Sea of Stars: The Review

*Note: Updated in June 2025 in an effort to remove AI-generated content from the blog.

Overview

Sea of Stars is a throwback to classic JRPGs that nails the mix of old-school charm and modern gameplay in a package that excels in everything it tries to achieve. With its colorful pixel art, solid turn-based battles, and memorable characters, it keeps you engaged throughout the entire way. The story balances heartfelt moments with big, epic adventures, all set to a gorgeous soundtrack. It may not totally reinvent the wheel, but it’s super polished and feels both fresh and familiar. If you’re into retro-style RPGs, Sea of Stars is definitely one to check out — it’s been one of our favorite games that we played in the last few years.

Score: 9 out of 10

The Positives ✅

Sea of Stars looks amazing – it blends that classic pixel art style with just the right amount of modern flair to make it stand out in a crowded field of JRPGs. The world truly stands out compared to other games – with bright forests and cool, hidden dungeons that make exploring a lot more enjoyable to look at.

Another big highlight is the soundtrack – Eric W. Brown and Yasunori Mitsuda really knocked it out of the park with a number of tracks that perfectly match each area and moment in the game.

The story in Sea of Stars is something special, packed with heartfelt moments and some genuinely cool surprises, and it does a great job of easing you into the world without dumping too much information on you all at once.

Valere and Zale are great protagonists, each with their own vibe and motivations, which makes you want to root for them and their crew of misfits. It’s easy to get attached to them as things unfold.

Exploring is a blast. Each area has its own feel, with fun puzzles and little hidden things to discover. Seamless transitions between areas make the world feel way more immersive, not just a bunch of random locations slapped together.

You can't go wrong with this game's combat, as you actually have to time your attacks and blocks instead of just button-mashing.

The Negatives ⚠️

Backtracking in Sea of Stars is the biggest chore the game throws at you. You’ll often be sent across the map for a quest, only to realize you’ve got a long, boring trek ahead just to get where you need to go—or to head back again after. Exploration is fun for the most part, but the lack of a solid fast travel system makes all that back-and-forth feel like a slog. A more refined way to zip around would’ve definitely helped keep the flow smooth and let you focus more on the adventure instead of wasting time.

As for the puzzles, they’re not bad, but they could’ve used a bit more love. There’s a decent variety, sure, but most of them are pretty simple and don’t offer much of a challenge. It’s one of the few spots where the game feels a little undercooked. With how polished the rest of the gameplay is, you kind of expect the puzzles to be on that same level. A bit more depth and creativity in that department would’ve made things a lot more satisfying.

The Experience 🎮

Sea of Stars is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of my favorite games of 2023 and honestly one of the best games I’ve played in the last few years. I went in expecting a light, fun little game to hold me over until the next big release, but it ended up being an epic journey that completely pulled me in and hit all the right emotional notes.

It took me around 46 hours to 100% the game and grab the platinum trophy, and I genuinely enjoyed every second of it. I’m already looking forward to the upcoming updates in the next few months—honestly, I just want another excuse to dive back into this universe I fell in love with so quickly.

I’ll be covering the DLC when it drops in late 2025, so if you’re curious about that too, make sure to stick around to hear our thoughts.