I really should play Demon’s Souls again. It’s the only one of the seven I’ve only played once. And even though I had a handle on Soulslikes at that point, I still kinda… your first time is always gonna be a wild ride, that’s just how these games go. So what’s a second time like?
Right now, though, I’m playing Sea of Stars, and really having some fun with it. I’m about 10 hours in—I have a 4-character party at this point (although I’m still not clear on who the fourth is, exactly) and have gotten through the… major plot point that happens during the eclipse.
The combat is good—turn-based but keeps you on your toes. There’s a lot of systems happening: timed inputs, the combo setup, elemental locks on enemy spell casting, positioning, balancing MP use/regeneration… it’s lively.
The pacing is good, too. Dungeons are pretty linear, but in a way that takes a minute to figure out sometimes. Save points are generous. No particular segment has felt overlong or worn out its welcome. I have multiple traversal tools now and I’m curious if there will be more. And the Wheels minigame is pretty fun, now that I have a handle on it.
The story… okay. The presentation is amazing. Like it NAILS the feel of what playing fourth generation-era RPGs when I was like 11 or 12 felt like. And in a certain way, I kind of like the childlike simplicity of it. And as far as villain names go, “The Fleshmancer” fucking rules. It’s just… I’m not expecting like, Xenogears or FF Tactics or anything on that level, but I want a little more than I’m getting, you know? The characters are interesting, but they don’t exactly have a lot of dimension. I’m loving the kind of kitchen-sink lore—ghost ships! mole people keeping a space dragon asleep! whatever the fuck was going on with that necromancer lady!—I’m just not sure… what it’s all about, I suppose. This most recent development (the eclipse bit with the Dweller) feels like we’re really getting into it now, though, so I’m curious how that’s gonna play out.
And it’s fun. That’s what counts.
