Do you want Sea of Stars to become as difficult as Elden Ring or Dark Souls? You can make it so with the Artful Gambit and try to git gud.
A new clip showcased by the developers at Sabotage Studio showcases the “Artful Gambit,” an item that you can activate in the “Relics” menu and turn the game into a nightmare in which your timing will be critical. Your characters’ HP will be reduced by 95%, while enemies become invincible while casting. On the other hand, timed blocks will reduce the damage done to you to 1, while timed hits will deal double the damage.
Of course, this means that your margin of error is much more limited, and you need to rely on timing and skill to survive.
On the other hand, if you want a comfy narrative experience, the Amulet of Storytelling is another relic that adds 100 to your HP and will auto-heal up to 75% of your HP pool after each battle.
There is a third item named “Sequent Flare” but the video does not reveal what it is.
You can watch it below.
Sea of Stars is a prequel set in the universe of Sabotage’s Studio acclaimed game The Messenger and it has been funded with a successful Kickstarter campaign that reached its goal in a single day. It’ll release for PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One on August 29, 2023.
It comes with retro-style turn-based battles that aim to renew the formula with timed attacks and defense, tactical use of damage types, and more. Of course, it also includes absolutely beautiful pixel art visuals enriched by dynamic lighting and several additional effects that make the game look really gorgeous.
The story includes dozen of characters and story arcs, promising a “captivating journey,” but if you want a break, you can still enjoy side activities like fishing and minigames, including the in-game tabletop game “Wheels” that you can play at taverns.
Incidentally, it also features music by legendary JRPG composer Yasunori Mitsuda, even if he did not compose the whole soundtrack. You can read more about the score in our previous dedicated article from a few weeks ago.
