That much was obvious in the opening moments of the demo version we previewed earlier this month. From the beginning, it plants players in a fully realized, 3D version of Beach City, Steven's fictional hometown. The open world isn't as vast as, say, Hyrule in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but it's easy to see that a great deal of care went into re-creating the boardwalk from the show, complete with its shops, hideaways, and the colorful supporting cast milling around. (Graham also admits that the game's style was inspired by Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, so the team's love for Nintendo is as clear as ever.)
In Save The Light, Steven explores a variety of worlds on his quest to rescue the ancient light weapon he befriended in the first game. Joining Steven on his adventure are the Crystal Gems — alien warriors Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl — along with Steven's best friend, Connie, and his father, Greg Universe. As in the series and original game, the Gems have a variety of combat abilities, like Pearl's spear and beam attacks, and Garnet's magic gauntlets. Connie and Greg add even more depth to the action; Connie's sword makes her a frontline fighter, while Greg's guitar lets him amplify the abilities of other party members. Steven, with few offensive abilities of his own, serves as the support character, since he can heal his friends, shield them from danger, and even resurrect them if they're defeated. Not only are these abilities useful in battle, but the developers brought some of them — like Greg's musical talents — into the open world, too, adding platforming and puzzle-solving elements to the game.
"”Who you're trying to impress or support is a huge part of the gameplay.""
”When we did the first game, we had all these big, ambitious ideas that we had to put into a smaller game," Sugar says. ”Now, we get to expand on everything, especially a lot of the relationship dynamics that in these small ways, sort of snuck into the first game. Like, you tell a joke that you know one of the Gems will laugh at. Who you're trying to impress or support has gone from a kind of Easter egg to being a huge part of the gameplay."
That relationship system is key to the game, and it's part of what makes the adventure fit so well alongside the series it draws from. During battle, the game rewards players for defending teammates, or executing a perfect combo by having characters build up relationship points with each other. Those points build up over time, and when maxed out, they can unlock new abilities. For instance, Steven and Connie can gain the ability to fuse into Stevonnie, an ”experience" who embodies the best of both characters.
