TapTap Game of the Year 2023 #5: Sea of Stars - an old-school RPG with a modern twist

Sea of Stars is a game that wears its influences on its sleeve. The battle system blends the timed hit system of Super Mario RPG with the team tech attacks from Chrono Trigger. Some boss sprites and attacks look like they came straight out of Final Fantasy. The entire game is littered with references to Super Nintendo classics, like Secret of Evermore and Breath of Fire. But even though Sea of Stars pays homage to RPGs of the past, it still manages to feel fresh and new.

This gorgeous and charming RPG feels like a long-lost classic - Sea of Stars Quick Review

https://www.taptap.io/post/6219866

Although Sea of Stars has a fantastic cast of characters, the true star of the show is its breathtakingly beautiful 2D world. Each location in the game is rendered in painstaking detail, with rich colors and dynamic lighting to show off every mountain, bush, and tree. You can see flocks of birds scatter when you come near them, or catch a glimpse of a character’s reflection when you walk past a mirrored surface. Even though the world is pixelated, it feels like it’s a living, breathing place.

Not only does the world look fantastic, but exploring it is an absolute joy. There are mountains to scale, platforms to jump between, and tightropes to walk across. Even when I was walking down an ordinary path, I could splash through puddles or gather ingredients I could use for cooking recipes. Sea of Stars made getting from one place to another feel like a genuine adventure.

Just walking around feels pretty amazing, but Sea of Stars also has incredibly engaging battles. In addition to using timed attacks and hits, Sea of Stars has a system that allows you to disrupt enemy attacks by using the right attacks at the right time. If I didn’t have enough mana for a specific attack, I could harvest and gather mana from my opponents. There are tons of layers to the battle system, and having so many tools at my disposal made even random encounters feel highly strategic.

The combat and traversal systems are  both stellar, but what really makes Sea of Stars feel like a modern game is the ability to tailor your experience to your personal preferences. During my playthrough, I unlocked special items called relics I could use to change up elements of the game. One relic, the Sequent Flare, gave me extra visual and audio input during timed attacks, helping me to press buttons at exactly the right moment. Another relic, the Gold Tooth, lowered the prices at shops, making it easier to stock up on all the best gear.

Sea of Stars manages to pay tribute to old-school RPGs without being burdened by the past. It captures the best parts of classic games while offering new features that make for a better experience overall. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of retro RPGs or a thoroughly modern gamer, you owe it to yourself to check out Sea of Stars.

Check out the rest of TapTap's Game of the Year 2023 picks at this link, and share your own choices in the comments or by making a post and using the tag #TapTap GOTY 2023.