Quick Demo Thoughts

[jfictiony]

Kinda redundant since the game's out in a few weeks, but still.

This is looking to be fine. Fantastic artwork, pretty good music, solid enough gameplay (confounding keybinds aside - using a controller is much more intuitive), and hopefully a decent length (I didn't mind the way the demo skipped around in the story but the extremely abrupt ending was very annoying). The basic mechanics bring to mind, as some have said, the Breath of Fire series, which is as good a reference point as any, and I enjoyed the mixture of exploration and combat. I do wish the preemptive strike worked more often than it did, and getting the timing down for combos and blocks was difficult as the visual indications aren't super helpful. Still, I'm sure most of that has been ironed out for the final release.

I backed this on Kickstarter way back when and I'd like to think I'm going to get my money's worth.

[Guy of Gisborne]

The timing for attacks and blocks was really unintuitive. I activated the relic so I'd get visual cues, but rather than helping you know when to press a button, it only shows confirmation if you have pressed the button at the correct time. I managed to do just fine, but still, it could be much better.

I, too, hope you enjoy this game since you backed it. I backed a game, many years ago, and when it released I wasn't nearly as interested and didn't play very much of it.
Sea of Stars was decent for the length of the demo, but it didn't wow me. I'd be much more interested in playing the classics it imitates.

[jfictiony]

As somebody who greatly enjoyed The Messenger, I'm willing to give these guys moving into a totally different genre the benefit of the doubt, but as you said there's a difference between being influenced by the classics and making something that lives up to their legacy. At least if this does turn out to be a disappointment, they'll be there like comfort food.

[Huggy Snuggle]

I found the demo underwhelming. Solid foundation, but some things need tweaks, like, as mentioned, the cues for timing button presses. I feel like the characters walk slightly too slowly, as well. Music is fine, puzzles very simplistic, maps beautiful but lacking complexity, combat is...well... I'll have to wait and see if it gets more complex, and the dialogue is slightly weird for my taste. Also, seems very strange to have two of the characters swappable to take the lead for navigation when it isn't relevant to the story or mechanics, AND the third character isn't given this option. But it is just the demo. The pixel art is fantastic and I feel there is just not enough games like this on Steam, so I'm hoping it comes together well.

[steba]

I hope they add an option to just hold A to climb/jump. It got annoying pretty fast to have to mash A to climb or jump over multiple things in a row, just holding A would be so much better. Or maybe it'll be one of the relics in final game?

[aeternox]

- Add timing cue at least for attacking like in The Legend of Dragoon
- Cutscene/dialogue fast forward/skip
- 1.5x increase to movement speed in towns, dungeons, and on the world map
- Unlock FPS limit, at some occasions it feels like a 30 FPS game
- Dialogue Box transition is not smooth, also when changing movement directions while running with joystick, sometimes it stops running (walk)
- Make monsters respawn after changing screen, except unique monsters ofc
- Add autosave

[ELment]

This game reminds me of Chrono Trigger and i love the overall feeling of the game. The only thing i would add to the mix is just a simple idea: a choice of controller button layout on PC to pick what pad are you using PS or Xbox.

[Guy of Gisborne]

Originally posted by ELment:

This game reminds me of Chrono Trigger and i love the overall feeling of the game. The only thing i would add to the mix is just a simple idea: a choice of controller button layout on PC to pick what pad are you using PS or Xbox.

Always kinda wanted to try Chrono Trigger, but if it's only as good as Sea of Stars, it's going to be a hard pass.

[Dust]

im kinda disapointed in the combat feel. Those timed button presses are not very intuitive, and the explanation misleading. the leveling up system seems lackluster as well, i would always take dmg over def, cause i want to shorten those boring fights.

The fishing minigame feels bad as well. Bad explanantion and worse controls.

I absolutely hated the demo. ill probably wait for some review, before i consider it. right now its a hard pass.

[ibrand]

As an old Chrono Trigger fan, the demo's got me hook, line & sinker.
Very much looking forward to the release soon. :)

[sabeerareeb™]

Originally posted by Pantreus:

Originally posted by ELment:

This game reminds me of Chrono Trigger and i love the overall feeling of the game. The only thing i would add to the mix is just a simple idea: a choice of controller button layout on PC to pick what pad are you using PS or Xbox.

Always kinda wanted to try Chrono Trigger, but if it's only as good as Sea of Stars, it's going to be a hard pass.

not even close chrono trigger one of the best of the gnere

[Guy of Gisborne]

Originally posted by sabeerareeb™:

Originally posted by Pantreus:

Always kinda wanted to try Chrono Trigger, but if it's only as good as Sea of Stars, it's going to be a hard pass.

not even close chrono trigger one of the best of the gnere

I'm old enough to have played RPGs of that area and I will be so bold as to say that Sea of Stars is objectively bad by comparison. I'm aware that Chrono Trigger is a highly beloved game so I'm shocked that people are comparing it to this. Either Chrono Trigger is actually bad, or people are desperately trying to convince themselves that Sea of Stars is wonderful.

[Weltall8000]

Well...gameplay wise, Chrono Trigger was pretty basic. Where it differentiated itself was in everything else. It had great art style and visuals were good. It had wonderful music. The story and scenario were good, especially for the time. It felt cinematic with how some of the rooms were set up. The time travel was a neat mechanic and incorporated in a way that gave the player several versions of the map/game world and they were necessary to travel between for progressing in the game.

But the gameplay of the combat and JRPG customization? It wasn't anything to write home about. It was basic attacks and a zone component for AoEs on some abilities. Straight leveling and basic gear with obvious linear upgrades.

I loved CT. Beat it probably hundreds of times over the past 30 years. But it wasn't the end all be all JRPG, particularly from a gameplay standpoint.