The beautiful 9/10 RPG Sea of ​​Stars has essentially been remastered as a completely new game

It may only be November, but I’m ready to call it: sea ​​of ​​stars Developer Sabotage Studio wins the award for best free update of 2024. If you haven’t played the turn-based RPG inspired by Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy and a little Diablo, now is definitely the time. Combining a clever, witty story, some unique twists in combat, and a truly beautiful visual style, Sea of ​​Stars has just been effectively remade. The combat is better, the prologue has been expanded, new difficulty levels are available and thanks to the co-op mode you can now play the entire campaign with friends.

In our own Sea of ​​Stars review, author Lowell Bell gives it 9/10, calling it “a spiritual successor to some of the best JRPGs ever made.” You play as Valere, Zale and Garl. Valere and Zale are two elemental Solstice warriors on a quest to unlock their full powers and defeat an ancient evil. Garl is her old pal and a fantastic cook who comes along to keep her spirits up. The game is played from a classic, semi-isometric perspective. Although the battles in Sea of ​​Stars are turn-based, they also take place in real time.

Valere, for example, attacks enemies with a round throwing dagger. If it boomerangs towards you and you block at the right time, it will bounce off Valere’s armor and hit her opponent a second time. Keep the rhythm going and you can string together a huge combo.

More than a year and 8,500 user reviews since its release, Sea of ​​Stars still has an impressive “very positive” rating on Steam – and now the entire game is bigger and better. The new Dawn of Equinox update basically overhauls everything.

Combat has been completely reworked and battles are now partially controlled by “Mystery Locks”. When you encounter a new enemy type, you essentially have to use your own skills to uncover their weaknesses and find ways to counter and break their spells. There are also three difficulty levels available when starting a new game, and the entire prologue introduces the combat system much more quickly.

Most importantly, Sea of ​​Stars is now playable in three-player local co-op from start to finish. One person plays Valere, one plays Zale, and one plays Garl. If roleplaying didn’t already feel like the ultimate fantasy road trip, then it definitely does now. Note that the entire update is free. You can also grab Sea of ​​Stars on sale now for $23.44 / £19.76. Just go here. It is also available on PC Game Pass.

Otherwise, try some of the other best turn-based RPGs or perhaps the best fantasy games on PC.

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