#SEA OF STARS KICKSTARTER FULL#

#SEA OF STARS KICKSTARTER FULL#

The environment is full of puzzles that utilize your lunar or solar powers, characters that speak to you and give missions, and light traversal elements in addition to the combat mechanics that require your constant input. RPGs don’t quite need the same level of precision, but the platformer mindset of being constantly engrossing stuck. Being a tight platformer, The Messenger was fantastic at engaging the player at every moment since it felt so good to control. This approach also stems from Sabotage’s work on The Messenger. It’s more intriguing than passively watching, say, pocket monsters throw the same three or four moves at each other until one dies. Players have to pay attention and hit the correct button to block an incoming attack or amp up their own, which will be vital for success, given the lack of grinding. Battles seamlessly take place right in the world and are turn-based, but with an active element. Boulanger cited other RPGs from the era, like Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario, Breath of Fire, and Final Fantasy, as influences, with the former two playing a substantial part in its battle system. Sea of Stars has DNA from more than one game though. From its visual style, camera angle, and atmosphere, Chrono Trigger‘s DNA is very apparent from the first moment you see it. Weighty or not, it’s a worthy title to ape from, given how it has withstood the test of time. Boulanger was even a little hesitant to lay out the game’s biggest influence because of the sheer weight that comes with it. However, there is one inspiration that rises above the rest: Chrono Trigger. Ninja Gaiden was just one game they enjoyed as kids, but Sea of Stars‘ isn’t as singular with its inspirations. They just want to, as their website puts it, “create own definitive editions of the game genres enjoyed as kids.” That mission statement doesn’t mean their games have to be platformers.

He also said the team didn’t set out to be a platformer studio from the get-go.

It doesn’t mean The Messenger 2 isn’t somewhere in the cards, as Boulanger pointed out, but rather that the Canadian developer is going to go where its hearts leads it. Sabotage is going to make all of its games somehow fit together it’s just a matter of finding what story they want to tell and then deciding what type of game best suits it. They’re in the same universe, after all, which The Messenger hinted at in its Howling Grotto that contained Sea of Stars‘ moon and sun iconography. Sea of Stars is even expanding upon what The Messenger did. The Messenger‘s story worked for what it was but going bigger deserves something, well, bigger. It’s naturally a more involving tale with more characters and that scope isn’t the best fit for a platformer. Sea of Stars stars Valere and Zale, Solstice Warriors children born on one of the equinoxes that are destined to stop evil. And while it seems like the team may be throwing out some of its expertise going from a tight platformer to an RPG, that’s not the case for a few reasons.įor one, the idea for the narrative was a better fit an RPG. The Messenger was a platformer and such games don’t usually have the scope of a role-playing game. Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG and required a more sizable team, according to Boulanger. And while we can take it home, there is nothing once its done.” The genre that fits the story And we have twice the team size now and twice the timeline. “ The Messenger was successful, but not successful enough to be able to afford to fail a project. “We still want to be hungry,” admitted Boulanger. Even though they’ve reinvested The Messenger‘s earnings into this game, Boulanger explained why they chose Kickstarter this time as opposed to repeating the same setup as last time. It would be a signal that, even during grim times, people still want to play video games, which is uplifting to those who make them.ĪLSO: Doom Eternal Review | Rip and tear-ificīut, regardless of the timing, a crowdfunding campaign for a developer with a successful Devolver Digital-published game under its belt seems like a more strenuous road to take. As is the deal with many Kickstarters, the goal isn’t going to fully fund the game, but measure interest and give the team a “sanity check.” The team would need a sanity check even if the world wasn’t crumbling, but given how the timing has ratcheted up tensions both in and out of their careers, validation would be even more beneficial to Sabotage’s stress levels. There was some uncertainty surrounding the fate of its Kickstarter campaign, but pushing through is a sign of hope that players can still get escapist entertainment and developers can still seek acceptance.

Sea of stars kickstarter