Sea of Stars caught me seriously by surprise. The retro-style RPG with significant similarities to Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, and the classic era of Final Fantasy, I was expecting a game that skated by on raw nostalgia value, a pretty but perhaps light fantasy adventure with only so much to offer beyond its pixelated visuals. Instead, Sea of Stars was one of the best RPGs I played last year, a solid, well-told story with smart combat (I love Valere’s little parry system) and a charismatic cast. Now, Sea of Stars is about to get even better – as confirmed at the Indie World Showcase, the new Sea of Stars DLC is finally on its way, and it’s going to be free for everyone.
Vibrant colors, scrolling text, elemental magic – Sea of Stars is an RPG in the most traditional sense, but its greatest quality is how it combines all of these long-standing tropes with ultra-modern playability. There is value, absolutely, in the obtuseness and friction of old role-playing games – it’s almost like a new language when you encounter it first, but by the time you’ve mastered the Junctioning system in Final Fantasy 8, for example, it feels like a meaningful achievement.
But I admire Sea of Stars as a kind of gateway game, the perfect RPG for introducing players to the perhaps more substantial joys of some of its inspirations. Our own Sea of Stars review was similarly enthusiastic.
And now it’s back. In the new Sea of Stars DLC, Throes of the Watchmaker, Valere and Zale return alongside a new character, Artificer. Artificer is a mechanical, laser-gun wielding sharpshooter who will assist the two Solstice Warriors as they explore Horloge. A gloriously modeled clockwork world, Horlodge is under siege from a sinister, demonic carnival.
Using entirely new combat systems – in what feels like an indirect homage to FF10’s Wakka, Zale swaps his sword for a set of juggling balls; Valere meanwhile uses a staff and acrobatic melee attacks – you can also play Throes of the Watchmaker with friends thanks to the new three-player co-op update which will be available both for the base Sea of Stars game and the DLC.
We don’t have a precise release date yet, but Sea of Stars Throes of the Watchmaker will be completely free, and comes to PC sometime during spring 2025. If you want to get and play the main game now in preparation, head right here.
Otherwise, take a look at all the best upcoming PC games, or maybe try the best fantasy games available today.
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