger - 2023

[Odesseiron]

The Messenger takes place in the same universe as this but thousands of years later AFAIK. I think I've seen a couple references for sure. But I don't think it'll be like a Marvel movie lol.

Anyhow, I got through the first couple of hours also, and it's really just classic rpg, even the slow start. This whole game is just a love letter to jrpgs. If anyone wonders where all the classic jrpgs have gone, look no further than this game and support the dev with your money. I'm sure they recouped a lot of costs from gamepass/PSN, but for $35 the adventure is about 40ish hours and supposed to be solid. I think that's worth my money. Sabotage has a great small studio and I hope this is super successful for them.

This one hit me like a nostalgia bomb, wasn't 20 minutes in before I was thinking "When was the last time I played Lunar?"

I literally thought this as well.

[bori]

I'm having too much fun trying to make Moonberang last as long as possible. Reminds of the Forest Temple boss and Ganon in Ocarina of Time.

[Odesseiron]

Apparently this is on both PSN+ and Game pass, so I'm sure they got money for that. They self published, I think so for a second game with a small studio that's always a gamble.

BUT the game has moved over 100k sold copies in the first 24 hours. The Messenger only moved 50k in its first week (and went on to sell a million) I'm sure this might lose some traction with Starfield, but not from me. I've already sold 2 people I know on it.

My highest Moonberang count so far is 30. Reminds me of super jump in SMRPG

[Zealot]

I keep missing it after 20! I want that achievement.

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[Odesseiron]

Oh man. I just got to... the mountain. That was a great feeling. Leaving it at that, but if you get there, you'll know what I mean.

Spoiler: show

Hearing that music kick in from The Messenger kick in and exploring that mountain thousands of years prior. Too good. No idea where it's going, but I imagine it might end up leading to what started "the cycle" in The Messenger

Edit - The more I play this game, the more I am glad I went through The Messenger first. Not required, but it's definitely worth it to the nods and some other things in the game 100%

I would recommend putting in the 10ish hours to get through it before playing this.

[Odesseiron]

Double posting here... but some big moments. Holy shit right in the feels and then some really cool shit. I need other people to catch up or post lol

[Lucavi]

Some of the character decisions are... suspect. I can feel this game's lack of a writer.

[bori]

Minor annoyance for me on this game is the fact that I have to go into camp in order to save on the world map, and if I decide to rest to replenish my hp/mp, I have to go back into camp after in order to save again.

[Tyrath]

Does the game not auto save when you rest?

[bori]

Does the game not auto save when you rest?

Perhaps it does, you're right, but I just find it a bit odd that I have to go back into camp to manually save. At least have a Save Option directly in the main menu when on the world map.

[Andalusian girls]

game sold in its first week what the devs projected for its first year, in addition to whatever Microsoft/Sony paid them. certified hood classic and huge success for the studio.

https://twitter.com/seaofstarsgame/s...930766092?s=20

[Odesseiron]

Wow, super stoked for them.

I'm towards the end of the game now, only have a couple of character requests and rainbow conches to finish up before I go to the last fight, but I have absolutely loved this game and it hit me in the feels a few times for sure. The combat system is simplistic yet deep enough to keep me engaged. I wish each character had 1 more skill, but that's a minor gripe. And while the writing isn't top notch, I would put it at about the same level of games we were playing in that era. I think we all wear rose tinted glasses when it comes to those classics, myself included. I would say in certain aspects, the story excels at a couple points in the later portion of the game.

[Lucavi]

Motivation. Motivation is a powerful thing, and not acting in a way that the player can call "stupid". I won't spoil, but two major characters act in a way that just did not happen in SNES RPGs, rose-tinted glasses or not.

Its still a great game, but that blemish is too great a blot for me to fully enjoy. Love the fishing, though. Its like Breath of Fire fishing, on steroids.

My problem is that my standards are too high. Tactics Ogre was on the SNES. Tactics Ogre was out in 1995. Tactics Ogre also had an amazing script and amazing motivation for its characters (even if Vice was literally just to spite Denam).

[bori]

Motivation. Motivation is a powerful thing, and not acting in a way that the player can call "stupid". I won't spoil, but two major characters act in a way that just did not happen in SNES RPGs, rose-tinted glasses or not.

Its still a great game, but that blemish is too great a blot for me to fully enjoy. Love the fishing, though. Its like Breath of Fire fishing, on steroids.

My problem is that my standards are too high. Tactics Ogre was on the SNES. Tactics Ogre was out in 1995. Tactics Ogre also had an amazing script and amazing motivation for its characters (even if Vice was literally just to spite Denam).

Would you recommend Tactics Ogre remastered? I actually never played that game. The only Tactics Ogre I played was Knight of Lodis on GBA.

[bori]

Also, the boss battle music is BANGIN

[Andalusian girls]

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is a mastapiece, one of the greatest tactical RPGs ever made and one of the better stories told in vidya. most recent remaster (Tactics Ogre: Reborn) is the best way to experience it.

[Lucavi]

Would you recommend Tactics Ogre remastered? I actually never played that game. The only Tactics Ogre I played was Knight of Lodis on GBA.

If you care about a story and believable people on both sides of a war, absolutely. Matsuno is a writer, first and foremost.

[Athas]

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is a mastapiece, one of the greatest tactical RPGs ever made and one of the better stories told in vidya. most recent remaster (Tactics Ogre: Reborn) is the best way to experience it.

Is it so? I thought I remember hearing mutterings back near release about changes to the gameplay and balance ruined the experience compared to the original.

[Andalusian girls]

there was much muttering, but felt it was mostly typical gamer whingin about changes to a beloved product. the PSP remake is absolutely superior to the SNES/PS1 version, don't think even whingy purists challenge that much. Reborn throws in voice acting + remastered sound + massively reduces the braindead grinding required in the earlier two versions, and challenge/enemy AI were rebalanced for the better (this is a much harder game than FFT but the rebalancing made it feel fairer while also squashing cheese). only major change i didn't like was reducing the equipped skill count, oversimplification imo.

i've beaten all three versions and got it Reborn > PSP > OG without much deliberation. some rose tinted glasses i think for those pining for the jankier, grindier, less balanced versions.

[Lucavi]

The PSP version has the best script and the best OST, but some of the quality of life changes in the most recent one are appealing, as well as the AI tweaks. You can't go wrong with either, although my ears approve of the PSP version over the remaster.