Switching between Valere and Zale, alongside their eager pal Garl and a few other very cool characters along the way (we're keeping things spoiler-free here), battles see you dish out damage via physical and magic attacks. Taking the combat core of old-school RPGs as its base, Sea Of Stars then enhances its enemy encounters by adding a few nifty mechanics that make every battle feel like a slick mini-puzzle that requires just the right approach to nail in a satisfying and stylish manner. Here the rules of engagement with the enemy are hammered into your head - alongside plenty of sewing - and the game doesn't rush this part, ensuring you've got the basics down whilst building up to an exciting "big door" moment where you finally get unleashed into the world proper. Taking control of Valere and Zale, two special kids imbued with magical Eclipse powers and fated to become Solstice Warriors, the early hours of the game see you train hard under the mentorship of your headmaster. However, give this game just a moment of your time and we promise you're in for a big fat treat. Jumping into Sea of Stars, you may at first wonder if you're down for yet another ho-hum, retro-inspired turn-based RPG jaunt - there's certainly no shortage of them knocking around right now. It's also easily one of the very finest games we've played this year - a year that's seen its fair share of bangers thus far. Luckily for us then, Sabotage has not only created a game that fully stands up to comparison against its most obvious inspirations, they've crafted a straight-up indie gem that can easily go toe to toe with the very best in this illustrious genre. Taking place in the same universe as The Messenger, and serving as a prequel of sorts, (note: you don't need to have played the other game to enjoy this one), Sea of Stars switches side-scrolling action for a homage to classic RPGs such as Chrono Trigger and Illusion of Gaia, the sorts of legendary games that you definitely need to be on your A-game to emulate with any chance of ending up with an experience that can be compared favourably. We're huge fans of The Messenger, our sister site Nintendo Life gave the Switch version a whopping 9/10, and so we've been counting down the days until their next venture, Sea of Stars, was unleashed upon us. If you've played Sabotage Studio's rather excellent 2018 effort, The Messenger, you'll know this is a dev team that's a dab hand at revisiting retro classics - in this case the likes of Ninja Gaiden - and updating them into slick and entirely modern-feeling experiences that keep the old-school vibes alive whilst providing plenty of innovations and surprises along the way. Subscribe to Pure Xbox on YouTube Watch on YouTube
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