Chrono Triggeris widely considered one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, and is often placed on several best games of all time lists as well. Originally released back in 1995 for the SNES, this globetrotting and time-spanning RPG told a uniquely diverse story with an eclectic cast of characters, and helped push the genre in the medium forward in several formative ways. Modern JRPGs have a lot to thank Chrono Trigger for, as it helped pave the way narratively, stylistically, and gameplay-wise for the best modern examples of JRPGs today. Now, 27 years after the Square-developed RPG released,Sea of Starsis a standout example of a new RPG inspired by the classic JRPG.
Many flocked toCris Talesbecause of its reverence forChrono Trigger, and whileCris Taleswas a similarly time-hopping RPG of its own, the game also showcased its unique mechanics that leaned even further into aspects of time travel. Now, it seems,Sea of Starsmay receive the same treatment as excitement ramps up for the upcoming title.Sea of Starswears itsChrono Triggerinspiration on its sleeve to some extent, and even has a certainChrono Triggerveteran working on the game, but the game also emphasizes its own style.Sea of Starsdraws from many influences, but any fan ofChrono Triggercan easily find a lot to love in what’s been shown ofSea of Starsthus far.
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Sea of Stars: Nostalgic RPG From The Messenger Developer
Sea of Starshas a fascinating backstory as a prequel toThe Messenger, the widely popular indie platformer made by the same developer, Sabotage Studio. The two games couldn’t be more different, despite being linked by the same developer:The Messengerwas an action-platformer thatharkened back to early games in the genre likeNinja Gaiden, whileSea of Starscelebrates old-school JRPGs likeChrono Trigger.Sea of Starsrecognizes the nostalgic aspect of its design, attempting to modernize any of theChrono Trigger-like aspects of Sabotage’s JRPG, whilst also introducing its own characters, world, mechanics, and story unique to Sabotage’s universe.
That promise is exactly what propelled the game’s Kickstarter to stardom, just hours after the game’s campaign went live on the crowdfunding site. Sabotage Studio’s Kickstarter amassed well over $1 million in funding from its 25,589 backers as the campaign concluded, cementing the success of all its stretch goals and total funding. This evidently caught the eye of famous video game composerYasunori Mitsuda, the composer forChrono Trigger, who reached out to Sabotage Studio to assist with orchestrating the game’s soundtrack. Since then, the game’s popularity has reached a fever pitch amongChrono Triggerfans, as well as JRPG fans in general.
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Sea of Stars' Chrono Trigger Influence, and its Nuance
On a more granular level, much of the DNA ofChrono Triggerseems to be emphasized throughout the many facets ofSea of Stars' design. For one thing, the turn-based combat is the more obvious parallel toChrono Triggerfrom a gameplay perspective. On a surface level, the combat similarities are uncanny: In-field combat, no random encounters, and different attacks are categorized as “skills.” However, there’s several new wrinkles inSea of Stars' gameplay that draw from a variety of sources. There’s rhythmic combat attacks that boost attack strengthandminimize damagea laLegend of Dragoon, and a spell “locks” system that players can break to gain the advantage.
The world, and the characters and stories within it, are another clearexample of the influence of JRPGs likeChrono Triggeron Sabotage’s JRPG. The game’s world map perspective and landmark design in particular is very reminiscent ofChrono Trigger. Villages dot the landscape among other mythical structures and milestones, as well as various ways to get around the world like by air or by sea. The various islands segmented into different biomes and landscapes is just likeChrono Trigger’s layout as well.
Additionally, the various characters and their respective stories seems to besimilar to JRPGs likeChrono Trigger, at least by description. Only some early access and preview gameplay has depicted character interactions fromSea of Starsso far, but the variety of interactions seems familiar. Some serious emotional moments are interspersed between moments of levity and companionship, along with “the unexpected twists and events you’d expect from a Sabotage production.”
Obviously at the end of the day, even ifChrono Trigger’s influence can be less-than-subtle,Sea of Starsis its own JRPG with a story to tell. Fleshing out the world thatThe Messengertakes place in by going back in time is an interesting premise. Contextualizing the prequel in a classic JRPG framework would make sense as a conduit to exploring the game’s world and lore in-depth without seeming out of place. Plus, with all of the interesting innovations on top of the classic JRPG influence,Sea of Starscertainly looks like a nostalgia trip that doesn’t skip out on efforts of modernization, which could be the perfect balance if executed correctly.
Even ifSea of Starsdoes proudly draw from its inspiration, the nuance and complexity the game is adding to the mechanics and story is what sets it apart from comparable nostalgia-adjacent JRPGs. Especially with Mitsuda on board, any fans looking for thatChrono Triggeritch in a new JRPG should definitely check outSea of Starswhen it releases next year.
Sea of Starsreleases in Holiday 2022, for PC and Nintendo Switch.
