Sea of Stars New Gameplay Footage Shows Off More Combat
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Sea of Stars New Gameplay Footage Shows Off More Combat

Sea of Stars just got some new gameplay footage revealed. Arguably, the game is already quite charming enough and has already convinced eager fans that it is something worth getting excited about.

Sea of Stars New Gameplay Footage Shows Off More Combat

Ever-updated Game Informer just got some exclusive footage yet again (the previous being that of Resident Evil 4). This time, they had their eyes on indie darling Sea of Stars.

They garnered so much attention, in fact, as Game Informer actually featured them on the March cover of their print and online magazines. What new info have we seen? Is the retro love letter still on track for a release this year? Let’s find out!

It’s a Sea Full of Stars

Game Informer provided just under 19 minutes of exclusive unedited footage. However, there was some commentary on the title by Kyle Hilliard and Charles Harte. They discussed some of the game’s mechanics but didn’t go too deep into spoiler territory.

Prevent Heavy Attacks from Landing in Sea of Stars
Prevent Heavy Attacks from Landing in Sea of Stars

The biggest part of the footage was that we got to see some complete combat encounters being played out. We see our heroes exploring some cave but then they are confronted with some mole-like creature named Malkomud. Apparently, his giant pet… thing… has been terrorizing the town. It is up to us to save the day!

Wait Your Turn!

Combat kicks off like most other turn-based tactical RPGs. Each character on the battlefield takes turns pummeling each other with might or magic. However, the kicker here is that you can see when enemies will get to attack next with a small stopwatch on top of them.

Enemy Turns Are Shown by the Stopwatches
Enemy Turns Are Shown by the Stopwatches

Special attacks by enemies in Sea of Stars will also be highlighted with a series of icons. These icons represent different attack types that you and your party must deal in order to prevent these massive attacks from even happening in the first place. Throughout the gameplay footage, we can see that we need to deal damage with swords, hammers, moon magic, sun magic, and poison (though the party did lack a source of poison damage).

Good thing that each and every attack and ability in your repertoire clearly show the “effect” that it will deal when hitting the enemy.

Actively Swimming Through the Sea of Stars

Another thing to take note of is the game’s “active” combat system. You don’t simply watch your cute pixel art heroes perform their wondrous abilities. In fact, you take a more active role. Valere, for example, has a crescent moon beam attack (called Moonerang) that she can launch at foes. This has a boomerang effect, and once it hits a foe and returns to Valere, she can deflect it over and over again, hitting new targets.

The Moonerang (Image Credits to Game Informer)
The Moonerang (Image Credits to Game Informer)

It looks like there’s no technical limit to how many times you can deflect the moonbeam and hit more foes. Just know that each deflection causes the projectile to pick up speed. Eventually, it will become too fast for your reaction time to even notice it hit you back!

It’s Always Better with Friends

The party in the Sea of Stars footage only comprised of Valere, Zale, and Garl. Our remaining three party members are still a mystery up to this point. Combat with multiple characters is also quite interesting.

Carefully Balance All Combat Options
Carefully Balance All Combat Options

Normal attack hits will generate energy orbs that can be collected by any character. It looks like spamming a specific button will let you absorb more orbs if there is more than one in the field. These can be used to enhance certain abilities.

Sea of Stars Has Amazingly Good Lighting (Image Credits to Game Informer)
Sea of Stars Has Amazingly Good Lighting (Image Credits to Game Informer)

Normal hits and skills will also both contribute to a combo meter that is shared between party members. These can be used to trigger powerful attacks that make use of two or more party members. For example, using Mending Light will have Zale provide sunlight and Valere give off moonlight to heal the entire party.

Sail Away

Sea of Stars is scheduled to release on August 29, 2023. It will be available on all major platforms: PC (via Steam), Nintendo Switch, both PlayStations and the Xbox One and Series X|S. A demo is currently available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, but a Steam version is scheduled for “sometime this year”.

Being an RPG, There Will Be Tons of Exploration
Being an RPG, There Will Be Tons of Exploration

The game is just one of many Kickstarter success stories, gaining a total of CA$1,628,126 through the entire campaign.

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