I literally had no idea this game even existed when it came out. Then saw the reviews and ended up playing it all night first night. What a fantastic game.
I got to the mist boss last night when I downloaded this game and rage quit. I have no idea how to take that boss down so early in the game like I have no moves and no HP
@@Leviajohnson You gotta take out his weapon first and also be ready to counter. Build MP with Garl so you can get heals, too. It's honestly pretty easy it just takes a little time.
I just finished my first playthrough of it it is a very good game but I believe it is being over touted. Do not get me wrong I think it's a fantastic experience but it's too simplistic in many ways and for some of that may be good but for me it just got bland after awhile combat gets tiring it's flashy at first but eventually you just grow tired of some of the mechanics in the story has a ton of potholes and issues but it's good I liked it. But you do eventually got to shut your brain off and just take it as it is and try to not nitpick it because if you do you might go crazy. But I welcome more of these I can see a lot of room for improvement. This is a 3 out of 5 game I can't honestly give it any higher than that. The music is probably my favorite part the visuals are great. I was not a fan of the over-reliance on interacting with your terrain it's just needless most of the time you're running circles and laughs and routes that really didn't need to happen just because they want you to know that it's a prominent thing in the game I can do without it and I hope in the future they lessen it or just throw it out we don't need it in this. In an action-rpg would have made more sense. They send you routes that are tedious at times for no reason other than they want you to interact. I think we're so thirsty for more of these games that were willing to drop the ball than accept a mediocre experience in many ways. My opinion may change and again I like the game but seeing the near-perfect scores from people and lack of criticism towards some of the more simplistic elements is worrisome. But I hope you enjoy it I look forward to a second and possibly 3rd playthrough I did like it and I really want more of these kinds of games
One thing I don’t see mentioned here a lot is the music! Battle theme is very good, boss theme gets the blood pumping and ”rest” music sends good vibes to my core. Very strong soundtrack.
This game FEELS classic. I already love the characters and the world. I feel fully immersed in it. This is a "classic" RPG at its finest. I need more like this.
I was kinda bummed for this game coming out right before all these September releases but I’m not putting this down until I beat it. Game had no business being this great 😅
I LOVE THIS. And I would way rather see a "late" video by you, that is this thoughtful, than a rushed one or even worse no video at all! Hope to see more Review/Impressions going forward, or maybe even a video like "In retrospect w/ Retro Rebound" to see what your thoughts are after finally finishing the game and having some more time to sit on it.
I played this game on a whim when it was released on Game Pass because I was already in the mood to play a classic style JRPG, and it ended up being not only my favorite game this year by far, but one of my favorite games of all time. Not only does it look amazing and feel great to play, but it made me deeply emotionally invested. I ugly cried twice playing this, an experience I've never had playing video games my entire life. I'm gonna have to play The Messenger now because of this game. My only complaint is I wish you could skip the tutorial sequences at the beginning when playing on New Game+, and that there was an option to escape battles. But that's the only thing I can complain about it. Garl gang for life! ❤
I thought exactly the same once I beat sea of stars, I started the messenger the very next day and was not disappointed in the slightest. Sabotage have now proven they're a top tier indie studio and I can't wait to try anything they release next. Garl for life!
You know what's funny? This game is actually more appropriate to the channel since it's an example of the genuine meaning of the word "Retro". It's a new thing that is in the vein of something old. It looks awesome. I'll have to check it out when I can.
One thing I love is that they stress that you don't have to get timing right. They even have "easy mode" relics which puts so much freedom into the player's hands
I am playing it now and OMG what a game so far i mean the twins are amazing and Garl honestly is breath of fresh air and the way they let you ease your way into the game was very well done, so trying to get it finished before Starfield on the 6th. And the way the battle system and blocking was done with a turn-based game the timing thing i absolutely love it.
@makefoxhoundgreatagain842 I'm sure I'll find out soon. I'll just have to push over the pile of other RPGs I started but didn't finish because of constant high quality releases.
Backed this game 3 and a half years ago and I have been counting the fucking days! I have been playing it non-stop since release and its perfect for me. Glad to see you do content on it, Matty. Hope to hear the Dukes talk about it. ❤
Sea of Stars has lived up to the hype! This game (Aesthetically) reminds me of Lunar 2 Eternal Blue. And some Super Mario RPG. I’ve been playing today and I’m really impressed by the game. The level of detail is incredible. The musical score is beautiful. The writing is good, the characters are enjoyable, there’s drama, there’s humor…I think that…given time..Sea of Stars could actually end up alongside some classics as one of the greats.
@@knightsurda Artistically that’s what it reminds me. In appearances as well as some of the humor, which is nice. It definitely gives me Sega CD vibes lol. But even with some of the comparisons, it’s still absolutely very much it’s own game and doesn’t lean on any inspiration to carry it.
Good first impressions, I agree with most of what you touched on. It's definitely in my top 10 of jrpgs. I'm waiting for my physical switch edition to be shipped 😊
It seems like every review has something amazing to say about this game. It was my most anticipated game of this year for me, I'm glad a lot of people like the game, however I'm gonna be honest, i do like the game, it is good but not great. Im 30 hours in and already have quite a few gripes with the game. First being lack of exploration, you go from one dungeon to the next and then to the next, i need a bit of break and do other stuff and explore. however there isn't really much to explore or do other things. Avoiding enemies can be tricky and once you're in battle theres no escaping. Also the enemies only drop loot that is food ingredients for recipes that are only for healing hp/mp which isn't much of an insensitive, would of liked it if they dropped rare weapons, armour or item for crafting, which is another thing, no crafting or making unique weapons or armour, the weapons are very basics. They introduced fishing which I've liked in previous jrpgs however in this its really basic, the fish you get just turns into food ingredients. Im hoping i enjoy the game more at some point. I do have to remember that this is an indie game and no a big bugdet production, I still prefer Chained Echoes, now that was an amazing indie rpg.
Some weird negativity in the comments. Know that you have ten games on your plate right now and appreciate your impressions here. Looking forward to checking this one out.
You’re my favorite gaming channel! Just wanted to lyk and thank you for taking the time to review this game and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk in the middle of all these big AAA titles.
Dude, I watch your videos and I'm like, why am I not subscribed!? I'm loving Sea of Stars too, it's deeply nuanced and I really enjoy that the battle system is seemingly simple but the reality is, it's difficult and fun to master!!
This really is a lovely letter to chrono trigger from the art design, battle setup time mechanics. I'm not sure how far Matty got for this review but trust me folks this game goes places. Matty didn't mention it in the review but the soundtrack deserves a shout-out here, it's a stand out list with a couple of tracks that stand up there with some of the best from that pixel RPG era. All in all a fantastic game that will surely stand the test of time with all the games it takes inspiration from
I had the joy recently of playing the demo and the art style in particular blows me away. It brings me back to the original Star Ocean, or older SNES/Super Famicom RPGs. Such a delight! I'm buying this one for sure. Loved your review
I don't want to watch the video yet to avoid spoilers but I wanted to stop by the comment sections and just say I'm only an hour in and IT'S SO GOOD!. I love what they've done to make the combat engaging and I love the art style and story!
Ironically, Boulanger wrote the English script himself and had the French translation outsourced. The "canon" version will be the Québécois script released later this year, but you'll have to be fluent in French and reasonably comfortable with English to understand it, so it's the least profitable one for Sabotage. (And writing in Joual and Franglais isn't really something you can outsource.)
After 60 hrs and a 100% completion, I would say 8.25 - 8.5. Good game that feels like it's never moving quite at the pace I wanted. Traveling is fun at first, then a bit tedious until a late game skill is aquired. Similarly, combat is way more exciting at first but they didn't really do much with evolving it over the 30 hour story. I dont know if it was the translation or if the writing simply wasnt totally my thing but about half way though my first run I started getting annoyed with all the conversations as they felt like they dragged and offered little to the plot or character groth outside of cuteness of repeated characterisms. Definitely want to try messenger now, hopefully I get a bit more out of the gorgeous world and plot in the next game.
OMG, finally someone pointing out the missing commas! THANK YOU! It annoys me every time, but the setting, characters, music and gameplay totally make up for it. Great game 😊
Matty - good video. Pls don't feel the need to apologize all the time. I did watch another review b4 yours but... I care about YOUR thoughts so I always come for jrpg reviews
My only really complaint was The Artful Gambit relic was introduced too late. I would have loved to have combined it with some of the other relics (like the feedback flare, so useful) the whole play through. Just for funsies, to see how far I could get.
Had no idea this game existed. Played the demo and lucky I discovered it during the Switch Indie Sale. Absolutely sold, this reminds me of so many games I love.
Awesome! I'm currently playing it on my PS Vita, streaming it directly from PS4. And what I love best about PlayStation is the fact that they made the fonts still readable--unlike the swicth.
I feel like the translation mimics the "bad-good" quality of older RPGs. That's just my opinion. Kind of like the original BoF2 translation. It has a certain charm to it even though it's technically "bad".
The bad translation adds to that classic JRPG feel! But seriously so far its the only real flaw i can find in the game. I just wish i had more time to play it!
This game is awesome. So many nostalgic elements in this game that reminds me of the good old days of gaming. I look forward to putting in so many more hours into it.
Tried this on a whim through game pass on my ROG Ally and was surprised when I was a few hours in and wanted more when I had to put it down. Loving it so far!
This is my game of the year so far, I absolutely loved this experience, platinumed it...and doing 100% achievements on Xbox as well that's how much I love it lol This game only gets better and better.
@@ArkaneRogue make sure there are stars icons next to location names on your map and talk to every single NPC. Also as soon as you can use the uhm... charm? (It's been a while lol) to get tougher boss fights, use it. It's not hard and it takes about 1 and 1/3 playthroughs to get the platinum.
I learned about the messenger when the one of the founders went to visit in my programming class in college in 2018. I played the game and loved it. There even was a public event I went to when pinic panic free dlc came out in summer 2019. When covid started and sabotage launched the kickstarter for sea of stars, I bought my copy of the game that way because I knew it would probably be a good game. I only wished I could have got a gog copy rather than steam. I only played the game for 3 hours for now but I had a great time.
Just to support you on the grammatical pet peeve portion of the video, I’m one of those who feel like that so thanks for including it as part of your review 👍🏾
Yeah Matty. As someone who grew up during the golden age of rpgs in the late 90s I can with the utmost confidence say that this game does indeed slap lol. It was also a plus that I was able to play it day one on gamepass.
I really wanna play but it came out at such a bad time for me with so many games so little time. I have gamepass but will pick up the physical next year. I still want the messenger physically but its so expensive. Glad to hear its so good! Idk if you played Chained Echoes but check it out, its also a love letter to old jrpgs
First off I'm not a huge fan of JRPGs I've never been a big fan of slowing the narrative for battles BUT, and a BIG BUT, I LOVED Sea of Stars. The narrative is brilliant, the gameplay is more Mario RPG than older JRPGs, and I have to point out the music. I bought the soundtrack from Stream, have some art from the game as a phone screen, and my ringtone is from the game as well.
38 hours in and I'm delaying the final area of the game to go back to previous unavailable areas to get end game stuff. Realistically, I could be where I'm at 2 hours earlier on total game time played. First hour or two of the game is fairly slow to show you basic gameplay mechanics and a story setup. After that, the game is perfectly balanced on story and level progression. The music and avatar emotions during speech help give this game depth. I haven't felt so good about a game like this in a very long time. Something I wish Square-Enix would pay attention to. A must buy for retro rpg fans.
Hey! Good review, as always! I was really excited for this game game since I am from the same place as them and I am a dev too. It’s bothering me that we’re calling this game a Jrpg. Its not from Japan. The comments about the english are valid although I’m 99% sure it was developed in english 1st. We’re french but surrounded by english and used to work in english even tho this is not our 1st language.
Whatsup Matty 🎩 I recently started FF6 pixel remaster.. but I've caught myself using the OG font and soundtrack, really wanting an original JRPG experience. Also playing Persona 4.. and I've put some time into Chained Echoes as well. I just downloaded this game, and after an hour with it.. it's safe to say I'm gonna go back. Super colorful. 30 hours sounds like the common consensus. Thank you for your impression of the game. -Take care, everyone 🕹
@@90shandheldgamer No problem YW. It starts you off a bit into the game(not from the beginning) but it lets you experience a lot of what is in the game with the various mechanics and such.
waited for the physical, just came out of an 8h session, good game, great soundtrack. All i knew going in was that it had timing based battles like mario rpg and i was sold
I honestly have no desire to use any of the relics, as they seem to be nothing more than easy mode tuners. I really enjoy having to learn the timings with no handicap, and I feel some may forget or not even realize that getting the timings right is to be thought of as a reward rather than a necessity. The game can be completed without even doing any timing stuff, it just would be a bit tougher to do so. Also, I think Matty brought up a good point that explains what I love so much about the battle system. The fact that the majority of strategy and challenge comes from all the systems in place WITHIN battle, rather than with overly deep/complex gear systems or character build mechanics. Lastly, I wanted to touch on a big overlooked aspect of the game that I feel is a big part of what makes it great. This would be the exploration/reward aspect to the game. This game seems to take a lot of inspiration from games like Zelda, Golden Sun, and Wild Arms. It likes to reward you for taking that extra time to explore and find new areas that are somewhat hidden to the naked eye. I remember going back to a place I had already been for something, but on the way I noticed something I didn't the first time, and my reward was a shiny new weapon for Zale after a slightly tougher than normal battle was fought. I am only about 5 hours in so far, but it also seems like there will be some interactive puzzles to solve, and I even heard you will find helpful traversal abilities ala metroidvania style.
What is this guy talking about "translation"? You do know Sabotage Studio is in Canada where 75% of the population speak English, right? I highly doubt they coded this in French and then "translated" it either. Did you think this was made in Japan because it's a throwback to JRPG's? Lmao!
My game of the year. I hope after this retro rebound goes thru the dragon quest series. I know it's a big series but it's rich with some of the best games ever
I've been loving the game, but the very few and far in between mistakes did bother me a little. But the gameplay, graphics, soundtrack, worldbuilding, design... Everything is amazing. This is the only reviewer that mentioned that problem. I'm a teacher, so I can't help but notice every small mistake. The only thing that actually bothered me is the lack of a way to see the chat log and check previous message. I know the old-school RPGs didn't have that, but more recent RPGs do and I really miss that.
It's fine. It isn't as good as I'd hoped that it would be. I'll play it now on PS+, and then to supprot physical media releases, I'll pick up a copy when those release, probably for Switch. I think that this game will excel when played in short bursts of a half an hour or hour on the go.
Cant believe people slept on this tbh haha. I saw this game on a pixel art top 10 list years ago. It seemed to not only be a looker but also a game of substance. The developers made the Messenger which I did not play but people had great things to say about. That's all a big recipe for success with an upcoming title usually. Ofcourse it's still nerve wrecking to see how good it is. But can't say im surprised. Just overjoyed it's genuinely in that 9/10 ballpark and not just a solid 8/10. Although to be fair, some people will still give it that score for personal reasons. I'm talking overal.
I am playing it and loving it on gamepass while playing Fires of Rubicon. I was going to get early access to Starfield but decided I have these two games to play in the meantime and will way until Sep 5th for Starfield. I am eagerly waiting preorders for the physical version of Sea of Stars to go up as well!
@@countquackula8539 it is! Which is awesome. I was happy to see it come to both services because it is a good game. Maybe more people will play it since they can try it out as part of their membership
Waited years for this and now there are too many games released at once so I am waiting even more haha. I have no doubt in my mind this will be incredible and I will purchase it later, the demo was great too!
I was pleasantly surprised by this game, I can't stand turn based combat but I didn't mind this one. What does get on my nerves are the enemies that keep summoning more of themselves as you get their health down low. It feels like you're in a perpetual loop of combat that gets stale quickly. I'll persevere, but this issue may put me off at some point. I'm preferring it to Chained Echoes, but that's as much the fact that I'm stuck on that one.
I am 5 hours in and so far I like it a lot. The battles aren't exactly my cup of tea, but it is done nicely overall. The aesthetics and sound is so beautiful, though, and I enjoy the story and characters a lot so far.
Thank god it sounds like they tone down the humor-- I hated how overbearing it was in The Messenger, personally, despite being charmed by some other elements of the game. Really looking forward to this, though.
Been playing this on Gamepass. Can agree with post of this. I dislike the timing bonus for your reaction speed. Feels like it is more of a needed skill I lack then a bonus, like the game wants you to view it as, because of trying to break spells.
You have amazing manners and consideration for a youtuber bro. It's kinda sad you have to remind people It's just your opinion but you navigate the stormy waters masterfully. That being said I haven't tried sea of stars yet but definitely going to tonight.
downloaded the demo after hearing @TheCompletionist rave about it. I was disappointed with the spanish translation and wanted to find someone that would address this (I noticed the English translation was also odd) Thank you for addressing it. I think I may buy the game now (or at least keep going with the demo)
I literally had no idea this game even existed when it came out. Then saw the reviews and ended up playing it all night first night. What a fantastic game.
I got to the mist boss last night when I downloaded this game and rage quit. I have no idea how to take that boss down so early in the game like I have no moves and no HP
@@Leviajohnson You gotta take out his weapon first and also be ready to counter. Build MP with Garl so you can get heals, too. It's honestly pretty easy it just takes a little time.
@@Leviajohnson Really? hes super easy, just kill the sword hand then wail on him
Sea of Stars is an incredible game!
I just finished my first playthrough of it it is a very good game but I believe it is being over touted. Do not get me wrong I think it's a fantastic experience but it's too simplistic in many ways and for some of that may be good but for me it just got bland after awhile combat gets tiring it's flashy at first but eventually you just grow tired of some of the mechanics in the story has a ton of potholes and issues but it's good I liked it. But you do eventually got to shut your brain off and just take it as it is and try to not nitpick it because if you do you might go crazy. But I welcome more of these I can see a lot of room for improvement. This is a 3 out of 5 game I can't honestly give it any higher than that. The music is probably my favorite part the visuals are great. I was not a fan of the over-reliance on interacting with your terrain it's just needless most of the time you're running circles and laughs and routes that really didn't need to happen just because they want you to know that it's a prominent thing in the game I can do without it and I hope in the future they lessen it or just throw it out we don't need it in this. In an action-rpg would have made more sense. They send you routes that are tedious at times for no reason other than they want you to interact. I think we're so thirsty for more of these games that were willing to drop the ball than accept a mediocre experience in many ways. My opinion may change and again I like the game but seeing the near-perfect scores from people and lack of criticism towards some of the more simplistic elements is worrisome. But I hope you enjoy it I look forward to a second and possibly 3rd playthrough I did like it and I really want more of these kinds of games
Yes, the timing confirmation animation with the Sequent Flare is a must IMO
Fact
Especially if you’re going for the boomerang trophy.
Yep, use it too.
One thing I don’t see mentioned here a lot is the music! Battle theme is very good, boss theme gets the blood pumping and ”rest” music sends good vibes to my core. Very strong soundtrack.
This game FEELS classic. I already love the characters and the world. I feel fully immersed in it. This is a "classic" RPG at its finest. I need more like this.
Play Chained Echoes yet?
@@Revz8bit yes. Loved it, but this is more my style
I was kinda bummed for this game coming out right before all these September releases but I’m not putting this down until I beat it. Game had no business being this great 😅
I LOVE THIS. And I would way rather see a "late" video by you, that is this thoughtful, than a rushed one or even worse no video at all! Hope to see more Review/Impressions going forward, or maybe even a video like "In retrospect w/ Retro Rebound" to see what your thoughts are after finally finishing the game and having some more time to sit on it.
4:39 "Zalere and Vale"
I'm so glad that stayed in
I played this game on a whim when it was released on Game Pass because I was already in the mood to play a classic style JRPG, and it ended up being not only my favorite game this year by far, but one of my favorite games of all time. Not only does it look amazing and feel great to play, but it made me deeply emotionally invested. I ugly cried twice playing this, an experience I've never had playing video games my entire life. I'm gonna have to play The Messenger now because of this game.
My only complaint is I wish you could skip the tutorial sequences at the beginning when playing on New Game+, and that there was an option to escape battles. But that's the only thing I can complain about it.
Garl gang for life! ❤
I thought exactly the same once I beat sea of stars, I started the messenger the very next day and was not disappointed in the slightest.
Sabotage have now proven they're a top tier indie studio and I can't wait to try anything they release next.
Garl for life!
You know what's funny? This game is actually more appropriate to the channel since it's an example of the genuine meaning of the word "Retro". It's a new thing that is in the vein of something old. It looks awesome. I'll have to check it out when I can.
One thing I love is that they stress that you don't have to get timing right. They even have "easy mode" relics which puts so much freedom into the player's hands
I am playing it now and OMG what a game so far i mean the twins are amazing and Garl honestly is breath of fresh air and the way they let you ease your way into the game was very well done, so trying to get it finished before Starfield on the 6th. And the way the battle system and blocking was done with a turn-based game the timing thing i absolutely love it.
Why the rush enjoy it starfield not going anywhere lol
Im literally doing the same thing 😂
You should definitely play Chained Echoes. It's a modern classic just like this game.
Chained echoes was excellent I personally prefer this but it's close!
@makefoxhoundgreatagain842 I'm sure I'll find out soon. I'll just have to push over the pile of other RPGs I started but didn't finish because of constant high quality releases.
Backed this game 3 and a half years ago and I have been counting the fucking days!
I have been playing it non-stop since release and its perfect for me.
Glad to see you do content on it, Matty. Hope to hear the Dukes talk about it. ❤
Sea of Stars has lived up to the hype! This game (Aesthetically) reminds me of Lunar 2 Eternal Blue. And some Super Mario RPG. I’ve been playing today and I’m really impressed by the game. The level of detail is incredible. The musical score is beautiful. The writing is good, the characters are enjoyable, there’s drama, there’s humor…I think that…given time..Sea of Stars could actually end up alongside some classics as one of the greats.
The Québécois script delay is disappointing for Canadians, but the game is excellent.
lunar 2? Really? christ I feel like I was sent back in time lmao. I will definitely have to give it a go if thats the comparison.
@@diegoarmando5489 Ah, that would be. I hope they get that patched up quickly then.
@@knightsurda Artistically that’s what it reminds me. In appearances as well as some of the humor, which is nice. It definitely gives me Sega CD vibes lol. But even with some of the comparisons, it’s still absolutely very much it’s own game and doesn’t lean on any inspiration to carry it.
Loved Lunar 2. One of my all time favorites
5h into it, and loving it every second… what a game 🤪
Good first impressions, I agree with most of what you touched on. It's definitely in my top 10 of jrpgs. I'm waiting for my physical switch edition to be shipped 😊
It seems like every review has something amazing to say about this game. It was my most anticipated game of this year for me, I'm glad a lot of people like the game, however I'm gonna be honest, i do like the game, it is good but not great. Im 30 hours in and already have quite a few gripes with the game. First being lack of exploration, you go from one dungeon to the next and then to the next, i need a bit of break and do other stuff and explore. however there isn't really much to explore or do other things. Avoiding enemies can be tricky and once you're in battle theres no escaping. Also the enemies only drop loot that is food ingredients for recipes that are only for healing hp/mp which isn't much of an insensitive, would of liked it if they dropped rare weapons, armour or item for crafting, which is another thing, no crafting or making unique weapons or armour, the weapons are very basics. They introduced fishing which I've liked in previous jrpgs however in this its really basic, the fish you get just turns into food ingredients. Im hoping i enjoy the game more at some point. I do have to remember that this is an indie game and no a big bugdet production, I still prefer Chained Echoes, now that was an amazing indie rpg.
Some weird negativity in the comments. Know that you have ten games on your plate right now and appreciate your impressions here. Looking forward to checking this one out.
You’re my favorite gaming channel! Just wanted to lyk and thank you for taking the time to review this game and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk in the middle of all these big AAA titles.
“Zalere and Vale”😭 4:41
Dude, I watch your videos and I'm like, why am I not subscribed!? I'm loving Sea of Stars too, it's deeply nuanced and I really enjoy that the battle system is seemingly simple but the reality is, it's difficult and fun to master!!
This really is a lovely letter to chrono trigger from the art design, battle setup time mechanics. I'm not sure how far Matty got for this review but trust me folks this game goes places.
Matty didn't mention it in the review but the soundtrack deserves a shout-out here, it's a stand out list with a couple of tracks that stand up there with some of the best from that pixel RPG era.
All in all a fantastic game that will surely stand the test of time with all the games it takes inspiration from
I had the joy recently of playing the demo and the art style in particular blows me away. It brings me back to the original Star Ocean, or older SNES/Super Famicom RPGs. Such a delight! I'm buying this one for sure. Loved your review
I love these types of videos for this channel. New games with retro influence
I don't want to watch the video yet to avoid spoilers but I wanted to stop by the comment sections and just say I'm only an hour in and IT'S SO GOOD!. I love what they've done to make the combat engaging and I love the art style and story!
I'm about 3 hours into it, really enjoying it. 👍 Going to try to finish it before Balder's Gate 3 drops on PS5! 😊
Ironically, Boulanger wrote the English script himself and had the French translation outsourced.
The "canon" version will be the Québécois script released later this year, but you'll have to be fluent in French and reasonably comfortable with English to understand it, so it's the least profitable one for Sabotage. (And writing in Joual and Franglais isn't really something you can outsource.)
Ehi
Started a playthrough last night....before the big one.....loving it so far...this an Chained Echos is a the new standard IMO
After 60 hrs and a 100% completion, I would say 8.25 - 8.5.
Good game that feels like it's never moving quite at the pace I wanted. Traveling is fun at first, then a bit tedious until a late game skill is aquired. Similarly, combat is way more exciting at first but they didn't really do much with evolving it over the 30 hour story. I dont know if it was the translation or if the writing simply wasnt totally my thing but about half way though my first run I started getting annoyed with all the conversations as they felt like they dragged and offered little to the plot or character groth outside of cuteness of repeated characterisms. Definitely want to try messenger now, hopefully I get a bit more out of the gorgeous world and plot in the next game.
OMG, finally someone pointing out the missing commas! THANK YOU! It annoys me every time, but the setting, characters, music and gameplay totally make up for it. Great game 😊
Jason Schrier also mentioned it on twitter.
The game was originally written in English. It is not a translation.
Matty - good video. Pls don't feel the need to apologize all the time. I did watch another review b4 yours but... I care about YOUR thoughts so I always come for jrpg reviews
Getting a physical of this may be a good idea probably be worth money
The absolute madlads actually got Yasunori Mitsuda to do the soundtrack. It deserves a buy just for that!
I think it's just one song but yes still!
Also on gamepass!
My only really complaint was The Artful Gambit relic was introduced too late. I would have loved to have combined it with some of the other relics (like the feedback flare, so useful) the whole play through. Just for funsies, to see how far I could get.
Had no idea this game existed. Played the demo and lucky I discovered it during the Switch Indie Sale. Absolutely sold, this reminds me of so many games I love.
Awesome! I'm currently playing it on my PS Vita, streaming it directly from PS4. And what I love best about PlayStation is the fact that they made the fonts still readable--unlike the swicth.
I feel like the translation mimics the "bad-good" quality of older RPGs. That's just my opinion. Kind of like the original BoF2 translation. It has a certain charm to it even though it's technically "bad".
The bad translation adds to that classic JRPG feel! But seriously so far its the only real flaw i can find in the game. I just wish i had more time to play it!
This game has been so fun to play. I'm really loving the music too. Excited to get home to play more.
This game is awesome. So many nostalgic elements in this game that reminds me of the good old days of gaming. I look forward to putting in so many more hours into it.
Tried this on a whim through game pass on my ROG Ally and was surprised when I was a few hours in and wanted more when I had to put it down. Loving it so far!
I’ve really been enjoying the new backdrop set up you have!
This is my game of the year so far, I absolutely loved this experience, platinumed it...and doing 100% achievements on Xbox as well that's how much I love it lol This game only gets better and better.
Just finished the main story for the first time on PlayStation and absolutely loved it! Any tips for the Platinum run?
@@ArkaneRogue make sure there are stars icons next to location names on your map and talk to every single NPC. Also as soon as you can use the uhm... charm? (It's been a while lol) to get tougher boss fights, use it.
It's not hard and it takes about 1 and 1/3 playthroughs to get the platinum.
@@ShadowWolfQc Awesome. Appreciate the insight dude and I've got the 'charm' already saved for NG+ 👌 Have a good one and thanks
Matty was so adamant about not being seen as an “awkshully 🤓” that he had to tell us twice
I learned about the messenger when the one of the founders went to visit in my programming class in college in 2018. I played the game and loved it. There even was a public event I went to when pinic panic free dlc came out in summer 2019.
When covid started and sabotage launched the kickstarter for sea of stars, I bought my copy of the game that way because I knew it would probably be a good game. I only wished I could have got a gog copy rather than steam.
I only played the game for 3 hours for now but I had a great time.
Just to support you on the grammatical pet peeve portion of the video, I’m one of those who feel like that so thanks for including it as part of your review 👍🏾
Yeah Matty. As someone who grew up during the golden age of rpgs in the late 90s I can with the utmost confidence say that this game does indeed slap lol.
It was also a plus that I was able to play it day one on gamepass.
I really wanna play but it came out at such a bad time for me with so many games so little time. I have gamepass but will pick up the physical next year. I still want the messenger physically but its so expensive. Glad to hear its so good! Idk if you played Chained Echoes but check it out, its also a love letter to old jrpgs
First off I'm not a huge fan of JRPGs I've never been a big fan of slowing the narrative for battles BUT, and a BIG BUT, I LOVED Sea of Stars. The narrative is brilliant, the gameplay is more Mario RPG than older JRPGs, and I have to point out the music. I bought the soundtrack from Stream, have some art from the game as a phone screen, and my ringtone is from the game as well.
38 hours in and I'm delaying the final area of the game to go back to previous unavailable areas to get end game stuff. Realistically, I could be where I'm at 2 hours earlier on total game time played.
First hour or two of the game is fairly slow to show you basic gameplay mechanics and a story setup. After that, the game is perfectly balanced on story and level progression. The music and avatar emotions during speech help give this game depth. I haven't felt so good about a game like this in a very long time. Something I wish Square-Enix would pay attention to. A must buy for retro rpg fans.
Hey! Good review, as always!
I was really excited for this game game since I am from the same place as them and I am a dev too.
It’s bothering me that we’re calling this game a Jrpg. Its not from Japan.
The comments about the english are valid although I’m 99% sure it was developed in english 1st. We’re french but surrounded by english and used to work in english even tho this is not our 1st language.
A comparisson video between Sea of Stars and Chained Echoes would be nice!
Whatsup Matty 🎩
I recently started FF6 pixel remaster.. but I've caught myself using the OG font and soundtrack, really wanting an original JRPG experience. Also playing Persona 4.. and I've put some time into Chained Echoes as well.
I just downloaded this game, and after an hour with it.. it's safe to say I'm gonna go back. Super colorful.
30 hours sounds like the common consensus. Thank you for your impression of the game.
-Take care, everyone 🕹
I'm hearing a lot of praise about this game. Might have to try it. Great review by the way.
Check out the free demo if you can..you just might get hooked lol
@@thomasharvey1151 Thanks. I didn't know there was a demo.
@@90shandheldgamer No problem YW. It starts you off a bit into the game(not from the beginning) but it lets you experience a lot of what is in the game with the various mechanics and such.
It's on gamespass as well!
The animations for me were one of the highlights.
Yes it does feel like Jedi your playing. Yes it does take some time to warm up. Yes the backgrounds are breathtaking! The mechanics are great!
The grammar point is valid, and should be mentioned. Thank you.
Dude I love your personality and review! Subscribed!
waited for the physical, just came out of an 8h session, good game, great soundtrack. All i knew going in was that it had timing based battles like mario rpg and i was sold
Been playing it for 10 hours now and i really like it but Chained Echoes is still the best indie jrpg i have played in a while!!!
I honestly have no desire to use any of the relics, as they seem to be nothing more than easy mode tuners. I really enjoy having to learn the timings with no handicap, and I feel some may forget or not even realize that getting the timings right is to be thought of as a reward rather than a necessity. The game can be completed without even doing any timing stuff, it just would be a bit tougher to do so.
Also, I think Matty brought up a good point that explains what I love so much about the battle system. The fact that the majority of strategy and challenge comes from all the systems in place WITHIN battle, rather than with overly deep/complex gear systems or character build mechanics.
Lastly, I wanted to touch on a big overlooked aspect of the game that I feel is a big part of what makes it great. This would be the exploration/reward aspect to the game. This game seems to take a lot of inspiration from games like Zelda, Golden Sun, and Wild Arms. It likes to reward you for taking that extra time to explore and find new areas that are somewhat hidden to the naked eye. I remember going back to a place I had already been for something, but on the way I noticed something I didn't the first time, and my reward was a shiny new weapon for Zale after a slightly tougher than normal battle was fought. I am only about 5 hours in so far, but it also seems like there will be some interactive puzzles to solve, and I even heard you will find helpful traversal abilities ala metroidvania style.
Thumbs up! Ready to dive in!
Great video I’ll definitely be checking it out at a later time
We NEED a Jet Set Radio Future video!!!
Wish there were more jrps like this with similar colors and graphics ive looked at other jrps but nothing seems to compare
I think it could be one of the best indies of the year.
man this game just gives me some serious maplestory nostagia vibes I really want to see a deep story driven game like this but plays like maple
Love this game! Excited to see your take on the full game once you finish it :D
What is this guy talking about "translation"? You do know Sabotage Studio is in Canada where 75% of the population speak English, right? I highly doubt they coded this in French and then "translated" it either. Did you think this was made in Japan because it's a throwback to JRPG's? Lmao!
Sabotage are based in Quebec City
Giving me Golden Sun vibes. Stoked to try it out!
My game of the year. I hope after this retro rebound goes thru the dragon quest series. I know it's a big series but it's rich with some of the best games ever
I've been loving the game, but the very few and far in between mistakes did bother me a little.
But the gameplay, graphics, soundtrack, worldbuilding, design... Everything is amazing.
This is the only reviewer that mentioned that problem. I'm a teacher, so I can't help but notice every small mistake.
The only thing that actually bothered me is the lack of a way to see the chat log and check previous message. I know the old-school RPGs didn't have that, but more recent RPGs do and I really miss that.
This game looks pretty interesting I’ve heard a boss theme from it and it goes hard so I’ll probably try it out eventually
The team as French as a primary language since they are from Québec (Canada). That may explain some syntax errors.
It's fine. It isn't as good as I'd hoped that it would be. I'll play it now on PS+, and then to supprot physical media releases, I'll pick up a copy when those release, probably for Switch. I think that this game will excel when played in short bursts of a half an hour or hour on the go.
I’m on the ghost part now. This game is so much fun. Definitely worth it. ESP since it’s on sale now for $25.00 on ps4. :3
I tried it on gamepass thinking it would be a 10 minute look l, ended up playing for 4 hours couldn't put it down. Def a good rpg
Been following the games development through the instagram account and some of the artists accounts absoluty love that this game was made
This and Chained Echoes are both fantastic.
Cant believe people slept on this tbh haha. I saw this game on a pixel art top 10 list years ago. It seemed to not only be a looker but also a game of substance. The developers made the Messenger which I did not play but people had great things to say about. That's all a big recipe for success with an upcoming title usually. Ofcourse it's still nerve wrecking to see how good it is. But can't say im surprised. Just overjoyed it's genuinely in that 9/10 ballpark and not just a solid 8/10. Although to be fair, some people will still give it that score for personal reasons. I'm talking overal.
Dont usually dig these kinda games but im loving this one
I am playing it and loving it on gamepass while playing Fires of Rubicon. I was going to get early access to Starfield but decided I have these two games to play in the meantime and will way until Sep 5th for Starfield. I am eagerly waiting preorders for the physical version of Sea of Stars to go up as well!
Is it on PS plus?
@@countquackula8539 it is! Which is awesome. I was happy to see it come to both services because it is a good game. Maybe more people will play it since they can try it out as part of their membership
Played it for a hour today and was really into it. Gonna play it tomorrow before starfield then ill get back to it after starfield for sure
Was super hyped for this game! Not disappointed at all.
I’ll play this digitally on the PS5 and physical on Switch when it releases in early 2024.
Sabotage Studio is a Canadian studio by the way.
Waited years for this and now there are too many games released at once so I am waiting even more haha. I have no doubt in my mind this will be incredible and I will purchase it later, the demo was great too!
Looking rly neat :)
Just bought it yesterday - cant wait to dig into it
I was pleasantly surprised by this game, I can't stand turn based combat but I didn't mind this one. What does get on my nerves are the enemies that keep summoning more of themselves as you get their health down low. It feels like you're in a perpetual loop of combat that gets stale quickly. I'll persevere, but this issue may put me off at some point. I'm preferring it to Chained Echoes, but that's as much the fact that I'm stuck on that one.
I just finished 100%ing this game and loved it.😊
I am 5 hours in and so far I like it a lot. The battles aren't exactly my cup of tea, but it is done nicely overall. The aesthetics and sound is so beautiful, though, and I enjoy the story and characters a lot so far.
Thank god it sounds like they tone down the humor-- I hated how overbearing it was in The Messenger, personally, despite being charmed by some other elements of the game. Really looking forward to this, though.
Been playing this on Gamepass. Can agree with post of this. I dislike the timing bonus for your reaction speed. Feels like it is more of a needed skill I lack then a bonus, like the game wants you to view it as, because of trying to break spells.
You have amazing manners and consideration for a youtuber bro. It's kinda sad you have to remind people It's just your opinion but you navigate the stormy waters masterfully. That being said I haven't tried sea of stars yet but definitely going to tonight.
Hi Retro Rebound I Love Your Videos Man Keep it Up!
Loving it so far Matty! Nice review
downloaded the demo after hearing @TheCompletionist rave about it. I was disappointed with the spanish translation and wanted to find someone that would address this (I noticed the English translation was also odd)
Thank you for addressing it. I think I may buy the game now (or at least keep going with the demo)
Just downloaded the demo on switch. Love it.
I have been waiting for this and I am only about a few hours in (adulting takes up too much time) but I am loving it!