Sea of Stars Review
Revisiting an old favorite is about more than just watching the same movie or reading the same book again. Some people replay the same game or watch the same series on an annual basis, while others may want to refamiliarize themself with a long-lost friend they haven't seen in a while. There's something romantic about revisiting snapshots of our own history through the lens of what helped define us in those times, and what continues to stick with us many years later. While pop culture and media are teeming with reboots, sequels, remakes, and the like, it's rare when something new comes along and evokes those feelings of familiarity. Plenty of games bill themselves as being inspired by the SNES classics, but Sea of Stars stands out because it doesn't just understand how those games look and are played, but also how they feel.
[...]
That's part of the reason Sea of Stars is such a success. It leans on the past without being shackled to it, taking elements from the classics while adding technical flourishes to liven up the proceedings. It doesn't simply try to copy the classics or provide a facsimile of a retro experience. Instead, it recreates the experience of feeling those games, allowing us to revisit what it felt like to perceive the spectacle and grandeur for the first time. By those measures, Sea of Stars might be inspired by the classics, but it feels in league with them, too.
Score: 9/10
