Sea of Stars

A sensational retro-inspired JRPG that executes its vision near flawlessly, with a thrillingly well-written narrative, strong party bonds, and combat made engaging through timed inputs, lock-canceling, and a shared-leveling system that keeps every character battle-ready. Gorgeous pixel art with dynamic lighting, an excellent soundtrack, and clever extras like the Wheels minigame round it out; only some awkward, errand-heavy pacing holds it back. An instant classic for old-school RPG fans.

Masterfully crafted classic RPG homage with gorgeous visuals and engaging combat.

A brilliant JRPG from Sabotage Studio that fuses nostalgic pixel-art charm with modern design, anchored by a warm story and the bond between its three central friends. Combat is a standout, blending timed-action inputs, damage-type targeting and combo attacks, backed by gorgeous visuals and a Mitsuda-infused soundtrack. The main gripes are the lack of any map or quest log and an overly simplistic leveling system.

Might be RPG goat — loved it. Chained Echoes suffered from pacing and level design issues which Sea of Stars completely avoided. Level design and pacing are masterful, no dungeon or environment overstays its welcome. Top 3 RPG candidate for the year.