Sea of Stars Demo Now Available on Nintendo Switch

Written by Brandon Hofer on February 08, 2023

News: You can get an early look at the next turn-based RPG from Sabotage Studio before the full game arrives this summer.

Developer Sabotage Studio today announced that Sea of Stars, the turn-based RPG inspired by the golden age of 90s role-playing classics, will be available on August 29 on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation consoles. Sabotage Studio unveiled the launch date while releasing Sea of Stars’ playable debut demo on the Nintendo eShop as part of the Nintendo Direct, offering fans their first chance to dive into the game’s enthralling world. The demo's dense slice of early-game content showcases Sea of Stars' main systems and mechanics, introducing key characters and the adventure's tone in a spoiler free, close-to-final vision look at the game featuring pirates, puzzles and exploration.

Also making its debut is a close look at new gameplay touring Sea of Stars’ gorgeously realized universe. The footage spotlights Sabotage Studio’s comprehensive revitalization of the genre’s classic strengths, offering a modernized, distinctive take on classic RPG exploration, combat and storytelling.

Sea of Stars follows the story of two Children of the Solstice, joining players with youths Valere and Zale as they face their fated duty of becoming Solstice Warriors. By joining their Sun and Moon powers to cast powerful Eclipse Magic, this duo wields the lone power capable of fighting the monstrous creations of the evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer. Sea of Stars is set to a soundtrack including original works by legendary composer Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger) who joins Sabotage Studio’s composer Eric W. Brown.

Sea of Stars will feature active turn-based combat. Pressing the action button in sync with battle animations strengthens a hero’s attacks and reduces incoming damage during defense. Along with interactive timed attacks, combat features boosting and a strategic “locks” system, providing options for leveraging different damage types in order to hinder enemies while they are preparing powerful attacks or spells, all in an immersive take on the RPG genre; no random encounters, transitions to separate battlefields, or grinding.

Some other key features in Sea of Stars includes the following:

Unshackled Traversal: Swim, climb, vault, jump off or scale ledges as you traverse seamlessly through the world with a navigation system based on platformer expertise that breaks free from classic, bound-to-the-ground tileset movement.

A Story Rich Adventure: Meet dozens of original characters and progress memorable story arcs throughout your journey. Sometimes epic, sometimes silly, and other times emotional, Sea of Stars explores classic themes of adventure and friendship with heart, while also being chock-full of the unexpected twists and events you’d expect from a Sabotage Studio production.

All Fun, No Tedium: Enjoy experimenting in combat without fear of hitting a wall requiring grinding or farming for unique items; in Sea of Stars, defeat calls for a change in battle plans, not hours of repetition to better the odds in a rematch.

A World You Can Touch: There are many ways to hang out in the world of Sea of Stars if you feel inclined to change the pace during your adventures. Sailing, cooking, fishing, stopping by a tavern to listen to a song, or playing the beloved tabletop game known as “Wheels,” every system has been designed to deliver an experience that pays tribute to retro classics, while rethinking conventional elements to offer a smooth and refreshingly modernized experience.

Radiant Lighting: Dynamic lighting effects pair with a world-influencing day/night cycle to make every area feel truly alive, pushing the traditional visual limits of classically stylized 2D pixel art games - the only way to properly tell the story of heroes conjuring the powers of the Sun and the Moon.

Check out the trailer below for Sea of Stars and then tell us what you think. The demo is available to download right now on the Nintendo eShop. The full game will arrive on August 29, 2023.