nikos
Member
Have Game Pass (PC) but went with the Switch version anyway. I sat in front of my PC and played it on Switch for hours last night when I could have played it for free on PC. These types of games feel right on Switch for me.
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Sea of Stars |OT| Children of the Solstice
- Thread starter cormack12
- Start date
Have Game Pass (PC) but went with the Switch version anyway. I sat in front of my PC and played it on Switch for hours last night when I could have played it for free on PC. These types of games feel right on Switch for me.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
I am leaning towards Xbox cause it's cross-save compatible with PC game pass, in case I need to bring my save over for some cheat engine loving
SuperBabyMethod
Member
It’s a nice cross between Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG. The art style and color palettes are exquisite and the animations/movements of not only the characters but the environment just brims with life. I love how seamless traversing is. The combat is akin to Super Mario RPG and they even have accessibility options to make combat easier.
This, Chained Echoes and Cross Code are some of the best RPG’s to come out in recent years.
This, Chained Echoes and Cross Code are some of the best RPG’s to come out in recent years.
German Hops
GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief
LavitzSlambert
Member
Not sure why but Brisk feels enormous. I need a map.
reinking
Gold Member
I started on PC (Game Pass) and was going to move to the XBSX so I could chill in bed and play. I then realized I would have to move the XBSX. I restarted on the PS5 that is in the bedroom. I don't see myself playing this sitting at the PC and I have PS5 in both the living room and bedroom. So far, the only difference I noticed is the characters were swapped on the selection screen. There is no wrong answer.
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RagnarokIV
Member
What the FUCK is that soundtrack.
Standing in areas just to hear it loop one last time before moving on.
Standing in areas just to hear it loop one last time before moving on.
RagnarokIV
Member
Game Pass PC here. Originally subbed for Xbox but can't believe how amazing it's been even as a primarily PC player.I am leaning towards Xbox cause it's cross-save compatible with PC game pass, in case I need to bring my save over for some cheat engine loving
LavitzSlambert
Member
Depending on how far in you are, there’s a spot where you can hear a variation of a few songs while playing a minigame/equipping your party.
Timberwolf25
Member
Noticed a game update for it today. I haven't booted it up yet, but downloaded it the day of release
Edit: patch is 611MB on Series X
Edit: patch is 611MB on Series X
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Moonjt9
Member
The Messenger’s soundtrack was also S tier, and now they added the GOAT Yasunori Mitsuda for music too. Can’t get much better than this!
I like leveling up just so I can hear that awesome tune.
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touchfuzzy
Member
I’ve seen a lot of S-tier shit takes on the board but this might take the cake.
Toots
Gold Member
Just reached Brisk and talked with the pirates.
I love the feeling of almost being lost when exploring but then you'll always end up on the right track. The level design is really well thought. Not holding your hand like they do now, but not having you get lost for hours because you don't know where to go, as it was sometimes the case in the old days.
Combat is fun and somewhat challenging (you even have to think a little, not against bosses strangely but sometimes regular mob can trash you good if you are not paying attention).
The one thing that irks me a bit is the character design, they look kind of weird, especially during the 2D cinematics (which are really well made but really short by the way). Remind me of what french cartoonist produce when they try to draw anime. But it is just my taste and i can't fault the game for that (that pirate with the double eyepatch tho)
I love the feeling of almost being lost when exploring but then you'll always end up on the right track. The level design is really well thought. Not holding your hand like they do now, but not having you get lost for hours because you don't know where to go, as it was sometimes the case in the old days.
Combat is fun and somewhat challenging (you even have to think a little, not against bosses strangely but sometimes regular mob can trash you good if you are not paying attention).
The one thing that irks me a bit is the character design, they look kind of weird, especially during the 2D cinematics (which are really well made but really short by the way). Remind me of what french cartoonist produce when they try to draw anime. But it is just my taste and i can't fault the game for that (that pirate with the double eyepatch tho
)
UltimaKilo
Gold Member
That's what I'm thinking too. I can play on my monitor or in bed with the Switch, and take it with me if I travel. Moreover, giving them a little extra $ always helps.
Portugeezer
Member
No quick save option or am I blind?
Would have considered getting it in the Switch had I known.
Would have considered getting it in the Switch had I known.
I think I've played about 2 hours. Visually it looks great and I do enjoy the music when I notice it since I don't have the game that loud. I think what is irking me is that I have this urge to grind but you can't really do so. The battles are okay and the added taps for extra damage and trying to break attacks is a nice way to keep you from being bored from battles.
tibia
Neo Member
A couple of hours in and i can't get used to the combat. There's too much going on. Enemy types, Enemy turn counters, the move signs to stop the enemy, the orbs, mp meters, combos... trying to trigger bonuses from attacks and blocks. It feels like a chore having to heal very frequently too.
Leveling up is great but it seems slow and inappropriately scaled imo. Need 400xp...then 2000... and this means a lot of battles.
That said the foundation of a great jrpg is there so i haven't given up. Hoping to get to a point where you can freely use whatever attacks your heart desires.
Leveling up is great but it seems slow and inappropriately scaled imo. Need 400xp...then 2000... and this means a lot of battles.
That said the foundation of a great jrpg is there so i haven't given up. Hoping to get to a point where you can freely use whatever attacks your heart desires.
Roxkis_ii
Member
Man, I have to say, this is the most engaging turn based Battle system I've played, and it's nice to play a rpg with some difficulty to it.
I'm really digging the mechanics and really everything else so far. I've only reached the first town (after the tutorial) so far, but I'm having at lot of fun so far. I can see why this game is highly rated.
I'm really digging the mechanics and really everything else so far. I've only reached the first town (after the tutorial) so far, but I'm having at lot of fun so far. I can see why this game is highly rated.
Con-Z-epT
Live from NeoGAF, it's Friday Night!
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sloppyjoe_gamer
Gold Member
Every damn time....
NeoIkaruGAF
Gold Member
Some impressions 6+ hours in:
- graphics are good, even if some character portraits look off. The animated cutscenes look just bad though, and that title screen image doesn’t do the game any favors.
- good music. Catchy battle theme. Garl’s theme is the best so far, really rockin’.
- it’s really quite easy, guys. Sure, enemies hit hard but you just have to pay some attention and heal at the right time. Bosses have been a real cakewalk so far. The timing of the parry is really suspicious sometimes, though.
- story is mid so far. I like the characters, but there’s a trope or two too much, and they should really have cut out some cringy lines of dialogue from a certain pirate.
- there’s a bunch of purchasable items that can be used to modulate the difficulty. You can have auto double attack, get more XP, take less damage, take more damage, etc.
- of course there’s fishing. Of course.
- I don’t think I’m ever gonna touch the inevitable optional side-game. I hope you don’t get some super duper secret prize by getting pro at it (you definitely do, right?)
- it’s very linear so far. No chance of taking a wrong turn. Areas are pretty easy to figure out and you’d have to be exceptionally dumb to miss most “hidden” stuff.
Solid game, nothing outstanding but fun enough.
- graphics are good, even if some character portraits look off. The animated cutscenes look just bad though, and that title screen image doesn’t do the game any favors.
- good music. Catchy battle theme. Garl’s theme is the best so far, really rockin’.
- it’s really quite easy, guys. Sure, enemies hit hard but you just have to pay some attention and heal at the right time. Bosses have been a real cakewalk so far. The timing of the parry is really suspicious sometimes, though.
- story is mid so far. I like the characters, but there’s a trope or two too much, and they should really have cut out some cringy lines of dialogue from a certain pirate.
- there’s a bunch of purchasable items that can be used to modulate the difficulty. You can have auto double attack, get more XP, take less damage, take more damage, etc.
- of course there’s fishing. Of course.
- I don’t think I’m ever gonna touch the inevitable optional side-game. I hope you don’t get some super duper secret prize by getting pro at it (you definitely do, right?)
- it’s very linear so far. No chance of taking a wrong turn. Areas are pretty easy to figure out and you’d have to be exceptionally dumb to miss most “hidden” stuff.
Solid game, nothing outstanding but fun enough.
German Hops
GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief
Damn, and to think Chrono Trigger was made on a 16MB rom, lol.
My, how times have changed.
Raven117
Member
This literally is what made me download the game today.
Soundtracks for these types of games are so freakin important.
NeoIkaruGAF
Gold Member
Iirc, Chrono Trigger was a 32 megabits ROM, which is actually a whoppin’ 4 megabytes.
Feel Like I'm On 42
Member
How the hell did this get a 91 MC score? The easy difficulty is particularly disappointing
existensmaximum
Member
Hmmm.. does it rely very heavily on nostalgia so that you're supposed to recognize "everything" from older games and go "ooh yeah that was so cool in game X", or does the game stand on its own and feels like a unique game?
I am very interested in this game but if it's one of those "OK, cool game but why am I playing this when I could be playing the originals from 20-30 years ago.." it doesn't feel very interesting anymore.
NeoIkaruGAF
Gold Member
Personally, I don’t think difficulty is a prerequisite of a good game. If anything, I think the success of Souls has created this expectation and it hasn’t been a net good. Old console RPG classics weren’t often that difficult. And I didn’t like how Chained Echoes skewed a little too far on the opposite side, to name one recent example.
There’s definitely some “hey, remember this from that famous game?” moments. It’s to be expected from the industry at large, especially for a project like this. I mean, the very title of the game is just another way of saying Star Ocean, innit?
Originality is a rare thing these days. Even more so when these indie games are clearly meant as “love letter to the games of old” like they always are.
As tropey as JRPGs are, I think they’re still your best bet if you want something original. The Japanese can afford to go off the rails while still offering interesting gameplay. I think many western players just want something “new” in the vein of SNES/PS1 games because Japanese games have evolved in a direction many aren’t comfortable with these days.
delfrickintree
Member
I just got to Mesa Island with the fifth character joined (awesome plot twist).. loving the game so far. Only a few critiques that are easily ignored. Some of my thoughts:
-The pacing starts off quite a slog, as others have mentioned. I stuck with it because of how much praise it's gotten. It does pick up eventually.
-Besides the obvious Chrono Trigger style, I get major Wild Arms vibes, which keeps prompting me to use the dash/run button while traveling (maybe later?)
-The humor ranges from cheesy and unecessary (4th wall jokes, references to other games) to things that actually made me laugh (First Stage of Grief Tavern, the obvious Captain Kleeshae reveal, all the musical puns among the pirates). Garl having a pressure cooker attack blew my mind. The kind of politically incorrect humor we need more of.
-It manages to check all the boxes for globetrotting locations in a RPG. Tropical, mountainous, desert, etc.. elemental, haunted, past/present/future styles. So much variety.
-Music is adequate, nothing that has gotten stuck in my head yet. Overall seems well done. I just think it lacks something.
-What I really got surprised by is the depth of the story. It started out seemingly generic but the longer you play, the deeper it gets, and I have no idea what to expect at this point. Probably outer space ala Wild Arms. The whole universal cat and mouse game between Archivist and Fleshmancer is so unexpected in a seemingly innocent game like this. I recommend reading the lore from Teaks during the campfires.
-Combat can be unforgiving sometimes, it's no wonder they gave the options for buffing your stats etc. They did an excellent job balancing all the systems involved in battle, combo building, "drawing" MP points from enemies (ff8ish?), enemy vulnerabilities and the lock breaking... and the food crafting system is good as well. I hate modern crafting systems.
-They kept the amount of loot to a severe minimum, and I love that. Not having to worry about comparing equipment all the time saves the hassle.
-The platforming keeps it interesting with jumping, swimming, grappling, etc. Almost like a 2d Tomb Raider.
-General dungeon crawling and puzzles are simple and to the point, doesn't waste too much of your time. Tedious dungeons can be a game killer for me. Although I dont mind a particularly mind-bending puzzle when it's unique.
-And as we all know, graphics are stunning. Getting to control night & day is magnificent, despite being pixel art.
I'll do a followup post when I finish the game. So far it's an instant classic. Going to recommend this to my friends who like old school RPGs.
"Mountains're nice."
-The pacing starts off quite a slog, as others have mentioned. I stuck with it because of how much praise it's gotten. It does pick up eventually.
-Besides the obvious Chrono Trigger style, I get major Wild Arms vibes, which keeps prompting me to use the dash/run button while traveling (maybe later?)
-The humor ranges from cheesy and unecessary (4th wall jokes, references to other games) to things that actually made me laugh (First Stage of Grief Tavern, the obvious Captain Kleeshae reveal, all the musical puns among the pirates). Garl having a pressure cooker attack blew my mind. The kind of politically incorrect humor we need more of.
-It manages to check all the boxes for globetrotting locations in a RPG. Tropical, mountainous, desert, etc.. elemental, haunted, past/present/future styles. So much variety.
-Music is adequate, nothing that has gotten stuck in my head yet. Overall seems well done. I just think it lacks something.
-What I really got surprised by is the depth of the story. It started out seemingly generic but the longer you play, the deeper it gets, and I have no idea what to expect at this point. Probably outer space ala Wild Arms. The whole universal cat and mouse game between Archivist and Fleshmancer is so unexpected in a seemingly innocent game like this. I recommend reading the lore from Teaks during the campfires.
-Combat can be unforgiving sometimes, it's no wonder they gave the options for buffing your stats etc. They did an excellent job balancing all the systems involved in battle, combo building, "drawing" MP points from enemies (ff8ish?), enemy vulnerabilities and the lock breaking... and the food crafting system is good as well. I hate modern crafting systems.
-They kept the amount of loot to a severe minimum, and I love that. Not having to worry about comparing equipment all the time saves the hassle.
-The platforming keeps it interesting with jumping, swimming, grappling, etc. Almost like a 2d Tomb Raider.
-General dungeon crawling and puzzles are simple and to the point, doesn't waste too much of your time. Tedious dungeons can be a game killer for me. Although I dont mind a particularly mind-bending puzzle when it's unique.
-And as we all know, graphics are stunning. Getting to control night & day is magnificent, despite being pixel art.
I'll do a followup post when I finish the game. So far it's an instant classic. Going to recommend this to my friends who like old school RPGs.
"Mountains're nice."
Exentryk
Member
It's amazing how many tracks they made. It sounds like the sound team really enjoyed themselves making this. I really enjoy Disc 3 tracks.
Exentryk
Member
The story stuff is starting to feel weak. It usually moves along too fast and the character interactions just doesn't feel natural. But this doesn't bother me too much.
What does annoy me is the poor combat. So few abilities, annoying active-elements in a turn-based combat system (just make an ARPG?), poor gear variety, etc. It's like an RPG-lite, and is similar to FF16 in that respect. And since the combat starts feeling boring and tedious, the dungeons start to feel overly long, and it starts to drag down the experience. I did give this feedback to the developer after playing the demo, but they were clearly locked-into this direction, and that's fine. This combat is just not for me.
Another annoying aspect is the travelling around the map. At one point you get a choice to go to two different places, but to get to one place, there is no obvious way, and it requires some obscure backtracking. Ain't nobody got time for that. I still haven't been there (Elder Mist island) and trucking on with the rest of the story. If there is an easier way to get there later, then so be it. But right now this is just crap.
Having said those things, the variety in environments is really good. The atmosphere in those areas due to the art, the music, the animations, it's all really really good. The UI artist needs to do more games, with perhaps a different team that does better combat.
Getting closer to the end (have 5 characters), so let's see how I feel then.
What does annoy me is the poor combat. So few abilities, annoying active-elements in a turn-based combat system (just make an ARPG?), poor gear variety, etc. It's like an RPG-lite, and is similar to FF16 in that respect. And since the combat starts feeling boring and tedious, the dungeons start to feel overly long, and it starts to drag down the experience. I did give this feedback to the developer after playing the demo, but they were clearly locked-into this direction, and that's fine. This combat is just not for me.
Another annoying aspect is the travelling around the map. At one point you get a choice to go to two different places, but to get to one place, there is no obvious way, and it requires some obscure backtracking. Ain't nobody got time for that. I still haven't been there (Elder Mist island) and trucking on with the rest of the story. If there is an easier way to get there later, then so be it. But right now this is just crap.
Having said those things, the variety in environments is really good. The atmosphere in those areas due to the art, the music, the animations, it's all really really good. The UI artist needs to do more games, with perhaps a different team that does better combat.
Getting closer to the end (have 5 characters), so let's see how I feel then.
twilo99
Member
I am leaning towards Xbox cause it's cross-save compatible with PC game pass, in case I need to bring my save over for some cheat engine loving
But if you have gamepass why bother buying it anyway
BbMajor7th
Gold Member
Just beat the first major boss. So far it's decent, but not quite blowing me away.
Visuals are fantastic - this is exactly my kind of style.
Combat and level design are nice - puzzles work and combat has a smart strategic underpinning.
Music is serviceable - hope it picks up (a shame as the soundtrack to The Messenger was stellar).
Writing is quite weak - I don't see it picking up. Dialogue is bland and filled with forced exposition, but maybe it'll have some fun plot points.
Visuals are fantastic - this is exactly my kind of style.
Combat and level design are nice - puzzles work and combat has a smart strategic underpinning.
Music is serviceable - hope it picks up (a shame as the soundtrack to The Messenger was stellar).
Writing is quite weak - I don't see it picking up. Dialogue is bland and filled with forced exposition, but maybe it'll have some fun plot points.
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adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
The game is on both PC and console game pass.
DragoonKain
Neighbours from Hell
I've had my eye on this for so long, glad people are enjoying it. I'm not planning on playing it right way though. I dedicate my summers to JRPGs and I've played about 6 JRPGs in a row and I need a break from them. I have a long list of games lined up that will probably last me until the Fall, but maybe I'll have a little window at some point to fit this one in. Or may just wait until the physical copies come out.
Does anyone know if they're releasing a physical PS4 version? The graphic had Switch/PS5/Xbox, but I don't know if that's because they just wanted to promote one of each for each company.
Does anyone know if they're releasing a physical PS4 version? The graphic had Switch/PS5/Xbox, but I don't know if that's because they just wanted to promote one of each for each company.
OuterLimits
Member
Yeah, I have to agree with you on this. It is fairly decent but I'm several hours in and somewhat confused how this received such amazing scores. Perhaps it improves immensely after the slow start(the plot is not interesting so far). I have enjoyed some other indie retro jrpg style games more honestly.(Shadow of Adam as an example)
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Tal Shiar Agent
Member
Does anyone else feel like there is too much motion blur, or something else going on with the way the game looks in motion on PS5? I can't play it for more than a few minutes without getting eye strain and a headache.
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Timberwolf25
Member
I've only just started on the Series X, but haven't noticed anything that looks like too much motion blur.
LavitzSlambert
Member
The first few areas and bosses play a straight typical hero's journey fantasy JRPG plot. Things start getting interesting near the end of Wraith Island. I'm not done yet but it's been a big improvement ever since then. Flooded Graveyard is probably the low point in the game. The atmosphere is great, but the battles are a little grindy, the plot hasn't really picked up, and for some reason in that section there isn't a lot of exploration/discovery like the prior ones.
Tal Shiar Agent
Member
I'm not sure what it is, maybe how the characters and world move independently of each other, idk.
NeoIkaruGAF
Gold Member
I think the game seriously botches the balance of combat.
MP and healing items are severely limited, so what they did here is they put in a campfire and a save point every few rooms. Yes, mob fights do get more tense (and a little unfair) a few hours into the game, and missing a couple of blocks can be very dangerous. But you basically have to survive just four or five battles before you can heal up fully again for free.
Compare this to old JRPGs where you could face a dozen battles or more before finding the next save point, but you had enough MP to heal several times and probably plenty of leftover small potions to even the odds a bit in case a battle went south. The tension was very different, the stakes felt higher because save points were few and far between and each one felt like a true milestone.
Level up boosts are quite baffling, too. You almost never get extra MP unless you go for the bonus. Defense bonuses, on the other hand, are always very high and it‘s hard to choose something else seeing the ridiculous damage enemies start doing when zombies and magic-using creatures start appearing. Defense is way more important than attack here.
MP and healing items are severely limited, so what they did here is they put in a campfire and a save point every few rooms. Yes, mob fights do get more tense (and a little unfair) a few hours into the game, and missing a couple of blocks can be very dangerous. But you basically have to survive just four or five battles before you can heal up fully again for free.
Compare this to old JRPGs where you could face a dozen battles or more before finding the next save point, but you had enough MP to heal several times and probably plenty of leftover small potions to even the odds a bit in case a battle went south. The tension was very different, the stakes felt higher because save points were few and far between and each one felt like a true milestone.
Level up boosts are quite baffling, too. You almost never get extra MP unless you go for the bonus. Defense bonuses, on the other hand, are always very high and it‘s hard to choose something else seeing the ridiculous damage enemies start doing when zombies and magic-using creatures start appearing. Defense is way more important than attack here.
Interfectum
Member
Sea of Stars hitting new all time peaks on Steam. Nearly over 8k.