_Xavi_
7 reviews liked by _Xavi_
Sea of Stars
2023
This review contains spoilers
A truly fantastic game. Easily one of the best retro-styled RPGs I've played in some time. For the purposes of this review I'm going to split it into six sections: Combat, Exploration, Worldbuilding/Lore, Music, Graphics, and Story. There may be some mild spoilers in the early sections, but the big ones will be at the bottom so even if you are reading this through the spoiler warning the big ones should be at the bottom. That said, here we go.
COMBAT
First off, the combat. Taking a cue from Chrono Trigger, you see all the enemies on the map in the actual areas you explore and bumping into them starts combat. Each of your party members's main attack is a certain element, and after an early encounter in the game you can knock energy out of foes with base physical attacks to Boost your attacks with a secondary element. There are six "elements" in this game: blunt, sharp, solar, lunar, arcane, and venom, and this is more important because when enemies are charging powerful attacks "locks" will appear that you can break via those elements. You can freely swap members in battle once you have more than 3 without a turn penalty so the strategic element of using the right members for the right attacks is there.
You'll also charge up a combo meter the more attacks you do, which function like Dual Techs in Chrono Trigger, since you team up with an ally for a powerful attack combining your existing attacks. Later on in the game, you'll start getting Ultimate attacks, charged up even further which is a powerful multi-hit attack that can deal massive damage. All in all, the combat is very engrossing.
My one complaint is you literally cannot flee from any battle, which is annoying when backtracking through older areas and getting into fights but you usually can get through trash mobs quickly. You also can, with the right timing, get extra damage on your attacks or reduce damage when attacked, so that helps too. You also can get various Relics that can give benefits (or make the game harder) that can be toggled, such as making your characters auto-block occasionally, or make more visual flair when you get the timing right, or even auto heal after battle while doubling max HP. These are all at your discretion to use (and most have to be found and/or purchased anyways) but they really allow you to fine-tune battle difficulty nicely.
EXPLORATION
Now on to the other half of the gameplay, the map exploration. Areas are split up into large areas, with an overworld map connecting them (another cue taken from Chrono Trigger). There isn't much you can do on the overworld, but in the various areas you can climb up walls with grips, shimmy across narrow ledges, and later on even push blocks and grapple across certain gaps to traverse the areas. No two areas are alike, so there is always something new. Being that you play as Eclipse Warriors blessed with the powers of the sun and moon, there are also some light based puzzles focused on manipulating the time of day to have light reflected over specific panels, among other things. It was quite fun exploring and finding secrets like this, and just as engrossing as the battles.
Near most save points there were also campfires, where you could rest or even cook if you have the right ingredients and recipes, and this is where you get your potions and ethers and such. There aren't any status ailments like poison though, so no need to worry about that. There is also a fishing minigame, which is good for getting those ingredients, and it's pretty intuitive. Keep the fish in the glowing area as you reel it in and your line is fine. Otherwise it may snap the line. Either way it's quite fun to just see where you can go in any given zone.
WORLDBUILDING/LORE
As for this part, the world the game takes place has interesting lore going on, introduced to you early on. As Eclipse Warriors, you grow up in the town of Mooncradle which is devoted to raising children such as yourself. Children born on either solstice are dropped off in the town by the Great Eagle, blessed with control over the magic of their solstice (solar for summer, lunar for winter). As you explore the world, you see many great sights and meet many great people. You also learn that Eclipse Warriors exist to protect the world from powerful beings known as Dwellers who can only be defeated during an eclipse.
Now of course it's not like your entire party is Eclipse Warriors (just your main two characters) so you find others who are equally strong. One such is your childhood friend Garl, who styles himself as the Warrior Cook and might just be one of the greatest RPG characters in history. A true friend, Garl is the type of guy who'll stay be your side no matter what and make sure you're well-fed in the mean time. The rest of the party is equally great but Garl is definitely a highlight. He is a bit of a gateway to some other lore. You'll also run into Teaks, who doesn't fight with you but has a book that, when presented with artifacts, will unlock various stories that expand the world even more with various myths and legends that, as you explore the game, are revealed to be more and more true.
MUSIC
The music in the game is a true masterpiece. Every song hits so hard, and there are very few songs that don't hit as well (but they're still good). The battle music is energizing, as it should be. Area music is usually relaxing but certain areas have more hype music fitting the storyline and area they're in. This wasn't going to be as big of a section as the rest, but I had to point out that this really is one of the better soundtracks this year. And we had Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed AND Final Fantasy XVI this year so tough competition. And yet, it holds its own. Definitely some songs I'll be coming back to for casual outside-of-game listening.
GRAPHICS
This game has some truly beautiful spritework. The characters pop, the environments are lush, the backgrounds are detailed, the enemies are diverse (with very few palette swaps), it's all wonderful. The animations are great too, and every character has unique personality that shines through in their designs and animations. There are also occasionally cutscenes that are beautifully animated like a cartoon to really emphasize certain scenes, and they're always quite welcome.
STORY
Now for the big spoilery part. The story. I touched upon it a bit in the lore section, but the story has some big surprises. As this is a prequel of sorts to The Messenger, there are some fascinating points that bring to mind areas and characters in that game, so it does help if you've played (and beaten) that game first. Eventually you also end up crossing the titular Sea of Stars after a particularly heart-wrenching moment to another world in chase of your main foe, the Fleshmancer. It is him who made the Dwellers and, as an Eclipse Warrior, your biggest foe. I quite enjoyed how the story progressed and how the world opened up more and more as the story progressed.
I was also quite delighted to find there was postgame that led into a true ending that was a lot more satisfying than the base ending. I highly recommend going for that true ending because it's worth it. You also basically end up having to get the best weapons because almost all the side quests are required (similar to how Chrono Trigger was with the quests that opened up after getting Crono back) for that true ending. One of the other requirements is finding all 60 Rainbow Conches though, and that can be tedious (even with one of the rewards for the Conches being a bird that tells you if something is left in any given region) and I won't lie I did use a guide. Still very satisfying to get to the end. There is also one final surprise even after true ending that requires almost everything else done, and that is even more worth it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So the reason I did 6 sections was trying to be cheeky cause 6 party members throughout the game. But all in all, it excels in all 6 sections. No part of the game is held up by another because they're all fantastic. Definitely recommend the game highly, and that 5 stars is not an exaggeration. I also recommend beating the Messenger first for the best experience though, but that game is also wonderful so yeah. Either way, I quite enjoyed my time with the game and I look forward to exploring the world of it more once the promised DLC drops too.
COMBAT
First off, the combat. Taking a cue from Chrono Trigger, you see all the enemies on the map in the actual areas you explore and bumping into them starts combat. Each of your party members's main attack is a certain element, and after an early encounter in the game you can knock energy out of foes with base physical attacks to Boost your attacks with a secondary element. There are six "elements" in this game: blunt, sharp, solar, lunar, arcane, and venom, and this is more important because when enemies are charging powerful attacks "locks" will appear that you can break via those elements. You can freely swap members in battle once you have more than 3 without a turn penalty so the strategic element of using the right members for the right attacks is there.
You'll also charge up a combo meter the more attacks you do, which function like Dual Techs in Chrono Trigger, since you team up with an ally for a powerful attack combining your existing attacks. Later on in the game, you'll start getting Ultimate attacks, charged up even further which is a powerful multi-hit attack that can deal massive damage. All in all, the combat is very engrossing.
My one complaint is you literally cannot flee from any battle, which is annoying when backtracking through older areas and getting into fights but you usually can get through trash mobs quickly. You also can, with the right timing, get extra damage on your attacks or reduce damage when attacked, so that helps too. You also can get various Relics that can give benefits (or make the game harder) that can be toggled, such as making your characters auto-block occasionally, or make more visual flair when you get the timing right, or even auto heal after battle while doubling max HP. These are all at your discretion to use (and most have to be found and/or purchased anyways) but they really allow you to fine-tune battle difficulty nicely.
EXPLORATION
Now on to the other half of the gameplay, the map exploration. Areas are split up into large areas, with an overworld map connecting them (another cue taken from Chrono Trigger). There isn't much you can do on the overworld, but in the various areas you can climb up walls with grips, shimmy across narrow ledges, and later on even push blocks and grapple across certain gaps to traverse the areas. No two areas are alike, so there is always something new. Being that you play as Eclipse Warriors blessed with the powers of the sun and moon, there are also some light based puzzles focused on manipulating the time of day to have light reflected over specific panels, among other things. It was quite fun exploring and finding secrets like this, and just as engrossing as the battles.
Near most save points there were also campfires, where you could rest or even cook if you have the right ingredients and recipes, and this is where you get your potions and ethers and such. There aren't any status ailments like poison though, so no need to worry about that. There is also a fishing minigame, which is good for getting those ingredients, and it's pretty intuitive. Keep the fish in the glowing area as you reel it in and your line is fine. Otherwise it may snap the line. Either way it's quite fun to just see where you can go in any given zone.
WORLDBUILDING/LORE
As for this part, the world the game takes place has interesting lore going on, introduced to you early on. As Eclipse Warriors, you grow up in the town of Mooncradle which is devoted to raising children such as yourself. Children born on either solstice are dropped off in the town by the Great Eagle, blessed with control over the magic of their solstice (solar for summer, lunar for winter). As you explore the world, you see many great sights and meet many great people. You also learn that Eclipse Warriors exist to protect the world from powerful beings known as Dwellers who can only be defeated during an eclipse.
Now of course it's not like your entire party is Eclipse Warriors (just your main two characters) so you find others who are equally strong. One such is your childhood friend Garl, who styles himself as the Warrior Cook and might just be one of the greatest RPG characters in history. A true friend, Garl is the type of guy who'll stay be your side no matter what and make sure you're well-fed in the mean time. The rest of the party is equally great but Garl is definitely a highlight. He is a bit of a gateway to some other lore. You'll also run into Teaks, who doesn't fight with you but has a book that, when presented with artifacts, will unlock various stories that expand the world even more with various myths and legends that, as you explore the game, are revealed to be more and more true.
MUSIC
The music in the game is a true masterpiece. Every song hits so hard, and there are very few songs that don't hit as well (but they're still good). The battle music is energizing, as it should be. Area music is usually relaxing but certain areas have more hype music fitting the storyline and area they're in. This wasn't going to be as big of a section as the rest, but I had to point out that this really is one of the better soundtracks this year. And we had Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed AND Final Fantasy XVI this year so tough competition. And yet, it holds its own. Definitely some songs I'll be coming back to for casual outside-of-game listening.
GRAPHICS
This game has some truly beautiful spritework. The characters pop, the environments are lush, the backgrounds are detailed, the enemies are diverse (with very few palette swaps), it's all wonderful. The animations are great too, and every character has unique personality that shines through in their designs and animations. There are also occasionally cutscenes that are beautifully animated like a cartoon to really emphasize certain scenes, and they're always quite welcome.
STORY
Now for the big spoilery part. The story. I touched upon it a bit in the lore section, but the story has some big surprises. As this is a prequel of sorts to The Messenger, there are some fascinating points that bring to mind areas and characters in that game, so it does help if you've played (and beaten) that game first. Eventually you also end up crossing the titular Sea of Stars after a particularly heart-wrenching moment to another world in chase of your main foe, the Fleshmancer. It is him who made the Dwellers and, as an Eclipse Warrior, your biggest foe. I quite enjoyed how the story progressed and how the world opened up more and more as the story progressed.
I was also quite delighted to find there was postgame that led into a true ending that was a lot more satisfying than the base ending. I highly recommend going for that true ending because it's worth it. You also basically end up having to get the best weapons because almost all the side quests are required (similar to how Chrono Trigger was with the quests that opened up after getting Crono back) for that true ending. One of the other requirements is finding all 60 Rainbow Conches though, and that can be tedious (even with one of the rewards for the Conches being a bird that tells you if something is left in any given region) and I won't lie I did use a guide. Still very satisfying to get to the end. There is also one final surprise even after true ending that requires almost everything else done, and that is even more worth it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So the reason I did 6 sections was trying to be cheeky cause 6 party members throughout the game. But all in all, it excels in all 6 sections. No part of the game is held up by another because they're all fantastic. Definitely recommend the game highly, and that 5 stars is not an exaggeration. I also recommend beating the Messenger first for the best experience though, but that game is also wonderful so yeah. Either way, I quite enjoyed my time with the game and I look forward to exploring the world of it more once the promised DLC drops too.
Sea of Stars
2023
There seems to be a prevailing opinion on this site that anyone from the west who tries to emulate a Japanese game should be killed on sight. You could almost call this like a reverse 2000s when the media launched racist attacks towards Japanese games. It is pretty weird for this site to continue being racist in the opposite direction.
Anyways this game is pretty sick and even offered free on nearly every platform.
Anyways this game is pretty sick and even offered free on nearly every platform.
Sea of Stars
2023
Sea of Stars is an epic journey, which honestly quickly became one of my all time favorite games.
The story is fun and capturing and I almost cried more then once.
You really start to feel for each and every member of your party and you want to see their journey come to its conclusion and for them to achieve their goals.
The visuals are on a whole other level with a gorgeous pixel-art and an amazing level design, which makes the world come to life.
All most every second of the story was an absolute blast, and the parts that weren't, were either my own fault for not doing them when intended, but at the very end of the game as part of the completion process, or because they were incredibly sad parts of the story which made me sob with how touching they were.
The music of the game is memorable and I enjoyed listening to it throughout the game.
I absolutely wholeheartedly recommend this game to everyone, even if you don't absolutely love rpgs, its absolutely a steal at it's current price-tag and the devs deserve all the praises in the world.
I will definitely come back to this game, for another replay and probably to finish the completion process, since I already did almost all the feats in the game.
The story is fun and capturing and I almost cried more then once.
You really start to feel for each and every member of your party and you want to see their journey come to its conclusion and for them to achieve their goals.
The visuals are on a whole other level with a gorgeous pixel-art and an amazing level design, which makes the world come to life.
All most every second of the story was an absolute blast, and the parts that weren't, were either my own fault for not doing them when intended, but at the very end of the game as part of the completion process, or because they were incredibly sad parts of the story which made me sob with how touching they were.
The music of the game is memorable and I enjoyed listening to it throughout the game.
I absolutely wholeheartedly recommend this game to everyone, even if you don't absolutely love rpgs, its absolutely a steal at it's current price-tag and the devs deserve all the praises in the world.
I will definitely come back to this game, for another replay and probably to finish the completion process, since I already did almost all the feats in the game.
Sea of Stars
2023
Do you remember that feeling of joy playing videogames in your childhood? Nothing mattered, time was not passing by, you just had a smile on your face. The feeling when your parents call you out for dinner, and you just said "I can't save the game now, mom! Just 5 more minutes"? The feeling of remembering that closed door you saw some days ago when you find the key? That's Sea of Stars.
The are is amazing, the combat is very entertaining yet curated. It scales well, it makes you think in every random encounter. No more "Charmander used Ember" and it's over. Managing the maná, managing the turns, the skills... It's designed so behind a simple facade make every decision count.
As for the narrative, it's just a traditional fantasy/adventure story, closer to The Goonies than to being transcendental. And yet it saves some plot twists, secrets, and works well in what the game needs: be joyful.
Hugely recommended, unmissable if you have Game Pass. If Tunic was my hidden gem in 2022, Sea of Stars is the one in 2023.
The are is amazing, the combat is very entertaining yet curated. It scales well, it makes you think in every random encounter. No more "Charmander used Ember" and it's over. Managing the maná, managing the turns, the skills... It's designed so behind a simple facade make every decision count.
As for the narrative, it's just a traditional fantasy/adventure story, closer to The Goonies than to being transcendental. And yet it saves some plot twists, secrets, and works well in what the game needs: be joyful.
Hugely recommended, unmissable if you have Game Pass. If Tunic was my hidden gem in 2022, Sea of Stars is the one in 2023.
This game destroyed me (Positive)
You play as Olle, a young boy, whose sister has been kidnapped by a troll. He'll have to navigate the dark woods, filled with traps and monsters, in order to find her and return home. Maybe they should have listened to their mother.
Also, some content warnings including suicide and infant sacrifices. Yes, they're shown on screen. I was in emotional turmoil by the end of this game.
Visuals
Bramble is very dark and gorgeous and atmospheric, but I was not prepared for how bloody and gruesome it is. The first part of the game follows Olle and Lillemor through the woods. It's dark, then it's bright and lovely. Then it's dark again as night falls and the real game begins. But it goes from 0 to 60 in half a second, and suddenly there's blood and gore and nastiness everywhere! OMG Olle, what have you gotten into?!
It is 3D and quite realistic looking. Olle's facial expressions do look off at times, as does some of his animations. But it's nothing that's too distracting. What was a little annoying was the camera. It's fixed, and moves with Olle, but sometimes it'll jump from behind to the side, or vice versa. It's fine when it's a smooth transition, like when he's weaving down a path. But it's annoying when it happens during a sudden screen change, because Olle's momentum is going in the wrong direction!
Is it wrong that I found one of the bosses pretty hot? I kind of didn't want to kill her. Everyone else is scary. Except Lemus; he's adorable.
Sound Effects + Music
The music in Bramble is pretty minimalist. It's best described as folk music when there is any at all. Except during the boss battles, particularly the final one. That had me hyped.
This game is narrated like a storybook. I really liked the narration and felt like it added to the atmosphere, since there isn't any other dialogue. Olle and Lillemor just have generic laughs and sighs, but no voiced lines. The narrator speaks for them in the rare case they say something.
The sound effects are nice and effective at setting the mood. The only one that really got on my nerves was the gnomes, who laugh and cry like babies, which is not a sound I find endearing. For the most part, the sounds are unsettling and often downright creepy. The sound of squelching meat...omg. No. But the sound of bear traps snapping onto flesh will haunt me. A+ sound design, even though it disturbed me greatly.
Gameplay + Controls
Bramble is a narrative driven puzzle platformer, so you'll mostly be making Olle walk/run and jump. He climbs automatically if you walk up to vines, otherwise you'll need to jump to higher platforms. There are light puzzles to solve, mostly focused on finding objects, or moving things around to reach other areas. Of course, being a Horror game, there are stealth sections where Olle must hide from various monsters who want to kill or eat him.
I did appreciate that the game has glowing way-points on items you can interact with. The game is very dark, so sometimes it can be hard to see where you're going or what you're looking at. Those helped a lot at getting through some of the scenes. I still missed jumps at times from not being able to see where Olle would land, but then I'd know for next time. There's no penalty for dying, other than those horrendous noises; you just respawn where you left off.
The game did stutter quite a bit for me, even from the beginning when not much is going on, and during cut-scenes. It doesn't last long, but it's definitely noticeable. I also had one crash immediately following the gnome hide-and-seek. Luckily, the game auto-saves, so I picked up right where I left off.
The boss battles are surprisingly fun. They all rely on the same mechanics, so it might feel repetitive. But I like that, since I could easily memorize the patterns and focus on getting my hits in when it was safe. Olle fights by using this glowing rock he finds at the beginning. You just have to aim in the general vicinity (there will be targets) since the game is pretty generous, and throw.
Replayability
Bramble is a short game, and while I enjoyed it, I don't think I could stomach playing it again. It is really gross at times, and really dark, which made it a bit frustrating. It's also extremely linear, with no room for exploration or creative puzzle solving, so the only draw to playing it again would be to experience this wild story, or achievement hunting. Although there is chapter selection for the latter.
Overall
I loved Bramble, despite my complaints. The grossness isn't really a complaint though. I just wasn't prepared for it. The minor bugginess wasn't a deal breaker either, since most of the experience was smooth. And this is definitely an experience. I was a sobbing mess at the end.
Also, some content warnings including suicide and infant sacrifices. Yes, they're shown on screen. I was in emotional turmoil by the end of this game.
Visuals
Bramble is very dark and gorgeous and atmospheric, but I was not prepared for how bloody and gruesome it is. The first part of the game follows Olle and Lillemor through the woods. It's dark, then it's bright and lovely. Then it's dark again as night falls and the real game begins. But it goes from 0 to 60 in half a second, and suddenly there's blood and gore and nastiness everywhere! OMG Olle, what have you gotten into?!
It is 3D and quite realistic looking. Olle's facial expressions do look off at times, as does some of his animations. But it's nothing that's too distracting. What was a little annoying was the camera. It's fixed, and moves with Olle, but sometimes it'll jump from behind to the side, or vice versa. It's fine when it's a smooth transition, like when he's weaving down a path. But it's annoying when it happens during a sudden screen change, because Olle's momentum is going in the wrong direction!
Is it wrong that I found one of the bosses pretty hot? I kind of didn't want to kill her. Everyone else is scary. Except Lemus; he's adorable.
Sound Effects + Music
The music in Bramble is pretty minimalist. It's best described as folk music when there is any at all. Except during the boss battles, particularly the final one. That had me hyped.
This game is narrated like a storybook. I really liked the narration and felt like it added to the atmosphere, since there isn't any other dialogue. Olle and Lillemor just have generic laughs and sighs, but no voiced lines. The narrator speaks for them in the rare case they say something.
The sound effects are nice and effective at setting the mood. The only one that really got on my nerves was the gnomes, who laugh and cry like babies, which is not a sound I find endearing. For the most part, the sounds are unsettling and often downright creepy. The sound of squelching meat...omg. No. But the sound of bear traps snapping onto flesh will haunt me. A+ sound design, even though it disturbed me greatly.
Gameplay + Controls
Bramble is a narrative driven puzzle platformer, so you'll mostly be making Olle walk/run and jump. He climbs automatically if you walk up to vines, otherwise you'll need to jump to higher platforms. There are light puzzles to solve, mostly focused on finding objects, or moving things around to reach other areas. Of course, being a Horror game, there are stealth sections where Olle must hide from various monsters who want to kill or eat him.
I did appreciate that the game has glowing way-points on items you can interact with. The game is very dark, so sometimes it can be hard to see where you're going or what you're looking at. Those helped a lot at getting through some of the scenes. I still missed jumps at times from not being able to see where Olle would land, but then I'd know for next time. There's no penalty for dying, other than those horrendous noises; you just respawn where you left off.
The game did stutter quite a bit for me, even from the beginning when not much is going on, and during cut-scenes. It doesn't last long, but it's definitely noticeable. I also had one crash immediately following the gnome hide-and-seek. Luckily, the game auto-saves, so I picked up right where I left off.
The boss battles are surprisingly fun. They all rely on the same mechanics, so it might feel repetitive. But I like that, since I could easily memorize the patterns and focus on getting my hits in when it was safe. Olle fights by using this glowing rock he finds at the beginning. You just have to aim in the general vicinity (there will be targets) since the game is pretty generous, and throw.
Replayability
Bramble is a short game, and while I enjoyed it, I don't think I could stomach playing it again. It is really gross at times, and really dark, which made it a bit frustrating. It's also extremely linear, with no room for exploration or creative puzzle solving, so the only draw to playing it again would be to experience this wild story, or achievement hunting. Although there is chapter selection for the latter.
Overall
I loved Bramble, despite my complaints. The grossness isn't really a complaint though. I just wasn't prepared for it. The minor bugginess wasn't a deal breaker either, since most of the experience was smooth. And this is definitely an experience. I was a sobbing mess at the end.
I long to feel the same way this game made me feel.